S3 is stuck "can't verify your watchOS update because you're not connected to the Internet"

For this issue, i recommend following the below link as it might help with your issue

If you see 'Unable to Verify Update' when updating Apple Watch - Apple Support

Article number HT211801

with update 16.1, a fresh phone reboot and a watch reset I was able to successfully update the watch. it probably took over 3hrs to do!!!

Apple ask me to bring the S3 at the AASP Apple to fix the problem thereZ they ask me to take some pic of the watch and send them ovoer the link they sent me. They approve fix it for free in the AASP. Tomorrow I’ll go do it. Let’s see if will fix.

Same set up, S5 and iPhone 12pro. I've tried it with three different phones and every possible combination "fixes" on both Apple site and the web with zero luck. I'm running 16.2 on phone and trying to update to 9.2. It's pretty dumb that Apple knows this is an issue and doesn't have a fix for it. Should be able to pair phone and get the watch working then do updates. The watch was working, just not updating, then did the "unpair and pair" solution now have a useless watch since it won't pair until it updates which it won't update.

It should be work. I use the watch since yesterday. It took 3 hours. Reboot both watch and phone.

Oct 21 and issue still remains unfixed. Got my wife a new phone and cannot get the update to go onto S3 watch. Tried multiple times and restarted both watch and phone. After internet message it will download update but gets stuck on preparing update with no progress in progress bar.

Same issue here. Throws the unable to verify due to not connected to internet message. Visited the Apple Store and they suggested a reset settings or reset network settings. That didn’t help.

also suggested removing any VPNs which I had 1 but not connected.

removed that and no change still gives the error.

I refuse to buy a new watch.

Not helpful. The phone (11) and watch (3) are both connected to the internet and neither will finish processing OS 8.7.1. The phone will NOT complete the pairing/setup without the update…but neither device will correctly process the update. None of the Apple Support information provided has helped nor solved this problem.

Has anyone been able to get the update to go through on their s3 watches running ios16? Mine fails when trying to verify stating “no I internet connection”

watch was given to me after factory reset and I can’t get into any settings as I need to get this update installed first?

I have the same problem,… have had these errors for a while. But since de most recent update I was forced to do the update before I could update any of my watch settings in the watch app on iOS. Today did a reset of my s3 watch but now it is completely stuck…. Cannot do anything until I get the update installed….