Apple Watch won't show in device l… | Apple Developer Forums

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Hello,

The Apple Watch's connectivity to Xcode has always been finicky. Sometimes it would start doing "transport errors" and you'd have to repair the watch/phone to xcode to resolve it. Now after the 10.4 upgrade, it seems that there are cases where the watch doesn't even show in the device list. Here's what I've observed:

The watch will connect the first time you launch xcode(after 10.4 install or a new restore).
If you unpair the watch, it will never show in the device list again. This is despite any remediation efforts, such as unpairing the phone from xcode, restarting the watch/phone, and clearing trusted devices.
Erasing the watch and restoring it will allow it to connect again to xcode, but only if you never unpair it. If you unpair the watch, it will repeat the behavior of not showing in the device list again.

So, the only solution is to erase/restore the watch to get it to show in the device list on xcode. Every single time.

Again, this is new behavior for Watch OS 10.4

1.8k

Posted by

cmmmmmmmmmm

Reply

not sure if it's meaningful, but my latest attempt at least did somethings differently. odd thing was when watch was being paired (on the iPhone app) it popped a message that an UPDATE was required. not so (unless they're counting any "beta' releases). so it spun a bit - but it appears to do Nothing. but maybe it thought it OUGHT?

anyway - still broke.

—
WaldoTJ

Replies

Checking the console, it says the watch is waiting to accept the Trust dialogue box click. It's not showing up on my watch screen! This is new in 10.4!! Please fix!!!

Posted by

cmmmmmmmmmm

I am also unable to see the apple watch in xcode's devices. I have tried everything to resolve this but so far no luck.

Posted by

Visiono

I also cannot connect my watch to Xcode after updating to watchOS 10.4, Rebooted clean install, nothing helps. Feedback filed - FB13688287

Posted by

dmorneault

I reported another Feedback on this: FB13688554. Hope this is getting addressed asap - developing for the apple watch is now impossible.

—
Visiono

I submitted feedback as well for this.

Posted by

cmmmmmmmmmm

My current workaround is to use XCode Cloud and use Testflight (internal Testing). This way I can build my app, install via testflight, and test it on the apple watch.

It is not perfect, but it will work well with the watch and you can test on device.

Hope Apple is addressing this soon!

Posted by

Visiono

This might be fixed now. I updated to IOS 17.4.1, and updated xcode to 15.3, and now the watch is in the device list again. I dare not unpair it to test. But hopefully optimistic.

Posted by

cmmmmmmmmmm

Not resolved on this machine with watchOS 10.4, iOS 17.4.1, Xcode 15.3, macOS 14.4.

Watch was originally in run destinations list but removed, along with three iOS devices (including the paired iPhone), while attempting to resolve connection issues with all. iOS connection issues resolved by temporarily disabling VPN - see TN3158.

Watch no longer appears as candidate in run destinations management window (after manually removing in preparation to re-add).

Next beta releases of Xcode and OSs are uncharacteristically slow appearing - presume Apple is scrambling to fix what is not a small problem.

@eskimo has several threads communicating problem, but no mention of the Watch connection issue - suspect it is related but its own issue.

TestFlight appears the best workaround until this is resolved.

Posted by

enquora

I am currently working on an app development for my Apple Watch in connection with my bachelor thesis, and currently I cannot do anything to test and develop my app. Keep getting an error like Transport error or connecting, preparing forever. In rare cases, the connection works and I can build my app on the watch. But on the 2nd attempt, the connection is no longer there. My Apple Watch is not provided with a code to unlock.

Restarting Mac, iPhone, Apple Watch and Xcode only help in rare cases. It can't be that I have to restart my devices again and again. VPN is also not active. Unfortunately, I have no idea why all this is happening. I've just done a clean installation of Xcode, erased the Watch and so on, but it's impossible that the Watch is showing again in Xcode. Please fix this Apple ASAP..

Apple Watch Series 9: watchOS 10.4

iPhone 15 pro: IOS 17.4.1

MacBook Pro M1 Pro: Sonoma 14.4

Xcode: 15.3

Posted by

zahid-58

I have the same issue, could not test watch app via Xcode, removed watch and device list no longer shows the watch neither was a popup on my watch.

Devices: MacBook Pro M1 Pro 14.4.1 Xcode 15.3 iPhone 15 Pro 17.4.1 Apple Watch 10.4

Posted by

guenthereder

Also submitted a feedback ticket: FB13713179

Has anyone figured out a workaround besides the Xcode Cloud + Testflght approach?

Posted by

dbelcastro

This does not appear to be fixed in watchOS 10.5, at least my watch is not appearing in Xcode after upgrading. I did get the Trust prompt on my watch which is an improvement.

Posted by

dmorneault

How is that an improvement? Unless you click 'Trust', the AppleWatch won't be shown in the list of devices in the destination, right? And once trusted, we need to enable developer mode, which is another big headache as the button rarely appears.

—
GangOrca

Also on MacBook Pro M1 Pro 14.4.1, XCode 15.3, iPhone 14 Pro 17.4.1, Apple Watch 10.4. Also have tried all resets, restores, clean install of watchOS 3x and I cannot get XCode to see the watch at all.

In Devices and Simulators, I can only see iPhone. No Apple Watch is even present.

In my macOS Console, I can see the Device listed, but I cannot read any messages due to Warning Symbol. I suspect it is waiting for "Trust This Computer" prompt which never shows up on Apple Watch.

Posted by

bobcine

Tried everything, from resetting the apple watch twice, removing and installing xcode, removing trusted devices from iphone and watch and repeating the whole process but it didn't help. all devices are up to date.

Posted by

bishnudev

I have the same issue. Cannot even see the watch listed when I use xcrun devicectl list devices in the Terminal. Tried unpairing the Watch from my iPhone and pairing it again, cleaning out all sorts of caches, turning on and off developer mode. watchOS 10.4, Xcode 15.3 (15.2 doesn't work either).

Posted by

antonmedstorta

Xcode 15.4 beta 1 and WatchOS 10.5 betas do not fix.

Posted by

enquora