Iwatch 3 won’t update and now is stuck on factory reset

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Level 1

6 points

Iwatch 3 won’t update and now is stuck on factory reset

I tried updating my Iwatch 3 several times with no progress. I ended up unpairing, and doing a factory reset on my watch. Now when I go to pair it, it forces me to update date it, but it still won’t update.

I have tried restarting both my phone and watch, unpairing them, factory reset on my watch, tried multiple wifi networks to rule out that problem, kept them both watch and phone charged and near each other, and tried doing the update over night several times. My phone is updated to the newest iOS. The only progress I have seen is that it sometimes appears to download the update, but then gets stuck on “preparing” for hours on end with no progression.

Any suggestions?

My watch was working fine until I updated my phone, and then tried updating my watch. Seems a little suspicious…

Apple Watch

Posted on Nov 1, 2022 8:58 AM

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Answer 1

AdvisorMP

Community Specialist

Nov 3, 2022 7:50 AM in response to MJeauronrd

Thanks for reaching out MJeauronrd,

It sounds like you're having some trouble with updating your Apple Watch. We can help.

You can check If you see 'Unable to Verify Update' when updating Apple Watch:

Unpair and update your Apple Watch

1. Keep your Apple Watch and iPhone close together as you unpair them.

2. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.

3. Go to the My Watch tab, then tap All Watches at the top of the screen.

4. Tap the info button next to the watch that you want to unpair.

5. Tap Unpair Apple Watch.

6. For GPS + Cellular models, choose to keep your cellular plan.

7. Tap again to confirm. You might need to enter your Apple ID password to disable Activation Lock. Before erasing all content and settings on your Apple Watch, your iPhone creates a new backup of your Apple Watch. You can use the backup to restore a new Apple Watch.

Next, set up your Apple Watch with your iPhone. When asked whether you want to set up as new or restore from a backup, choose to set up as new. Then follow the onscreen instructions to finish setup. If you want to update to the watchOS beta, reinstall the beta profile after setup is complete.

Finally, update your Apple Watch.

Hope that helps.

Take care.

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Answer 2

Sparks0829

Community Specialist

Nov 22, 2022 12:27 PM in response to MJeauronrd

MJeauronrd,

If your Apple Watch now isn't pairing with your iPhone, we'd suggest working through the steps in this support article to see if you can get it paired again: If you can't pair an Apple Watch with your iPhone - Apple Support

If the issue persists beyond that, reaching out to Apple Support directly is the next best step. This link will help you get started: Contact - Official Apple Support

Take care.

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Answer 3

MJeauronrd Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 22, 2022 11:50 AM in response to AdvisorMP

Hello again,

It has been weeks now that I am without my watch due to an Iwatch update. I have tried absolutely everything possible on my end. It now won’t even pair. It starts to pair, then after a minute of saying it is connecting to the watch it starts “unpairing” and I am back to square one. This is a big issue, as it seems Apple is pulling another slimy move in hopes it forces people to buy new watches. My watch was working perfectly fine until this update. Clearly I am among hundreds or thousands of others with this problem. I look forward to hearing back from you promptly.

Thanks.

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Iwatch 3 won’t update and now is stuck on factory reset

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