Download of apple watch 10.4 STOPPED during Preparing and won't advance. It is STUCK. What can I do? Can I cancel and start over?
iPhone has latest software. Watch is a Series 10XR
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Apple Watch Series 5
To Everyone who is having trouble with the download of Watch OS 10.4:
Apple Support states:
"Updating to watchOS 10 requires iPhone XS or later with iOS 17."
This is WRONG.
You can use several iPhone series to download Watch OS 10.4, not just iPhone Series XS.
I did it with iPhone Series XR. Others did it with Series 8 and other series.
Just RESTART (Turn OFF and then ON) your iPhone and Apple Watch.
Then use your iPhone to start the download, then put your watch on its charger.
It takes a LONG time and will APPEAR to get stuck on "Preparing the download"
Just leave it alone and let it finish the "Preparing".
Leave the room where the watch is being updated. Do NOT watch it.
It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
During this time the sliding horizontal bar on the iPhone does NOT MOVE.
Come back after 2 hours and it will be updated. If the watch face is dark, just touch it.
Hope this helps everyone with this problem.
Tom
To Everyone who is having trouble with the download of Watch OS 10.4:
Apple Support states:
"Updating to watchOS 10 requires iPhone XS or later with iOS 17."
This is WRONG.
You can use several iPhone series to download Watch OS 10.4, not just iPhone Series XS.
I did it with iPhone Series XR. Others did it with Series 8 and other series.
Just RESTART (Turn OFF and then ON) your iPhone and Apple Watch.
Then use your iPhone to start the download, then put your watch on its charger.
It takes a LONG time and will APPEAR to get stuck on "Preparing the download"
Just leave it alone and let it finish the "Preparing".
Leave the room where the watch is being updated. Do NOT watch it.
It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
During this time the sliding horizontal bar on the iPhone does NOT MOVE.
Come back after 2 hours and it will be updated. If the watch face is dark, just touch it.
Hope this helps everyone with this problem.
Tom
I have 13 Pro Max
Note: make sure your watch is on its charger and at least 50% battery. And obviously make sure your using WiFi.
This should complete the install
If you have dowloaded the software update OS 10.4, but did not install it, below is how to delete it.
Open the watch App on your iPhone.
Then tap on General.
Then scroll down to the word STORAGE and tap on it.
If you find the download Watch OS 10.4, Delete it. Do NOT delete the current OS.
Then start the download again AFTER first turning OFF and then Turning on the iPhone and watch.
The download is fairly quick, but the "Preparing" is very, very long. Don't watch it.
Just leave the watch and iPhone for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Then come back and it should be done.
If no display on the watch, just touch the screen.
Hope this helps
Follow these steps.
I've tried many others over the past week and have just seen a "lack-of-progress" bar and no joy. I followed *these* most excellent steps and I have joy, and 10.4 on my watch. Many thanks to the Bionic Golfer for posting them!
I had the same issue but was able to solve. I launched the update from my iPhone 13 Pro and then the process would get stuck at the “Preparing” step. Time didn’t play a role — I had this running several times and then also over night for 7 or 8 hours and the progress bar didn’t move. I have an Ultra 2.
I solved it by removing the downloaded update (under Storage in the Watch app) and then launch the update directly from the watch. I didn’t watch the process but came back after an hour or so and by then it was complete.
Maybe I was just lucky but that worked for me.
To Everyone who is having trouble with the download of Watch OS 10.4:
Apple Support states:
"Updating to watchOS 10 requires iPhone XS or later with iOS 17."
This is WRONG.
You can use several iPhone series to download Watch OS 10.4, not just iPhone Series XS.
I did it with iPhone Series XR. Others did it with Series 8 and other series.
Just RESTART (Turn OFF and then ON) your iPhone and Apple Watch.
Then use your iPhone to start the download, then put your watch on its charger.
It takes a LONG time and will APPEAR to get stuck on "Preparing the download"
Just leave it alone and let it finish the "Preparing".
Leave the room where the watch is being updated. Do NOT watch it.
It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
During this time the sliding horizontal bar on the iPhone does NOT MOVE.
Come back after 2 hours and it will be updated. If the watch face is dark, just touch it.
Hope this helps everyone with this problem.
Tom
Apple Support states:
"Updating to watchOS 10 requires iPhone XS or later with iOS 17."
This is WRONG.
