Many apps, both first-party and third-party, failing to operate

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Level 1

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Many apps, both first-party and third-party, failing to operate

This was not an issue with WatchOS 2.0 or 2.0.1, but ever since 2.1, a lot of third-party apps, most notably Twitter and Shazam, have begun to misbehave to the point that they're no longer usable. The issues found in these apps have not been resolved in later WatchOS updates either, as the developers of the aforementioned applications seem to have forgotten their Apple Watch extensions.

Much worse, however, is how my Apple Watch now fails to acknowledge reminders and weather information from my iPhone 5C as of WatchOS 2.2.1. Despite having all settings on my iPhone pertaining to location services and background app refresh enabled, having "current location" as the default location for the Watch app, and despite connecting my phone to b/g/n WiFi networks instead of a/c WiFi networks, my Apple Watch still does not display the weather of my current location.

I have loved my Apple Watch since I got it in October 2015, but ever since December, third-party apps have begun to fail consistently, and since last month, Apple's own apps have begun to fail. I don't want to unpair and pair my Apple Watch again. Last time I did that, the issues I had were not resolved, and I also lost my Apple Pay information, as well as my iMessage easy-access history list on my Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Sport 42mm, watchOS 2.2.1, null

Posted on Jun 12, 2016 2:44 PM

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Answer 1

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,021 points

Jun 12, 2016 2:57 PM in response to R. Olson

Hi

If you are not already doing so, for the best performance from your devices, keep both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi permanently enabled on your iPhone.

If you do not wish to unpair and re-pair your watch again, it may still help to restart both your iPhone and your watch. Turn both devices off together, then restart your iPhone first.

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Answer 2

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,021 points

Jun 12, 2016 3:03 PM in response to R. Olson

In respect of the issue with Twitter (which some other users have also mentioned), the following steps may help:

Check for and install any available update for the Twitter app on your iPhone.

Remove and reinstall the Twitter app on your watch:

On your iPhone, in the Watch app, to go: My Watch > Twitter (scroll down the list) > turn off Show App on Apple Watch > pause for a few moments > turn it back on again.

Try the troubleshooting steps suggested here by Twitter (under Having trouble with the Twitter for iOS app?):

https://support.twitter.com/articles/20169906

If the issue persists, you may wish to consider contacting and/or filing a support ticket with Twitter, who may be able to offer further suggestions and/or to address any issue with their app:

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Answer 3

R. Olson Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 12, 2016 3:04 PM in response to Jonathan UK

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled.

I have turned off and restarted both devices 3 times in the past 24 hours, but the issue has not been resolved.

Furthermore, for other users, I have found that they are experiencing Location Services issues when on 5GHz-band Wi-Fi networks, but not when on 2.4GHz networks. My iPhone 5C's Location Services are operating as intended, regardless of whether the connected network is 5GHz, 2.4GHz, or cellular. However my Apple Watch's reminder notifications from iPhone, as well as the built-in weather application, are still failing regardless of the iPhone's network connection.

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Answer 4

R. Olson Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 12, 2016 3:46 PM in response to Jonathan UK

In response to the answer regarding Twitter:

I have tried removing and re-installing the app from both the Apple Watch and iPhone. Despite attempting this method more than 5 times, the issue is still not resolved. I will have to contact Twitter about the issue.

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Answer 5

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,021 points

Jun 12, 2016 3:51 PM in response to R. Olson

A support request can also be lodged with Shazam here:

https://support.shazam.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

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Answer 6

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,021 points

Jun 12, 2016 4:02 PM in response to R. Olson

The following steps have resolved issues with third-party apps for some users. If you wish to try them, test opening an affected app after each (you may find that the first step alone is sufficient):

On your iPhone, go to: Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > In the Storage section, tap on Manage Storage > Music > Edit (upper-right corner) > delete All Songs.
Back up your iPhone to iCloud (do not reset your iPhone afterwards, just make the backup):
How to back up your devices using iCloud or iTunes - Apple Support
Next back up (but do not Sync) your iPhone to iTunes on a computer, selecting the option to "Encrypt iPhone backup" (again, do not reset your iPhone afterwards, just make the backup):
How to back up your devices using iCloud or iTunes - Apple Support
Try opening each affected app again.
Music can be added back to your iPhone again after trying these steps.

If neither the third-party app developers nor the above steps resolve your issue - or if it later recurs - I suggest that you contact Apple Support or make a Genius Bar reservation for further assistance:

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Answer 7

R. Olson Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 12, 2016 4:10 PM in response to Jonathan UK

While the resolution for storage seems promising, my iPhone 5C has no music stored internally, as my iPod Touch (5th Generation) is the device with all locally-stored music.

For the third party apps, I think instead of deleting them from just the Apple Watch, I'll try to delete both of them from the iPhone as well this time. Because all data is stored in my account on the developer's website, losing local data will not be an issue. I will post another message stating whether or not the issue has been resolved.

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Answer 8

R. Olson Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 15, 2016 12:13 PM in response to Jonathan UK

I am pleased to confirm that unpairing and re-pairing my watch has solved the issue regarding location services and the Weather application. My Apple Watch Sport has regained lost function as a result of re-pairing.

Thankfully, because of "Set up from restore", I was able to re-pair the watch without losing my iMessage information. I did lose my Apple Pay information, but registering my card again wasn't as difficult and difficult as the first time registering.

As for Twitter and Shazam, my issues with Twitter were not resolved, despite re-pairing the watch and trying to run them in a previous WatchOS version (2.1). However, Shazam has resumed normal operation upon going back to WatchOS 2.1. This could possibly be temporary, and the symptoms may possibly return, but for the time being, Shazam has resumed normal operation.

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Answer 9

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,021 points

Jun 23, 2016 1:46 AM in response to R. Olson

R. Olson wrote:

.. my issues with Twitter were not resolved

You may find that the latest update for Twitter (version 6.56, released on 21 June) resolves this issue.

Should you encounter any issues when trying to install or use it, try the following steps:

On your iPhone: update the Twitter app (via the Updates tab in the App Store app).
On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Twitter > turn off Show App on Apple Watch > allow a short while for the app to be removed from your watch.
On your iPhone: close all open apps by double-clicking the Home button and then swiping up on each app preview.
Restart your iPhone and Apple Watch, turning both devices off together, then restarting your iPhone first.
Restart your Apple Watch - Apple Support
On your iPhone, in the Watch app, return to: My Watch > Twitter:
- Turn on Show App on Apple Watch > allow time for the app to install.
- If desired, also turn on Show in Glances.

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