I have my daughters old apple watch. It tries to pair with my phone but says it needs an update but can’t since not connected to wifi. I can’t connect to wifi until it pairs, so what can I do?

Question

I have my daughters old apple watch. It tries to pair with my phone but says it needs an update but can’t since not connected to wifi. I can’t connect to wifi until it pairs, so what can I do?

The older Apple watch was reset. It now tries to pair with my iPhone but says it needs an update first. I tried to update but I get message saying it’s not connected to the internet. However, there is no way to connect it to the internet until I can pair it. Is there a work around to updating the watch before it is paired? Thanks in advanced!

iPhone 13 Pro Max

Posted on Jul 22, 2023 8:08 PM

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Answer 1

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Branta_uk

Level 7

32,666 points

Jul 23, 2023 5:10 PM in response to VA_Momma_needs_help

The required WiFi connection is for your iPhone, not for the unconfigured Apple Watch. It must be a regular (home or office type) WiFi, not a cellular or other hotspot. Your iPhone should handle the download then pass the update files over Bluetooth to the Apple Watch.

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Answer 2

Jul 24, 2023 3:33 PM in response to Branta_uk

Thank you so much. You pointed me in the right direction. My Settings> App Store > Cellular Data > Automatic Downloads were turned on. I turned it off to force over WiFi and that worked!

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Answer 3

Jul 23, 2023 3:04 PM in response to javaliga

Unfortunately, my daughter doesn’t have the phone the older Apple watch was originally paired to. Now, the ONLY thing the watch will do is try to pair with another iPhone, but will never complete the process since it is not connected to the internet and there is no way to connect it until it is paired. A double edge sword situation. I was hoping there was a way around getting it to update.

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