Watch 9 bricked after update, any advice please?

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Nix2015 Author

Level 1

4 points

Watch 9 bricked after update, any advice please?

Apple watch 9 was working fine until two days ago when the new update came through. I updated and put it on as normal after that finished, the watch immediately began exhibiting 'ghost touch' with random apps opening, incorrect passcodes being registered etc. I left it for a couple of hours as I wasn't able to look at it straight away, but by that time it had died completely. Now absolutely nothing happens. If I charge it, it sometimes becomes warm but never manages to reboot on its own or to let me force reboot. I took it into my local Apple Store today and the person on the Genius Bar couldn't have been less interested, telling me that I could send it off for a software check but that in their opinion it was a hardware issue and I needed a new watch. I pointed out that the watch had managed to send some diagnostic logs to the phone but was told that these would be of no interest to the people looking at it and that they were not worth saving. I've not looked at diagnostic logs before but a lot of these were panic reports. I have no idea what to do - do I just have to accept that a simple software update just bricked my watch and cost me several hundred pounds?

Just to make things worse I couldn't get the strap off the watch while I was in the store and the genius person said they couldn't either and that it was impossible to send the watch to Apple while the strap is attached. I just spent a while loosening it at home and now do have the strap off so not sure whether to make another Genius Bar appointment and hope I get somebody less dismissive? If it's of any interest I have been in the Beta programme and another Apple employee suggested that this was the problem but the Genius person didn't seem to agree.

Apple Watch Series 9, watchOS 27

Posted on Oct 4, 2026 10:17 AM

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Answer 1

KaeBFly

Level 6

8,935 points

Oct 5, 2026 8:38 PM in response to Nix2015

No real troubleshooting assistance if nothing that you have tried has worked to make it restart or actually charge but I would suggest if you feel like the person assisting you in the store is dismissive ask to speak to the manager. If you have another Apple Store in your area try visiting there or go to a local authorized repair facility. I didn't experience any issues after update of my series 9 so unfortunately I can't offer any tips or tricks but I am wondering if you had experienced any other issues prior to updating...and super curious about why your watch band was difficult to remove (was it not one made for your watch size and that's why it was stuck? Or is there an issue with your release buttons that wasn't allowing the removal?)

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Answer 2

Nix2015 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 6, 2026 1:01 AM in response to KaeBFly

Thanks, I’ll go back and try again I think, especially as the band is off now. No real mystery about that, I never change the band and now realise it’s probably a good idea to take it off and clean it occasionally (another person in the store told me he takes his off and cleans it nightly!). I think it had just got a bit gunky, I used warm water and soap and a lot of wiggling and it loosened. Presumably that means that if the problem is a stuck band they (or at least this particular genius) just tell you there’s nothing they can do.

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