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Series 3 watchOS update - need more memory

I have the Series 3 watch and want to update the OS, however, I only have enough room if I delete my fitness data from the watch. Will I lose my string of closed fitness loops or does that information continue to live on my iPhone? Can it be restored to the watch after the OS update? I don't want to lose my string of closed rings which goes back to early March 2018.

Posted on Apr 27, 2021 5:55 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 27, 2021 6:45 PM

You should unpair and then re-pair your Apple Watch.

Unpair and update your Apple Watch

  1. Keep your Apple Watch and iPhone close together as you unpair them.
  2. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
  3. Go to the My Watch tab and tap your watch at the top of the screen. 
  4. Tap the info button  next to the watch that you want to unpair. 
  5. Tap Unpair Apple Watch.
  6. For GPS + Cellular models, choose to keep your cellular plan. 
  7. Tap again to confirm. You might need to enter your Apple ID password to disable Activation Lock. Before erasing all content and settings on your Apple Watch, your iPhone creates a new backup of your Apple Watch. You can use the backup to restore a new Apple Watch.

Next, set up your Apple Watch with your iPhone. When asked whether you want to set up as new or restore from a backup, choose to set up as new. Then follow the onscreen instructions to finish setup. If you want to update to the watchOS beta, reinstall the beta profile after setup is complete.

Finally, update your Apple Watch.

Restore from backup

If you want to restore your Apple Watch from its latest backup, follow the steps in the previous section to unpair it again. Then set up your watch once more with your iPhone. This time, choose to restore from backup rather than set up as new.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 27, 2021 6:45 PM in response to Kevin K.

You should unpair and then re-pair your Apple Watch.

Unpair and update your Apple Watch

  1. Keep your Apple Watch and iPhone close together as you unpair them.
  2. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
  3. Go to the My Watch tab and tap your watch at the top of the screen. 
  4. Tap the info button  next to the watch that you want to unpair. 
  5. Tap Unpair Apple Watch.
  6. For GPS + Cellular models, choose to keep your cellular plan. 
  7. Tap again to confirm. You might need to enter your Apple ID password to disable Activation Lock. Before erasing all content and settings on your Apple Watch, your iPhone creates a new backup of your Apple Watch. You can use the backup to restore a new Apple Watch.

Next, set up your Apple Watch with your iPhone. When asked whether you want to set up as new or restore from a backup, choose to set up as new. Then follow the onscreen instructions to finish setup. If you want to update to the watchOS beta, reinstall the beta profile after setup is complete.

Finally, update your Apple Watch.

Restore from backup

If you want to restore your Apple Watch from its latest backup, follow the steps in the previous section to unpair it again. Then set up your watch once more with your iPhone. This time, choose to restore from backup rather than set up as new.

Series 3 watchOS update - need more memory

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