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I just purchased a new Apple watch series 8 and began to pair it with my iPhone 12. I got past where it is paired and I tell it which wrist I wear the watch on, and it began doing something else that would take a few minutes and then it starts to unpair. It has done this several times, and I'm not sure what to do. I've shut down each and restarted, but still does the same thing.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
I am having the same issue with 8 series watch, iPhone 13. I have reset both multiple times. iOS on phone is up to date. Both are fully charged .The watch won’t set up without pairing to a the phone first. The watch has an update, but when I try to initiate it, it stalls unpairs from phone. This is incredibly frustrating
I am using an iPhone 15 Pro on the latest iOS 17.3. I tried to pair my old Apple Watch 7 using my son's iCloud account and got to the part where I select his account and immediately get the unpairing message and back to the beginning. I gave up on my old Apple Watch 7 and got him an Apple Watch SE, but am having the same issue. Endless unpairing when I get to the screen where I am about to select his account. Any suggestions?
Has anyone figured out how to get around this?
I have tried every suggestion mentioned in this thread, and more...went as far as sending my apple watch in to apple to get them to reset the software, but that didn't work. According to them my phone (running IOS 16.7.5) should be compatible with my series 3 watch, updated with the latest software it has. So frustrating to basically have my watch become a brick and to see so many others having this issue.
Both watch and phone were latest version and I've been trying to pair for three hours. Thanks Apple
5thChild wrote:
Me too! I just bought a new (used) Apple Watch 4, but it will not pair with my iPhone SE 2016. Every time I try to set up, right near the end it flashes that I need to update IOS and unpairs. I have the latest software update, and have tried all the usual suggestions (power off, restart, reset, etc...).
It is possible the used Watch series 4 is on OS10 and your old phone SE is stuck on iOS16 in which case you need a new phone.
so this happened to us also, I gave my mum an Apple Watch 10 whe she visited me here in Ireland, so she’s originally from Philippines. Tried it many times to pair with her phone but keeps on failing . Only to find out that her phone region is not the same with the watch that I’m pairing . So when I set the region same like her phone it pairs perfectly. Hope this will help.
chooka71 wrote:
Dear Apple,
Here's an idea. Instead of just replying to these messages with a standard response which clearly does not work how about you advise people that they may want to check that their phone has had the latest updates applied?
Now I'm certainly not saying the following is the only solution to this issue but it appears to have worked for myself and a number of other users when they are trying to set up and pair a new apple watch.
Step 1: Update your phone to the latest IOS version
Step 2: Update your watch to the latest WatchOS version
Step 3: Try the pairing process again.
I hope you are prepared to accept such criticism if your sparsely described "solution" does not fit all circumstances.
The Author is quite capable of coming back with a success or failure response, and you have no idea if the excellent advice succeeded or not.
It may not have worked for you or akeala258 but they were not the author of the post and you may have different circumstances.
By all means give additional advice, addressing the author not the other contributors, without criticism.
See Apple Support Communities Use Agreement - Apple Community.
which includes not flaming anyone, including Community Specialists.
If it is new then contact Apple Support under your 90 day complimentary tech support.
You should be able to reach them here Click here > Contact - Official Apple Support or phone numbers Click here > Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support or Click here > Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple
It means series 3 will nit pair with that responder's ios16.1
series 1 to 3 Watches are difficult to pair because of relatively low storage but…
Ensure the iphone is on iOS16.4 or later.
Erase the Watch completely. Put your watch on its charger and keep it there until you complete these steps. (select the watch OS version) Erase Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK)
When pairing do not try to restore the backup, pair as a New Watch https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204505
I have had several people tell me this works...
Ensure the iphone is on iOS16.4 or later.
Erase the Watch completely. Put your watch on its charger and keep it there until you complete these steps. (select the watch OS version) Erase Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK)
When pairing do not try to restore the backup, pair as a New Watch Set up your Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK)
There are rumours that watches not on 10.4 will not pair with iOS17.4 or later so keep your eye on the news next week
This thread is old and the well was poisoned earlier.
You would be better to write your own discussion.
You have not given us enough information to help in detail.
Please post in the new discussion these details:
The Model of Watch eg Series 7, SE 2022
The OS it is running, eg OS9.4 (Settings, General, About if you can see it)
The model of the paired iPhone eg iPhone 11
The iOS it is running eg iOS16.4 (Settings General, About)
State what you are trying to do and tell us what is happening, what do you see, are there any error messages?
This thread is old and the well was poisoned earlier.
You would be better to write your own discussion.
You have not given us enough information to help in detail.
Please post in the new discussion these details:
The Model of Watch eg Series 7, SE 2022
The OS it is running, eg OS9.4 (Settings, General, About if you can see it)
The model of the paired iPhone eg iPhone 11
The iOS it is running eg iOS16.4 (Settings General, About)
State what you are trying to do and tell us what is happening, what do you see, are there any error messages?
Yes, because watch app allows me to start paring, then only after a massive trouble shooting exercise it tells me not compatible. Which it could have told me 3 hours earlier, before I made my watch a paperweight.
My spare phone also runs iOS15. If my main phone needs service I know that my watch will have to go in the drawer for a while.
You were unaware of the requirements of OS 9 and 10 but now you are. Job done.
Redhairing-fl wrote:
how do you update a watch that has never been paired, you cant get into it
Chooka71’s rudeness towards the Apple Employee already disqualifies them from any credence.
If a watch has never been paired then it should not need to be updated until it has been paired once - ie bypass the requested update then update later.
It is ok to run a Watch with older software than the paired iPhone, but not the other way round.
Solution: Remove the Apple watch from the account first, then pair it, you will have to add it back to the account so be prepared to enter you Apple ID and password in the process, problem solved. Good luck!
Apple Watch keeps unpairing during initial set up
