Apple Watch keeps unpairing during initial set up

This thread is old and the well was poisoned earlier.

You would be better to write your own discussion.

You have not given us enough information to help in detail.

Please post in the new discussion these details:

The Model of Watch eg Series 7, SE 2022

The OS it is running, eg OS9.4 (Settings, General, About if you can see it)

The model of the paired iPhone eg iPhone 11

The iOS it is running eg iOS16.4 (Settings General, About)

State what you are trying to do and tell us what is happening, what do you see, are there any error messages?

Solution: Remove the Apple watch from the account first, then pair it, you will have to add it back to the account so be prepared to enter you Apple ID and password in the process, problem solved. Good luck!

After countless attempts. I figured out the only way I could get my Apple Watch series 8 to connect to my iPhone 13 Pro Max to connect was by doing the MANUAL setup!!

Use Find my or https://icloud.com/find to remove the watch from your  account then try pairing again

Works profile may need the company IT department to completely clear it

He’s not saying it’s stalled. Mine is doing exactly what his is. It does pair for a minute but as soon as you choose wrist orientation it says “unpairing”and you’re back at square 1 again. Mine just keeps doing it. I’ve had it for almost 2 weeks and haven’t gotten past this

I did state that this was probably not the only solution and that it may not work for everyone.

my point is simply that it this and many other post the standard response was given. In most cases it was clear that the person making to standard response had not actually read what the issue was.

now I know that in some people’s eyes Apple can do no wrong and anyone who questions them must be shutdown.

that’s fine. You have your opinion and I have mine. That’s the joy of living in a free society.

goodbye

Me too! I just bought a new (used) Apple Watch 4, but it will not pair with my iPhone SE 2016. Every time I try to set up, right near the end it flashes that I need to update IOS and unpairs. I have the latest software update, and have tried all the usual suggestions (power off, restart, reset, etc...).

I am having the same issue with 8 series watch, iPhone 13. I have reset both multiple times. iOS on phone is up to date. Both are fully charged .The watch won’t set up without pairing to a the phone first. The watch has an update, but when I try to initiate it, it stalls unpairs from phone. This is incredibly frustrating

My spare phone also runs iOS15. If my main phone needs service I know that my watch will have to go in the drawer for a while.

You were unaware of the requirements of OS 9 and 10 but now you are. Job done.

Redhairing-fl wrote:

how do you update a watch that has never been paired, you cant get into it

Chooka71’s rudeness towards the Apple Employee already disqualifies them from any credence.

If a watch has never been paired then it should not need to be updated until it has been paired once - ie bypass the requested update then update later.

It is ok to run a Watch with older software than the paired iPhone, but not the other way round.

This helped tremendously! Thank you

I am at the latest iOS version and part of the problem, is that when I try to update the watch, it doesn't pair at all.

How do you update a watch that’s not connected to anything?

Same way as you turn on a light bulb with no electricity.