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:
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, set up a mail-in repair.