Apple Watch watchOS 10.3.1 update is stuck on preparing

Why is APPLE silent on these issues? With the cost of these premier devices and the recurring revenues they make from us, we expect you to speak out and provide updates on fixes to these issues. Instead, APPLE stays silent, pretending the issues don’t exist.

Same problem here tried a few times still not updating!

Restarted both, but it didn't help unfortunately.

Went back to the Watch app -> Software Update.

The progress bar went from "Downloading" to "Preparing" within 10 seconds, but then got stuck at "Preparing" again.

On your iPhone, go to the Watch app, go to My Watch > General > Storage > watchOS 10.3.1 and Delete de file. Close and reopen the app, and try again the update.

Restart Apple Watch and iPhone. I just did and update ''preparing'' is progressing.

This solution just worked for me: Restart Apple Watch, restart iPhone. Connect both to their chargers. The progress bar for the update, which had been stuck for about 24 hours on "preparing", started moving! 20 minutes later, my watch has successfully installed the update.

Tried numerous times, still stuck. Did actually get to start installing at one point & it said paused but could not get it to restart. Now can’t get it past preparing

Me too! Been trying to update ultra since 10.3.1 has been out. Tried all sorts of configurations and tried to do what was recommended. All to no avail! What’s up with that? Can I get a refund under the lemon law? Can I get a refund using lemon laws? Please advise.

I have restarted both,deleted the software updated many times and still won’t install or “prepare”

So restart for the both of them did the trick? Or its still stuck?

My watchOS 10.3.1 software is not updating it’s stuck i tried for many times but it’s not updating

Quality with OS / software & accessibility is simply not there. For the entirety of owning this watch it has proven more of a nuisance than a pleasure. Basic management fails frequently and the battery is to be loathed (on an historical scale across the entire consumer electronics industry).

Not only do updates fail like this, resolution is elusive - at best an arduous admin task - as there is no feedback to the enduser for enabling even the most basic and courteous informational guidance on how to help themselves. Absolute waste of time and money. For the money I did pay, I expect much more in return.

(I have been using Apple product since 1984 at home, in production, and eduction - worst overall experience and biggest disappointment has been this Series 7 watch. Really cool idea, high grade - but low quality implementations in areas that dismiss its value to me nearly instantly. For those reasons I simply don't use it enough to warrant ever buying it again I need more than 60% utilization potential that this product offers.)

Decided to give up & get on with things after my post…..came back & it was done, like rubbing a lamp🤣

Tried restarting both the iPhone and the watch and that didn't help. Followed @hdelgado's instructions to delete the file from storage. That did get it to start over again and start installing 10.4. It still got to approximately the same place and stopped. We removed the watch's passcode at that point and once the passcode was removed it started progressing again and finished just fine.

It worked. Update was installed