Unable to update my Apple Watch Series 6

I have an iphone x running ios 16.7.11. my watch is 9.6.3 (20U502). I have reset the watch and according to every article I’ve read online, I should be able to update my watch, but the phone app for my watch tells me the phone needs to be updated. I’ve read articles that say my watch should be able to update without my iphone x.

Am I stuck getting no updates on my watch or is there a way to do it?

I know my iphone is no longer getting IOS upgrades past version 16. I cannot afford a new phone right now, but need my watch updated in order to monitor my health.

My daughter has a new iphone… can I possibly get my watch updated through her phone?



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Apple Watch Series 6, watchOS 9

Posted on May 22, 2025 10:58 PM

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3 replies

May 23, 2025 3:06 AM in response to navysailor

You cannot have it updated through your daughters phone, because the watch needs to be paired to her iPhone in order to do that, and it is not her watch


You can try to update from the watch itself


Update directly on your Apple Watch

If your Apple Watch has watchOS 6 or later, you can install updates without your iPhone:

  1. Make sure your watch is connected to Wi-Fi.
  2. On your watch, open the Settings app.
  3. Tap General > Software Update.
  4. Tap Install if a software update is available, then follow the onscreen instructions.


If this is not working, you might want to restart the watch to see if the issues persist

May 23, 2025 1:42 PM in response to WheelieNick

I have restarted, reset the watch completely, verified wifi connectivity, fully charged, on the charger, off the charger, same exact unknown error message that everyone else references. “Unable to check for update” “An error occurred while checking for a software update - Cancel - Try Again”


I have verified both the phone and watch has wifi connectivity. even turned off the phone and verified the watch has wifi connectivity, same exact fault

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Unable to update my Apple Watch Series 6

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