Apple Watch WiFi Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It!

Apple Watch WiFi Fix: What to Do When Your Watch Won't Connect

Abdullah IqbalUpdated on February 1, 2024
Abdullah is a certified Google IT Support Professional.
Reviewed by Kamil Anwar

People using the older Apple watch series, usually 3 or 4, come across an issue where the watch does not connect to WiFi. This means that you won’t be able to use any of the online features of the watch.

This includes sending or receiving messages, making or attending calls, using Siri, checking the weather, and more. Undoubtedly, this is an annoying problem for those who often use the watch for their day-to-day affairs.

Having said that, if you’re going through the same problem, then there are multiple solutions that will fix it for you. Below are six working fixes to get your Apple Watch connected to WiFi again.

How Do I Connect My Apple Watch to WiFi?

  1. Change WiFi Band to 2.4 GHz: Apple watch series 5 or older only work on 2.4 GHz bandwidth. They won’t work if your internet runs on a 5 GHz WiFi. Therefore, make sure you change your bandwidth settings.
  2. Restart Both the iPhone and Watch: Sometimes the issue happens because of an internal glitch in either the iPhone or the Apple Watch. So restarting both of them will solve it more often than not.
  3. Connect your Watch with iPhone via Bluetooth and Turn on Airplane Mode: This a method that has worked for many users and includes turning on the airplane mode after reconnecting your iPhone and Apple watch together. I’ll mention its steps in detail below.
  4. Delete the Lookout Mobile Security app: The Lookout app is one of those that interfere with your WiFi and stop the watch from connecting to your iPhone. In short, it mistakes the watch as being harmful. So, removing this app from your iPhone will fix the issue.
  5. Update the iPhone and Apple Watch Software: Always make sure that you’re running the latest iOS and watchOS versions. If you have not updated them, make sure to do it and then connect your Apple Watch to WiFi.
  6. Backup and Reset iPhone: Resetting the iPhone resets everything and you’ll have to set up your mobile from the start. However, it will fix this problem that you’re dealing with.

1. Change the WiFi Band to 2.4 GHz

  1. Enter your router’s login URL or your default IP address.
  2. Enter your login credentials.
  3. Go to Wireless > Advanced.
  4. Click on the drop-down arrow next to Band and select 2.4 GHz.

2. Restart Both the iPhone and Watch

To restart iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, and later:

  1. Press and hold any volume button along with the power button until the power-off slider shows up.
  2. Drag the slider to turn off your device. It can take up to 30 seconds.
  3. Now to restart the device, press and hold the power button.

To restart iPhone 6, 7, 8, and SE:

  1. Press and hold the side power button.
  2. Drag the slider and wait for 30 seconds.
  3. Now turn on your iPhone by pressing and holding the same power button.

To restart the iPhone 5:

  1. Press and hold the power button on the top.
  2. Drag the slider and wait for 30 seconds.
  3. Now press and hold the power button again to restart the iPhone.

Here’s how to restart your Apple Watch with watchOS 9:

  1. Remove your Apple Watch from charging if it is charging.
  2. Now press and keep holding the side button until the power icon appears on the top-right of the screen.
  3. Tao the power icon.
  4. Drag the slider that says Power Off.
  5. Now to restart, press and hold the same side button until the Apple logo appears.

To restart your Apple Watch with watchOS 8 or earlier:

  1. Remove the watch from charging.
  2. Press and hold the watch’s side button until the Power Off slider shows up.
  3. Drag the slider to the right.
  4. To restart, press and hold the same side button.

3. Connect your Watch with your iPhone via Bluetooth and Turn on Airplane Mode

  1. Connect your iPhone to WiFi.
  2. Connect your iPhone and watch via Bluetooth.
  3. Now navigate to Settings > Wifi on your iPhone.

  1. Tap the “i” icon next to your WiFi and select Forget this network.

  1. Keep the watch and iPhone connected via Bluetooth and now reconnect your iPhone to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network.
  2. Now turn on airplane mode on your iPhone.

  1. Now see if the WiFi icon appears on the top left of your watch’s control center. If it does, then this means the watch is now connected to WiFi.
  2. Wait for a few seconds and then turn off the airplane mode on your iPhone.
  3. Now see if your Apple watch is connecting to WiFi or not.

4. Delete the Lookout Mobile Security App

  1. Locate and then tap and hold the Lookout app.

  1. Tap on the minus sign and then tap Delete App to uninstall it.

5. Update the iPhone and Apple Watch Software

The current watchOS 9 is only compatible with Apple Watch Ultra, 1st Generation Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 4, and the later versions. Secondly, you’d need at least an iPhone SE 2nd Generation, iPhone 8 or later having iOS 16 to install the update.

Before updating your watch, make sure its charging is at least 50% and connect your iPhone to WiFi. Afterward, update your iPhone to the latest version before updating the Apple Watch. Here are the steps for this:

  1. Go to Settings > General.

  1. Select Software Update.

  1. Install the latest update.

Once done, here’s how to update your Apple Watch using your iPhone:

  1. Launch the Apple Watch app and tap on My Watch tab.
  2. Select General > Software Update.

  1. Install the update.
  2. Enter your iPhone or Apple Watch passcode, if asked.
  3. The update can take 5 minutes to an hour.
  4. Once done, connect the Apple watch to WiFi again and see whether it is connecting or not.

 You can also update the Apple Watch without your iPhone in the following way:

  1. Connect your Watch to WiFi and open the Settings app on your watch.
  2. Go to General > Software Update.
  3. Install if any new update is available.

6. Backup and Reset the iPhone

  1. Go to Settings and tap on your name.

  1. Select iCloud > iCloud Backup.
  2. Tap Backup Now and don’t turn off your WiFi.

Now to reset the iPhone, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > General.

  1. Select Transfer or Reset device.

  1. Tap Erase all content and settings.

  1. Tap Continue and enter your iPhone’s passcode.
  2. Wait for the backup to finish and enter your Apple ID password.
  3. Set up your iPhone and restore your data.
  4. Now see if your Apple watch is connecting to WiFi or not.

If your Apple Watch still doesn’t connect to your iPhone, then contact Apple Support and ask them for further help.

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Abdullah IqbalUpdated on February 1, 2024
Abdullah is a certified Google IT Support Professional.
Reviewed by Kamil Anwar
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Abdullah Iqbal


Abdullah is a Google IT certified Help Desk Technician with extensive experience in providing technical support to system users. He has a proven track record of effectively resolving IT issues, and is adept at working with tools like Jira and ZenDesk to efficiently manage support tickets. Abdullah is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest technological advancements and constantly seeks to improve his skills and knowledge through professional development opportunities.