Cannot install 7.6.2 without updating iPhone to iOS15?!?!

[icanhazmac]

I have an iPhone 8 running 14.8 and a s6 watch running 7.6.1.

When I attempt to update the watchOS to 7.6.2 I get an odd popup that states "to update the software on your Apple Watch, you first need to update the software on your iPhone".

As 14.8 and 7.6.2 were released the same day and before iOS 15, I cannot understand why I would need to update to iOS 15 in order to update the watch.

Edit: After rebooting the phone the text is no longer an odd popup that overlaid the update screen but is now like the picture above.

 

[Graham4723]

Is this because the watch has actually found watchOS 8 (not 7.6.2 as you think) ?
And, of course, 8 requires your phone to be on iOS 15.

Surely Apple will have removed 7.6.2 now 8 is released.

 

[Damolee]

I’ve just ordered an SE and will be looking to do the same. I don’t want 15 or Watch OS 8. It should be arriving tomorrow so I’ll see if I have the same issue.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I’ve just ordered an SE and will be looking to do the same. I don’t want 15 or Watch OS 8. It should be arriving tomorrow so I’ll see if I have the same issue.

Well you may have to stay on whatever version of WatchOS the SE comes with because you can't pick a specific version to put on the watch. I'm not sure if when setting up a watch for the first time it will force you to use the latest software hence also force you to update to iOS15. Update the thread if this is the case...

 

[Damolee]

Well you may have to stay on whatever version of WatchOS the SE comes with because you can't pick a specific version to put on the watch. I'm not sure if when setting up a watch for the first time it will force you to use the latest software hence also force you to update to iOS15. Update the thread if this is the case...

The watch is on 7.3.1 and won't allow me to update at all. The iPhone Watch App prompts to say I need to update.

Might have to just lump it and go on IOS 15.

 

[Damolee]

I've had to update to iOS 15. And now it's showing the Watch OS 8 update. Gone ahead with it.

 

[michaelb5000]

Probably no help, but what if you look at software update on the watch under settings? My memory is that I updated to 7.6.2 on the watch after iOs 15 came out and so before I did the update to 8 and 15. there are times when updating on the watch directly works better than waiting for the phone.

 

[icanhazmac]

Surely Apple will have removed 7.6.2 now 8 is released.

This is my guess, when this first happened the notice to update the phone first was only a small pop-up'ish square and I could see 7.6.2 in the background. After rebooting the phone the screen shows as above and as @Graham4723 stated I believe 7.6.2 isn't actually available to me any longer and I would need to update to iOS15 first to get watchOS8.

Thanks all.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I've had to update to iOS 15. And now it's showing the Watch OS 8 update. Gone ahead with it.

I had to do the same. iOS15 has performed very well with no issues but WatchOS8 has had a few quirks. I've been getting some notifications about how to use OS8 that I can't figure out how to turn off and a couple other minor bugs. Hopefully they'll update it soon with bug fixes as 7.6.2 was pretty stable