If your Apple Watch displays an iPhone and a watch or a red "!"

Your Apple Watch may display an animation asking you to move it closer to an iPhone if your watch is experiencing a problem that requires it to be updated or restored. You may also see a red exclamation mark on your watch.

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

  1. Make sure the 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, check your Wi-Fi. Try using a 2.4 GHz network instead of 5 GHz, and make sure you're not on a captive or 802.1X network.

If your Apple Watch displays a red "!"

In some instances, your Apple Watch may display a red exclamation mark. If this happens, double-click the side button, then follow the steps above.

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Still need help?

If your Apple Watch continues to show a red exclamation mark, set up a mail-in repair.

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