New: Cannot install companion app to paired Apple Watch on iOS 17.4/watchOS 10.4

Our app is pushed to supervised iPhones through our MDM. We have a watchOS companion app that we install to paired Apple Watches as well. Our watches are NOT enrolled in the MDM using the new watchOS 10 MDM features, and are just paired normally to the supervised phones.

Historically (the past 2 years), the watchOS companion app has been installed automatically after our iOS app has been pushed by our MDM (through VPP) and the Watch has been paired.

NEW IN iOS 17.4/watchOS 10.4, the watchOS companion app is NOT installed automatically and when we press “Install” in the Watch app on the iPhone, we see a spinner for about 1 second and then a silent failure, with the button reverting back to “Install”.

This is occurring with other apps purchased through VPP. We purchased the CityMapper app through VPP, assigned it to a supervised iPhone, and attempted to install CityMapper's watchOS companion app and got the same failed result.

This is NOT occurring on a clean & reset supervised iPhone and its paired watch running iOS 17.3.1 / watchOS 10.3.

On a personal unsupervised device running iOS 17.4/watchOS 10.4 with a copy of our app purchased through the App Store, installing the watchOS companion app is not an issue.

I filed radar FB13687404 but in 10 years of developing for iOS, I have never ever ever heard of Apple responding to one of those. Posting here in the hope that other users/developers can share their issues or solutions.

Not all Feedback requires a reply, but we do appreciate it. Thank you for filing; I’ve routed it to the correct team.

Thank you!!

Confirmed that this is still an issue on iOS 17.4.1, released today.

A note to anybody still following this: as of 2 days ago, Apple is now signing 17.3.1 again, making downgrading iPhones possible. This is a partially effective temporary fix for this issue. Unfortunately, I don't know if the IPSW for 10.3.1 is available for download and being signed, or how to go about applying it to a watch. 15 minutes of Googling wasn't helpful. Anybody have ideas?

Hey, forgot to follow up here: A server-side change was made about a week ago that should resolve this. You will need to delete and re-download the iOS app to see the fix, but no OS updates (or downgrades!) are required. If you are still having issues, please let us know. Thank you again for the report here and especially the detailed Feedback.

Confirmed, this appears to be fixed now. I appreciate the follow-up and follow-through. Definitely a step in the right direction for developer relations.

New: Cannot install companion app to paired Apple Watch on iOS 17.4/watchOS 10.4
 
 
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