User level: Level 1 (10 points)I cannot get a new apple watch to verify on an IPhone. Unknown Error keeps showing. I have rebooted the phone, changed Apple Password, reset Network settings. Watch connects OK but account won't verify.
Posted on Oct 9, 2026 9:01 AM
User level: Level 1 (10 points)Oct 18, 2026 1:54 AM in response to MrHoffman
Had an interesting conclusion to this one. I made and appointment with the Apple Store in Exeter last Friday. Before going I tried yet again to get the new watch to verify with my wife's phone and hade exactly the same error. In Exeter the technician couldn't get hold of an iPhone with the latest software and couldn't use my wife's phone because she wasn't present. The lady used my iPhone which is updated and paired the Watch as I had done. Rather than follow my route of inputting a PIN, she bypassed that and went straight to verification which worked. I came home, deleted the new Watch from my iPhone, paired it to my wife's, inputted a PIN and it verified perfectly. Problem solved. Dion't forget that the Apple online guys had already decided that the Watch was faulty. It seems that the action of missing out the PIN entry solved the problem.
User level: Level 10 (169,253 points)Oct 9, 2026 9:57 AM in response to Barreller57
Which Watch, and which iPhone, and which iOS? Tried updating the iPhone?
New from Apple, or an authorized reseller? Contact Apple Support.
New-to-you? Check with the seller.
User level: Level 1 (10 points)Oct 11, 2026 12:26 AM in response to MrHoffman
No resolution as yet. Apple technician suggested hard reset of the watch with a result of no change. They then suggested pairing the watch with another iPhone and I got the same result. Current thinking is that the new watch is faulty.
User level: Level 10 (169,253 points)Oct 11, 2026 8:06 AM in response to Barreller57
Yeah; some odd low-level hardware failure is seeming the most likely, given all the failures.
This can be the sort of box that eventually (quietly) ends up in a test bench somewhere, with a tech looking for the hardware or watchOS fault.
User level: Level 1 (10 points)Oct 9, 2026 10:34 AM in response to MrHoffman
Hi Mr Hoffman. Ultra 4. New from Apple! iPhone 12. All software up to date. Talking to Apple but they are currently perplexed!
User level: Level 10 (169,253 points)Oct 9, 2026 12:32 PM in response to Barreller57
Please let us know what the resolution is, as this misbehaviour isn’t common.
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256373209