You can use several iPhone series to download Watch OS 10.4, not just iPhone Series XS.
I did it with iPhone Series XR. Others did it with Series 8 and other series.
Just RESTART (Turn OFF and then ON) your iPhone and Apple Watch.
Then use your iPhone to start the download, then put your watch on its charger.
It takes a LONG time and will APPEAR to get stuck on "Preparing the download"
Just leave it alone and let it finish the "Preparing".
Leave the room where the watch is being updated. Do NOT watch it.
It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
During this time the sliding horizontal bar on the iPhone does NOT MOVE.
Come back after 2 hours and it will be updated. If the watch face is dark, just touch it.
Hope this helps everyone with this problem.
I finally got it done. I turned off my phone and my watch. Turned them back on. Went to General and Storage and deleted the stalled update. Downloaded update. Took about 45 mins to download. 30 mins to install. Way too long.
If you have dowloaded the software update OS 10.4, but did not install it, below is how to delete it.
Open the watch App on your iPhone.
Then tap on General.
Then scroll down to the word STORAGE and tap on it.
If you find the download Watch OS 10.4, Delete it. Do NOT delete the current OS.
Then start the download again AFTER first turning OFF and then Turning on the iPhone and watch.
The download is fairly quick, but the "Preparing" is very, very long. Don't watch it.
Just leave the watch and iPhone for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Then come back and it should be done.
If no display on the watch, just touch the screen.
Hope this helps
Just a little rewording...
If you have dowloaded the software update OS 10.4, but did not install it, below is how to delete it.
The download is fairly quick, but the "Preparing" is very, very long. Don't watch it.
Just leave the watch and iPhone for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Then come back and it should be done.
If no display on the watch, just touch the screen.
Hope this helps
I did this the first time, but to no avail. I waited all night long and a full work day. But I did retry again the next day and it worked in less than 30 minutes from start to complete.
What worked for me:
Go to Storage, delete 10.4
Turn off Phone
Turn off Watch
Turn on Phone, wait for all systems to start working
Turn on Watch, Watch, sign in to Watch
Wait for all systems to start working
Follow install 10.4 instructions, takes about 10 minutes.
Same problem here, but I solved it as follows:
1st I deleted in the apple watch app > General/storage/ WhatchOS 10.4 update.
2º I turn off the iPhone and the Apple Whatch
3º I turn on the iPhone and clear the RAM Cache: On an iPhone 12 Pro like mine: volume up key / volume down key / press and hold the power button and DO NOT RELEASE the button until the white power apple appears (yes I know, the turn off the phone bar comes out. Don't listen to it and don't release the power button until you see the white Apple logo. It takes a few seconds)
4º I turn on Apple Watch and once turned on I reset the RAM Cache also: Press and hold both buttons The button and the crown until the white Apple logo (the same, it takes a few seconds to appear and do not release them until then)
5º I enter the Apple Watch app on the iPhone General/System Update and start again (It says that the update to WhatchOS is 750 Mb) Keep the Apple Watch on the charging dock and make sure that both iPhone and Watch are on the same WIFI network.
The download takes a while, but less than before. What takes a LONG time is to prepare the update once downloaded and update the watch. But between an hour and a half and two hours
Be patient and stop looking at the screens. Leave the Apple Watch charging, the iPhone if you can too, side by side and leave them there quietly for an hour and a half or two. When you come back they will be ready to be both used.
I Hope it help
Best wishes
Pablo
From searching the web I came across what may be a solution. I don’t remember who/where. It may have been Reddit, so thank you to the person that suggested it.
hope it works for you.
Not sure about your case.
I can only say what worked for me and several other people on this forum.
First delete any previous downloads of watch 10.4
Then restart both watch and iPhone.
Then start the download.
Do this just before going to bed so it has all night to finish.
Get up the next day and see if the watch is updated.
if the watch screen is blank, just touch it.
Please let me know if this works.
Apple is close to releasing a new update (17.4.1) for the iPhone.
So if this doesn't work, wait to see if Apple has corrected this in the new update.
This is an Apple problem.
If you have dowloaded the software update OS 10.4, but did not install it, below is how to delete it.
Open the watch App on your iPhone.
Then tap on General.
Then scroll down to the word STORAGE and tap on it.
If you find the download Watch OS 10.4, Delete it. Do NOT delete the current OS.
My download of Apple watchOS 10.4 STOPPED during "preparing" and won't advance.
