Update: Apple has pulled the watchOS 3.1.1 update following reports that it is bricking Apple Watch Series 2 devices. watchOS 3.1 is now listed as the most recent update for users who have not already downloaded and installed 3.1.1.
Apple released watchOS 3.1.1 on Monday, and some Apple Watch Series 2 early adopters are reporting the update has bricked their device. A number of users on Reddit have reported after performing the update, a red exclamation mark appears on their wearable’s screen, telling them to go to: www.apple.com/help/watch.
Most have discovered they now need to send the device back to Apple so it can be replaced because Apple retail locations can’t service the problem in-store. To fix the issue, the Apple Watch has to be restored through the device’s small diagnostic port, which Apple Stores don’t cover.
Some users report the watchOS 3.1.1 update gets stuck at the circular progress bar screen. Some bricking incidents appear to be from users force-restarting their Apple Watch due to the progress bar screen being stuck in place for upwards of a few hours. Most cases however, don’t include a force-restart by the user, as reports from affected users say they did not touch or otherwise interact with their device after the update process was started.
Apple Watch first-generation and Series 1 owners apparently had a better experience with the update, other than the update taking a “long time,” and one user reporting that they had to install the update twice.
Users whose saw their Apple Watch bricked by the update can either visit an Apple Store, to have the location ship the device off for repair, or they can visit the Apple support website to begin the exchange process and ship it off personally.
