How Long Does the watchOS 3.2 Update Take to Complete?

The watchOS 3.2 update is finally here to deliver better performance, new Apple Watch features including theater mode, and better Siri support.

Apple is now offering the watchOS 3.2 update as a free update to all users on the Apple Watch. Before installing watchOS 3.2 on your Apple Watch, you need to install iOS 10.3 on your iPhone.

The iOS 10.3 update takes 20 minutes for most users, but the watchOS 10.3 update can take significantly longer.

Now that the watchOS update is out and many users have already downloaded it, you don’t have to wait for slow downloads, but it may still take a long time to install the new Apple Watch update.

How Long Does the watchOS Update Take?

You should schedule at least one hour to download and install the watchOS 3.2 update on your Apple Watch. This can take up to two hours, depending on your Internet connection and other factors.

One reason the watchOS 3.2 update takes so long is because it’s downloaded to your iPhone first and then sent to your Apple Watch, where it’s unpacked and installed. Your Apple Watch must be on the charger and your phone must be connected to WiFi.

The table below summarizes how long it took to update to watchOS 3.2 on Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport.

In our tests, watchOS 3.2 takes an average of 1-2 hours to install; this is what you should plan for, even if you don’t have to do all the steps listed above.

The best time to install watchOS 3.2 is when you’ll be sitting at your desk for a few hours or just before bed.

A large part of your time will not be just downloading and preparing the watchOS 3.2 update like in iOS 10. Instead, it will actually be spent installing the new watchOS update on your Apple Watch.