The latest watchOS 11.3 update has accidentally messed up updates for some older Apple Watches, according to what people are saying on social media.
If you have an Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5, or the first Apple Watch SE, you might run into a problem. These models can’t move to the new watchOS 11, and now, there’s a glitch that stops them from getting the last big update for watchOS 10, called watchOS 10.6.1.
If your Apple Watch wasn’t on watchOS 10.6.1 before the new updates came out, you won’t be able to install it now. So, if you’re using one of these older watches with an older software version, you’re stuck. Also, some of these watches won’t connect to your iPhone if they’re on an older version of watchOS 10.
This problem only affects the older models that can’t go beyond watchOS 10, specifically those not already updated to 10.6.1 from last August. Apple is expected to sort this out soon, so keep an eye out for a fix.
New Apple Mistake: Apple Watches that ended on watchOS 10.6.1 (Series 4/5, SE1) cannot update to watchOS 10.6.1 if they’re not already on it.
Apple bumped the CV required that ota‘s are associated with from 22 to 24, which would normally be associated with late-11.x watchOS
— Michael (@MasterMike88) January 27, 2025