Apple Watch ‘Unable to Check for Update’ Error? – Here Are 9 Ways To Fix It

“Unable to Check for Update”’ is becoming an increasingly common error that users with an Apple Watch are experiencing lately. Once paired with your iPhone, it can be updated and used. Often when you check for an update, an error might display which says, “Software update failed because you are not connected to the Internet.” You might find it odd to receive this message when your device is already connected to the Internet or Wi-Fi. And this prevents you from using the Apple Watch.

Apple Watch ‘Unable to Check for Update’ Error

You may need an urgent solution to this ‘Unable to Check for Update,’ which keeps flashing on the screen and traps you in a never-ending cycle of errors. However, you need not worry, as there are several solutions to this problem which you can read about in this article. Let us look at how you can fix the error!

Fixing the Error – ‘Unable to Check for Update’

There are different ways to fix the error ‘Unable to Check for Update.’ These methods are listed below, and you can follow them step by step; once you have applied the correct solution to the problem, it will be easily fixed.

1. Check Your Internet Connection

Before proceeding to anything else, you need to ensure that your device is connected to the Internet and the connection is strong and good enough for downloading the updates. The Apple Watch should be connected to the iPhone and the Wi-Fi or cellular connection. The software updates of Apple are structured only to run on a steady internet connection. Thus, failure to update the software could be because of the iPhone’s Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity.

If you are sure that the phone is connected to a stable Wi-Fi connection, you can verify it by disabling and then enabling it again. This helps renew the internet connectivity and the connectivity between your smartwatch and iPhone. If this does not work and you still have trouble updating your Apple Watch, there is some other issue that you could be facing. You can move on to the troubleshooting method.

2. Restart Your Apple Watch

You can reboot your Apple Watch and restart it to fix minor issues. You can follow the steps below to restart your Apple Watch:

  1. Press the button on the side of the Apple Watch and hold it.
  2. A menu option pops.
  3. After this, you can drag the Power Off slider and select the Restart option.
  4. To proceed, press the button on the side and hold it again.
  5. Wait for some time for the Watch to turn on.

You can now try updating the software to see if the reboot helped the issue of ‘Unable to Check for Update.’ If not, you can try other methods.

3. Plugin Your Apple Watch To The Charger

When there is an ongoing update, you should plug your Apple Watch into its charger. This ensures that the process of updating is not disrupted by low battery. If the device is connected to the internet and the Apple Watch that you have is compatible with the latest version of watchOS, plugging in the charger while the software is updating can fix the issue you are facing. Often, the battery is the root cause of the problem, but the displayed error message turns out to be different. Trying to update with the charger plugged in might rule out any possibilities of updating due to low battery.

Apple has also recommended that Apple Watch should have at least 50% battery while updating the software. Thus, if the battery is lower than 50%, you must plug in your charger and begin the update. It is better to start the update when your Apple Watch is charged to 70% or more.

4. Check Your Bluetooth Connectivity

Another thing to check is the Bluetooth connectivity. You should ensure that the iPhone’s Bluetooth is well connected to your Apple Watch. If there is any problem with the Bluetooth, you can turn it off and reactivate it after restarting the iPhone so that the connection is re-established correctly.

5. Get Rid Of Unwanted Apps And Media.

Every new update occupies some space in your Apple Watch. If, along with the software update, you download other subsequent updates, or if your Apple Watch is full of Apps and Media which occupy a lot of space, you might be unable to download the update. This can be due to insufficient space, and you can get the error message ‘Unable to Check for Update.’ However, this can be dealt with by removing unwanted apps and media and freeing up enough space. You can follow these steps to free up some space:

  1. Open Settings in your Apple Watch and open General Settings.
  2. After this, you can check the available space by tapping on the Usage option.
  3. You can eliminate and delete all the Apps or Media files you rarely use over here. This can free up space to download the updates and install them.
  4. Unpair the Apple watch and Update it

6. Unpair Apple Watch And Update It

If you unpair the Apple Watch, it is reset to the default settings. At times, while there is an ongoing update, it can encounter some problems of an unexpected nature and can even run into some trash memory issues. This problem can be solved if you unpair your Apple Watch to clear the system of unwanted issues. However, before unpairing, you need to check if a transit card is associated with the Apple Watch in any Wallet application. This card should be removed before unpairing to avoid any other issues. To unpair your Apple Watch, you can follow the steps mentioned below:

  1. Keep the Apple Watch close to your iPhone.
  2. Open the Watch app on the iPhone and tap on the option of All Watches on the My Watch tab.
  3. An Info button shows next to the name of your Apple Watch. Tap on the Info option.
  4. After this, choose the option of Unpair Apple Watch and select Confirm.
  5. You will be required to enter your Apple ID password in your iPhone to complete the process.

