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 experiences a problem that requires it to be updated or restored. You might also see a red exclamation point on your watch.

If your Apple Watch with watchOS 8.5 or later displays an animation showing a watch and iPhone being brought close together, follow these steps:

 

  1. 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.
  2. Put your Apple Watch on its charger.
  3. Double-click the side button (the button below the circular Digital Crown) on your Apple Watch.
  4. 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?

Contact Apple Support to set up a mail-in repair if your Apple Watch continues to show a red exclamation point.

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