The Apple Watch is an excellent small device that can keep you conveniently connected without the need to carry your iPhone.
It has all the necessary apps and features to function, but what if you went somewhere for a few days and forgot your phone? Will it be able to update its software all on its own? So, let’s take a look at how to update the watch without pairing and the possible options if it doesn’t update.
How to Update Apple Watch Without Pairing
The Apple Watch was designed to be its separate unit, which means it can work well without the need to pair it with your iPhone. Pairing it with your phone has many advantages, but it’s not essential, as the watch can perform all functions independently.
People pair their watches with their phones mostly for convenience and to receive and make calls on the go. Nevertheless, you can do it easily through the device itself when it comes to updating the software on your Apple Watch. To update your Apple Watch without pairing, follow the steps we’ve outlined below:
- Make sure your Apple Watch is connected to the Internet through your Cellular network provider or Wi-Fi.
- Open the “Settings” app on your Apple Watch and search for the “General” tab.
- In the “General” tab, search for “Software Update” and select it.
- If an update is available, download and install it and wait until the update is complete.
- After the update is successful, your Apple Watch will reboot.
- To check the updated software version, select the “General” tab once again to check the updated software version and press the “About” section.
Therefore, these are all the steps you need to update your Apple Watch without pairing it to your iPhone.
Read more: How to Pair Apple Watch
Things to Do If Your Apple Watch Won’t Update
Now that you know how to update Apple Watch without pairing and how straightforward it is, there might be situations where something can go wrong, and the watch may respond unpredictably.
You might see that an update for the watch is already available and pending in the “Software Update” section, but it will not let you download and install it. Let’s look at why your Apple Watch won’t update and what you can do to resolve this problem.
Make sure your watch has a Cellular or Wi-Fi connection
First, you must ensure that your Apple Watch is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi or Cellular connection. Since the new Apple Series watches support Cellular connection, there is also a possibility to update the watch that way.
Your Apple Watch can also connect to a Wi-Fi network without being paired with your iPhone, and we advise using that connection to update its software because of the data usage.
Check that you have enough storage on your watch to download the update
Not having enough storage space on your watch is one of the most common problems why the software update will not start to download. You can check how large the update file is from the download window; Apple software updates are usually several hundred megabytes large.
To check how much free storage space you have, go to the “General” tab in the “Settings” app and search for “Usage.” This is where you can see how large each app on your watch is and which one you need to erase to free up space.
Your Apple Watch must have at least 50% battery life
Like the iPhone, the Apple Watch is designed not to update its software if its battery is below 50%. If you force it to update, it will notify you that the device must be connected to its charger for the battery to be above 50%.
In this case, it would be best to connect the device to its magnetic charger and start the update simultaneously, and you can even leave the device overnight.
Try and reset your watch to its factory settings
The last option is resetting your Apple Watch to its factory settings to see if that fixes the problem. Apple’s operating systems are very stable, and there’s rarely an error that may jeopardize some of their functions, including the update process.
Nonetheless, there is always room for error, so if you’ve exploited all the other options, this would be the best course of action. Note that you will lose all your data in the process, so you might want to make backups and copies of them onto your iCloud account.
Read more: Why Is My Apple Watch Dying So Fast?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use all of the functions of my Apple Watch without the iPhone?
You can certainly use your Apple Watch without pairing it with your iPhone, but some important features will be unavailable. For example, you won’t be able to make or receive phone calls or text messages. These features are among the most important for many people and are one of the main reasons why they bought the watch in the first place.
How can I connect my Apple Watch to Wi-Fi or a Cellular network?
Connecting your watch to both networks is fairly simple and almost identical to the iPhone. Go to the “Settings” menu and select Wi-Fi or Mobile Data. You can also connect through the watch’s drop-down menu by pressing the Wi-Fi or Cellular data buttons.
Is the Apple Watch Series 3 still receiving updates?
Unfortunately, the Apple Watch Series 3 stopped receiving regular updates from Apple since the watch will no longer be compatible with the WatchOS 9 that will be available this fall.
Conclusion
As you saw, knowing how to update Apple Watch without pairing it with an iPhone is a very simple and easy process, but it can still be confusing sometimes for many people.
That is why we also decided to cover all the related problems that may occur before you start the update process.