Once the Apple Watch has been unpaired, you can set it up and pair it again with your iPhone just like you did the first time.

7. Force Restart Of Your iPhone And Apple Watch

If unpairing the Apple Watch does not prove to be an effective solution to the ‘Unable to Check for Update’ error, you can force a restart of your iPhone and Apple Watch. The process for force restart of both the devices is given below.

  • Force restart of iPhone with Face ID
  1. Press the Volume buttons and immediately release them.
  2. Right after that, press the button on the side and hold it until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
  • Force restart of iPhone 7
  1. Press the Sleep/Wake button and simultaneously the Volume Down button and hold it.
  2. Wait until you see the Apple logo, and once you see it, you can release the buttons.
  • Force restart of iPhone SE or iPhone 8
  1. Press the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button and hold both simultaneously.
  2. Release both these buttons after the Apple logo is displayed.
  • Force restart of Apple Watch
  1. Press the button on the side and hold it. Simultaneously press and hold the Digital Crown.
  2. Once the Apple logo gets displayed, you can release these buttons. The power off slider might appear on the screen, which you can ignore. 

8. Use The Backup To Restore Your Apple Watch

After trying all the methods mentioned above, you can use the current or the latest backup to restore your Apple Watch. You can do this by following the steps mentioned below:

  1. On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
  2. Tap on the All Watches option on the My Watch tab.
  3. Select the Info option, which can be seen next to the name of your Apple Watch.
  4. Choose the option of Unpair Apple Watch and then select Confirm.
  5. You can wait for approximately 5 minutes and then go ahead with repairing your Apple Watch. However, you will have to select the option of Restore from Backup instead of new.

Once the Apple Watch is paired successfully with the iPhone, you can confirm if the issue has been resolved.

9. Reset Your Network Settings

At times, even with reliable and robust Internet connectivity, you might encounter some unexpected issues with your iPhone’s Network Settings. This can result in your Apple Watch software updates getting interrupted or incomplete because of being corrupted frequently. If you reset your Network Settings to Default, it can remove all the previously saved passwords. It can also remove all the cellular data and any other network configurations. This method does not compromise any of your data, and you will not lose any of it. Once the Network Settings have been reset, you will see prompts for Wi-Fi and other cellular passwords. This is how you can reset your Network Settings:

  1. On your iPhone, open the Settings.
  2. Go to General Settings and select the option of Reset.
  3. Tap on the option of Reset Network Settings.
  4. You will then be required to enter the Passcode.
  5. Confirm by tapping on the Reset Network Settings.

This will begin the reboot of your iPhone. Once this is complete, you can enter your Wi-Fi and cellular passwords. Your device will prompt you to repair it with your Apple Watch.

FAQs

1. How do I fix my Apple Watch unable to check for updates?

If you notice that your Apple Watch isn’t able to check for updates, the easiest fix for that is to ensure that your watch is fully charged. If that doesn’t work, your next best option is to restart the Apple watch to fix any software glitches. You can also repair the watch with your iPhone to see if that helps.

2. When I try to pair my Apple Watch it says unable to check for an update?

Sometimes, a network connection is an issue. So, check the wifi connection and the Bluetooth connection to ensure everything is optimal before trying any other fix.

3. How do I force my Apple Watch to update?

You can force update an Apple watch from your iPhone by navigating to Settings and checking for any new updates in the Watch app. If you find one, you can update it to the latest version.

4. Can you bypass Apple Watch update?

If you don’t want your Apple Watch to automatically update, the easiest fix is to turn off the Automatic Updates option from your iPhone. This should fix the issue. You can find the option under the Watch app on your iPhone.

Conclusion

Out of the nine ways mentioned above, one of these may turn out to be an effective solution to the problem of the ‘Unable to Check for Update’ error. Before fixing the problem, try to understand the reason and then proceed with these solutions. You can also contact your service provider or Apple Support if you still face any issues. 

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