Apple Watch will not update

I have an Apple Watch. The update for WatchOS 9.6.1 will not update. It has been at 100% and won’t update. It has been on the charger until it reaches 100% and still will not update. It has been more than 50%, on the charger and the phone is right next to the watch and it still will not update. Don’t know what else to do. Need help.

Apple Watch SE, watchOS 9

Posted on Aug 18, 2023 02:00 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 17, 2024 07:10 PM

the post clearly states all of this has been tried.

15 replies

Aug 19, 2023 12:19 PM in response to Kayla-E93

Thanks for reaching out Kayla-E93

,


It sounds like you are having some trouble updating your watchOS on your Apple Watch. We can help.


Let's go ahead and make sure the iPhone you have paired with your Apple Watch is compatible. You can check out these steps to Update your Apple Watch:


Check your Apple Watch compatibility

First, make sure that your Apple Watch works with the latest software. watchOS 9 is compatible with these Apple Watch models:
* Apple Watch Series 4 and later
* Apple Watch SE (1st generation) and later
* Apple Watch Ultra
Updating to watchOS 9 also requires one of these iPhone models:
* iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16
* iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later with iOS 16


Then, we want to make sure that the following are true:


1. Make sure that your iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS.
2. Make sure that your Apple Watch is at least 50 percent charged.
3. Make sure that your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi.

Keep your iPhone near your Apple Watch throughout the update. It could take from several minutes to an hour for the update to complete, so you might want to update overnight or wait until you have time.


If you still have trouble after that, you can connect with Apple directly using either Get Support or if you're in a region without direct support options, you can also Contact Apple for support and service.


Hope that helps.


Take care.

Jun 3, 2024 08:24 AM in response to Kayla-E93

I just got mine to finally update. I have an Apple Watch 9 and an iPhone 13Pro Max and have been trying to update for several weeks with the same issues as you were having. I was reading through the replies you received and someone suggested that you power off both devices, once they’re back off turn off the automatic updates on your watch app and then try updating. I thought why not, I’ve tried everything else so I did all of the above and it just did a complete update. Don’t ask me why but it worked for me. Good luck!

Apr 12, 2024 04:07 AM in response to Kayla-E93

Hello, my Apple Watch Ultra 2 also isn't updating. My iPhone is on the latest iOS version, and I've tried switching between different Wi-Fi bands as suggested here in the forum, but the update progress stalls at just over 50% with a "Preparing" message. I've tried fully charging both my iPhone and Watch, keeping them side by side and near the Wi-Fi router, and I've restarted both multiple times with no progress. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to restart the update? It's been stuck at the same point for two days now.

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Apple Watch will not update

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