If your Apple Watch shows an iPhone and a watch or a red “!”
Your Apple Watch might show an animation asking you to bring it close to an iPhone if your watch needs to be updated or restored. You might also see a red exclamation point on your watch.
If your Apple Watch displays an animation showing a watch and iPhone being brought close together, follow these steps:
Make sure that an iPhone is nearby. The iPhone needs to have iOS 15.4 or later, it needs to be connected to Wi-Fi* with Bluetooth turned on, and it needs to be unlocked.
Put your Apple Watch on its charger.
Double-click the side button (the button below the circular Digital Crown) on your Apple Watch.
Follow the steps that appear on the iPhone.
* If these steps don't work for you, check your Wi-Fi. Try using a 2.4GHz network instead of 5GHz, and make sure that you're not on a captive or 802.1X network.
If your Apple Watch shows a red “!”
In some instances, your Apple Watch might show a red exclamation point. If this happens, double-click the side button, then follow the steps above.
Still need help?
If your Apple Watch continues to show a red exclamation point, you might need to get service.