Trouble pairing a watch after upgrading phone - watchOS software update not completing

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Level 1

4 points

Trouble pairing a watch after upgrading phone - watchOS software update not completing

I have an apple watch SE which was paired to my iphone 12 and all working correctly.

I have recently upgraded my phone and now cannot pair my watch. It goes through the whole process and then says it is not connected to the internet.

I have tried everything that online searches suggest and still cannot seem to get it to work. It tells me that the software needs to update to watchOS 26.6 before it pairs but then it goes as far as to the error message.

Any suggestions or ideas please?

Thank you!

Posted on Aug 15, 2026 6:57 AM

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Answer 1

WheelieNick

Level 9

58,721 points

Aug 15, 2026 8:17 AM in response to SRA87

When an Apple Watch gets stuck in a pairing loop requiring a newer watchOS version that fails due to internet connection errors, it is usually because the new iPhone's iOS configuration or network security blocks the companion update mechanism. Try setting up the watch as a new device and connect it to a stable 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network while temporarily disabling any active VPNs or private relay settings on your iPhone.

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