Apple watch flashing logo when updating to watchOS 9.5

Hi oaijnal,

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities. We understand you may be having some trouble updating your Apple Watch. You'll want to make sure you're following the steps in this article: Update your Apple Watch - Apple Support.

"Update your Apple Watch using your iPhone

You can wait until Apple Watch notifies you when a new update is available. Tap Update Tonight in the notification, then go to your iPhone to confirm that you want to update overnight. At the end of the day, leave your Apple Watch and iPhone charging overnight so the update can complete.

Or you can update your Apple Watch with your iPhone manually:

1. On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app, then tap the My Watch tab. 
2. Tap General > Software Update.
3. Download the update. If asked for your iPhone passcode or Apple Watch passcode, enter it. 
4. Wait for the progress wheel to appear on your Apple Watch. It could take from several minutes to an hour for the update to complete. 

Leave your Apple Watch on its charger while the update completes. Don't restart your iPhone or Apple Watch, and don't quit the Apple Watch app. When the update completes, your Apple Watch restarts on its own.

Update directly on your Apple Watch

If your Apple Watch has watchOS 6 or later, you can install updates without your iPhone:

1. Make sure that your watch is connected to Wi-Fi.
2. On your watch, open the Settings app.
3. Tap General > Software Update.
4. Tap Install if a software update is available, then follow the onscreen instructions.

Leave your Apple Watch on its charger while the update completes, and don't restart your Apple Watch. When the update completes, your Apple Watch restarts on its own.

Some iPhone updates might require that you update your Apple Watch

It's important to keep your Apple devices up to date so that they have the latest bug fixes and security enhancements. 

Some iOS updates on your iPhone require that you also update watchOS on your Apple Watch. So if you see an alert on your iPhone that says "Update Apple Watch" and "Your Apple Watch software is out of date," you should update to the latest version of watchOS so that your data, including Activity data, continues to sync to your iPhone.

Need more help with updating?

Try these steps:

1. Make sure that your Apple Watch is connecting properly to its charger. 
2. Restart your Apple Watch.
3. Restart your paired iPhone.
4. Try again to update your Apple Watch.

If the update won't start:

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap General > Software Update.
3. Delete the update file.
4. Try again to update your Apple Watch.

Learn what to do if you see 'Cannot Install Update' when updating Apple Watch or if your Apple Watch says you need more available storage to install a watchOS update."

Take care.