watchOS 11.2 Debug Tunnel Timeout: iPhone Connected, Watch stuck in "Waiting to Reconnect" (Xcode 16.4)

Hello,

I am experiencing a critical blocking issue developing a watchOS app. While the iPhone 15 Pro Max is fully "Connected" via USB (confirmed green light in Network Settings), the Apple Watch Series 7 (watchOS 11.2) remains unreachable by Xcode.

Mac: Mac Mini (macOS 15/16).

Devices: iPhone 15 Pro Max (iOS 18+), Apple Watch Series 7 (watchOS 11.2).

Xcode: 16.4 / Build 26.4.

Hardware: Direct USB-C connection (USB 2.0 480Mb/s protocol).

Technical Evidence of Protocol Failure:

Missing Staging Folders: ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/watchOS DeviceSupport does not exist, implying the handshake fails before symbol stripping/sync begins.

CoreDevice Error: Consistently receiving: "Previous preparation error: A connection to this device could not be established.; Timed out while attempting to establish tunnel using negotiated network parameters."

Missing Keychain Entries: No com.apple.coredevice keys found in Keychain Access, suggesting the Trusted Host handshake is incomplete.

mDNS/Discovery: xcrun devicectl list devices shows the iPhone as connected but the Watch as available (paired).

Steps Taken (Zero Success):

Wiped ~/Library/Developer/CoreDevice and killed remoted.

Disabled "Location Simulation" in Scheme Options.

Reset "Location & Privacy" on iPhone; trusted Mac on both devices.

Disabled Wi-Fi on all 3 devices to force Bluetooth/Wired relay.

Performed "Offload App" on the iOS Watch app to reset the daemon.

The "Developer Mode" toggle is missing from the Watch's Privacy & Security menu and refuses to reappear despite successful iPhone-to-Mac connectivity.

Logs: I have a full sysdiagnose (300MB) ready. (Feedback ID: FB22425709).

Does anyone know a specific defaults write command to force-trigger the watchOS CoreDevice tunnel or a way to manually inject the Developer Mode profile?

Partial installation observed: A placeholder icon for the app appeared on the Watch but installation is hung. The app cannot be deleted from the Watch UI, and Xcode continues to report a Connection Timeout. This confirms the initial manifest is sent, but the secure tunnel for the actual binary transfer/validation fails.

watchOS 11.2 Debug Tunnel Timeout: iPhone Connected, Watch stuck in "Waiting to Reconnect" (Xcode 16.4)
 
 
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