Apple Watch Series 3: iOS 14.6 forces you to restore the watch before installing an update

29-05-2021 by MNP

The Apple Watch Series 3 is finding it increasingly difficult to install the latest WatchOS updates.

Now Apple is even asking users to restore the smartwatch before attempting to install a new firmware version. This constraint came into effect with the iOS 14.6 update on iPhone.

Apple Watch Series 3 users need to be patient and tenacious in installing an update for WatchOS, the operating system for the watch. With each attempt, users receive an error message explaining that the smartwatch does not have enough internal storage.

Indeed, the Series 3 embeds only 8 GB of internal storage and the updates of WatchOS 7 are increasingly heavy. To remedy the problem, Apple recommends that users remove some of the applications installed on the connected watch.

Apple Sells Connected Watch Almost Impossible To Update

“To install the watchOS update, your Apple Watch needs at least 3.0 GB of available storage. You can free up storage by deleting apps using the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, ”Apple advised.

Since the iOS 14.6 update, Apple has gone even further and requires the user to restore the Apple Watch Series 3 before they can install a new version of WatchOS. Now, a warning will appear on the screen each time you attempt to install: “To install the watchOS update, unpair your Apple Watch and re-pair it in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone”. In detail, you must first dissociate the watch from the iPhone, pair it again and install a backup. This manipulation is relatively simple but particularly long.

The situation is all the more regrettable as Apple continues to market the Apple Watch Series 3 on its website and in its Apple Stores. A buyer who currently decides to invest in a brand new Series 3 would therefore be unable to easily install a WatchOS update.