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Cannot update my watch

When I try to update my watch, my phone will not download the update because it says it is not connected to the WiFi. It is connected. I have restarted my phone, this didn’t help. Phone and watch are literally right next to each other. Any other suggestions?

Apple Watch Series 3, watchOS 5

Posted on Jun 12, 2019 11:24 AM

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7 replies

Jun 12, 2019 3:47 PM in response to MaryInStPaul

We see problems with the WiFi connection for updates from time to time, but it is not as frequent as some might suggest. Unfortunately I don’t remember anyone posting a success so we have to start with basics and go from that. You are our remote eyes and hands, we only know what you tell us to guess the next step.


I think the first points should be

  1. Explain what your WiFi connection is - home wired (cable/dsl), workplace, public free WiFi (coffee shop, etc), Cellular gadget,...whatever...
  2. Check your phone can see past your local WiFi connection and access point out to internet because you might be getting blocked there although the phone has a WiFi connection to your access point.The easy way is probably to turn off the phone’s cellular and check the phone has reasonably quick access to a few websites.
  3. If you have access to a different WiFi try using it.


I would be very cautious about the suggestion above to unpair the watch. This is not going to help because unpairing a Bluetooth device should not make any difference to the iPhone’s internet connectivity and ability to download an update. It is likely to disable your watch completely, and you would have exactly the same problem (or worse) with inability to download new software for the re-pairing.

Jun 12, 2019 4:11 PM in response to deggie

deggie wrote:

I don't see it daily, it is more often when a update is released. Even if it were one per day that would be 365 in a year out of how many millions of people that update. I wouldn't term that "some frequency". I think the second part of your answer may be that answer they need.

Being pedantic about it, any frequency above zero is “some frequency”. However, I agree the reports I have noticed suggest a tiny fraction much less than 1%.


Phone update might be a good line to try. I don’t think it is likely to explicitly fix the reported problem, but

(a) If there is a phone update available a genuine WiFi problem should also block the phone download. That would make it a good diagnostic between network issues or something internal in the phone’s Watch app.

(b) Phone update would probably rewrite the watch downloader app, and might clear any corrupted settings.



Cannot update my watch

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