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3rd hand Apple Watch 3 won't update after factory reset

The watch was given as a gift to a family member who didn't take it out of the box. It was left in a closet for about 2 years. I asked if I could have it & it's now mine. Maybe.

After charging it everything seemed to function properly. There wasn't a password lock, but it was populated with info from the person who gifted it to my family member. I did a factory reset, and tried to pair the watch to my iPhone. It gets stuck after requesting the iPhone (which has the latest iOS) software be upgraded. What to do?

Posted on Oct 20, 2021 6:30 AM

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4 replies

Oct 20, 2021 6:57 AM in response to Community User

I appreciate the quick response.


There was no password lock on this device. I was able to listen to iTunes, snoop around the app, and turn it on & off. Is there a failsafe that engages the the lock even w/o a password lock set? I don't get a window to enter a password. Is this an Apple scheme to protect customers from theft? No reason can be determined, but to assume the lockout is occurring invisibly, or that the software is in a lock-loop. She just won't go past asking for the iPhone software be updated. I have iPhone 11 on iOs 15.0.2. I'm almost happy, at this point, to take a hammer to it.

3rd hand Apple Watch 3 won't update after factory reset

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