Apple Watch Series 6 stuck in update loop and unable to pair

Hi there

Please try this

Place your Apple Watch on its charger. 

Press and hold the side button until you see the power-off icon in the top right corner. 

Press and hold the Digital Crown until the "Erase All Content and Settings" screen appears. 

Tap Reset, then tap Reset again to confirm. 

Wait for the watch to completely erase and restart.

Open the Watch app on your iPhone and pair your watch again. 

Step 1. Force Restart.

According to Apple:

To force restart your Apple Watch, press and hold both the side button and Digital Crown for at least 10 seconds, then release both buttons when you see the Apple logo ().

Step 2. Reset Watch.

How to reset your Apple Watch:



1. Put your watch on its charger and keep it there until you complete these steps.
2. Press and hold the side button until you see Power Off.
3. Press and hold the Digital Crown until you see Erase all content and settings.
4. Tap Reset, then tap Reset again to confirm.
5. Wait for the process to finish, then set up your Apple Watch again. When asked, restore from a backup.

NOTE — Erasing all content and settings erases all media, data, and settings from your Apple Watch, but it does not remove Activation Lock. To remove Activation Lock, unpair the watch first. Before your watch is erased, a backup of its contents is created on your iPhone.

Step 3. Connect Watch.

Then make sure both devices are in close proximity with the following settings:

• AirPlane turned off
• WiFi turned on
• Bluetooth turned on

Click ▶︎ Connect/Pair your Watch for detailed instructions.

Need more help?

• United States: 1-800-APLCARE.
• Contact Support.
• Apple Watch Support.
• Apple Watch User Guide.

Good luck! 👋🏼😉

Smiliñ 😎 Brian

I have talked to Apple phone support twice and walked through all the troubleshooting steps they could offer, with no success. Last week, they told me Apple is aware of the Issue and is working on a fix that will be released “soon”. In the meantime, their suggestion was to pair the watch to an iPhone that hasn’t been updated to the newest OS to install the watch update, then pair it back to my updated phone. I don’t have access to another iPhone so I’ve made a few appointments with the Genius Bar to see if they can help, but have ended up canceling them because I have other things that take priority and I shouldn’t have to waste my time getting the runaround for an issue I didn’t create.*** I haven’t been able to use my Apple Watch for like two weeks and have reverted to using my 5-year old FitBit.

[Edited by Moderator]

Hi! Thank you for the suggestion. I followed the steps as closely as possible. However, when I held the Digital Crown, I did not get an "Erase All Content and Settings" option. The only option available was to factory reset the watch, so I proceeded with that. After the reset completed, I opened the Watch app on my iPhone and started the pairing process again. The watch reaches the pairing screen successfully and appears ready to pair. However, the Watch app immediately requires a software update before pairing can continue. When I try to perform the update, I now receive the following error: "Could Not Connect to Apple Watch: Make sure your Apple Watch is nearby, powered on and not in Airplane Mode." The watch is powered on, right next to the iPhone, displaying the pairing screen, and is not in Airplane Mode. If I go back one step, I only have two options: Exit and Reset Watch (which resets the watch to factory settings again) Continue Update

[Edited by Moderator]

Update: I contacted Apple Support via chat, but they were unable to resolve the issue and advised me to contact their Engineering Support team by phone. Unfortunately, phone support is not available in my region (Georgia), so I was told to call Apple Support in another country instead.

This would mean paying additional international calling charges just to access the support I need. I’m not willing to pay extra for a call to another country simply because Apple does not provide phone support in mine.

As a result, my issue remains unresolved. My Apple Watch Series 6 is still stuck in the update loop and cannot be paired with my iPhone. It’s frustrating that, despite going through the troubleshooting steps and contacting Apple directly, I’m left without a solution because of where I live.

I’m going to post a tweet and post on FB. This is not acceptable. Built in obsolescence. Under the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 we have rights and protections. They asked if I had a warranty. I don’t as they are worthless . Not going to lay down on this. Seeking advice.

I am located in the Netherlands and my watch series 6 stays in the same loop. Reset via find my .. factory settings but update keeps such due to update failure. Tried all reset possibilities but same result. Very disappointed ☹️ I used my watch for medical reasons.

Im in the exact same situation as this person.

nothing has worked.

Same here. It looks like a lot of people are having this isse. Apple, are you coming out with a fix for this???! My watch is now completely unusable.