Apple Watch Series 3 won't sync after the newest ios update 17.0.3

Hi KenTuckeyWoman,

Compatibility between an Apple Watch and iOS will be based on the version of watchOS installed. An Apple Watch Series 3 will support a maximum of watchOS 8 per watchOS 8 and watchOS 9 whereby watchOS 8 lists the Series 3 as supported by watchOS 9 indicates Series 4 is the oldest hardware capable.

The pairing instructions for watchOS 8 found at Set up and pair your Apple Watch with iPhone indicate "To use your Apple Watch Series 3 or later with watchOS 8, you need to pair your Apple Watch with an iPhone 6s or later with iOS 15 or later."

You should be able to complete this process without issue. Try fully erasing the Apple Watch if necessary and starting the pairing steps from the beginning.

Regards.

Hello KenTuckeyWoman,

In this case, you'd want to take these related steps for a solution: If you can't pair an Apple Watch with your iPhone

If you can't pair an Apple Watch with your iPhone

When you set up Apple Watch, your iPhone asks you to hold the watch up to your iPhone camera. If your iPhone says that it's unable to connect to Apple Watch — or the watch shows a clock face — make sure that Apple Watch isn't already paired.

* Unpair Apple Watch from paired iPhone

* Erase Apple Watch without paired iPhone

* Reset Apple Watch without a passcode

* Reset Apple Watch if pairing process stalls

Unpair Apple Watch from the paired iPhone 

If you have the paired iPhone, unpair your Apple Watch:

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the My Watch tab, then tap All Watches at the top of the screen.

2. Tap the "i" button  next to the watch that you want to unpair, then tap Unpair Apple Watch.

3. Tap again to confirm, then wait for the watch to unpair.

4. After Apple Watch unpairs, you can pair again.

Erase Apple Watch without the paired iPhone

If you can't unpair Apple Watch because you don't have its paired iPhone, you can erase the watch.

When you erase Apple Watch instead of unpairing it, the watch is still protected by Activation Lock. Before you can pair Apple Watch again, enter the Apple ID and password that was used to set it up.

1. Open the Settings app on your watch, then tap General > Reset.

2. Tap Erase All Content and Settings, then tap again to confirm.

3. Wait for the watch to unpair.

4. After Apple Watch unpairs completely, you can pair again. You'll need the Apple ID and password that were used to set up the watch.

Reset Apple Watch without using a passcode

If you can't unpair or erase your Apple Watch because you’ve forgotten its passcode, you can reset the watch.

When you reset Apple Watch instead of unpairing it, the watch is still protected by Activation Lock. Before you can pair Apple Watch again, you'll have to enter the Apple ID and password that was used to set it up.

1. Put Apple Watch on its charger.

2. Press and hold the side button until you see the screen with the power button  in the upper-right corner, then let go of the side button. If your Apple Watch has an earlier version of watchOS, you see the Power Off slider instead of the power button.

3. Press and hold the Digital Crown until you see the red Reset button.

4. Tap Reset, then tap Reset again to confirm.

5. After Apple Watch unpairs completely, you can pair again. Remember that you'll need the Apple ID and password that were used to set up the watch.

Reset Apple Watch if the pairing process stalls

If it seems like the pairing process has stalled — for example, the pairing animation remains on the screen for several minutes — resetting your Apple Watch might help:

1. Press and hold the Digital Crown while your Apple Watch is in pairing mode.

2. Tap Reset when it appears on your watch.

3. After your watch resets, you can pair again.

Let us know if that helps out.

Cheers.