Broken Apple Watch? Apple’s about to fix one of its most frustrating repair problems

There’s no denying the fact that Apple makes some of the best smartwatches. But even they’re not immune to tech gremlins. And if you’ve ever ended up with a broken Apple Watch after a dodgy update or random software failure, having to ship it off for repairs while your wrist remains bare isn’t ideal. Thankfully, that’s about to change. 

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According to MacRumors’ retail source, Apple Stores and authorised service providers will soon be able to restore Apple Watch software in-house, thanks to a new repair tool rolling out later this month. In other words, your broken Apple Watch could be fixed in-store, instead of being sent away.

Right now, the process is surprisingly clunky. If your Apple Watch can’t be restored using your iPhone – which only works in fairly specific situations – Apple has no way to fix it in-store. Failed updates, boot loops, or fully bricked devices all have to be sent off to a central repair facility, adding days (or longer) to the process.

Now, Apple is reportedly introducing a dedicated repair dock that connects the watch to a Mac, letting tech support staff directly reinstall the software, which should, in theory, massively cut down the time and faff it takes to get Apple Watch software faults sorted.

Older Apple Watch models had a diagnostic port that made this kind of repair possible in-store, but that disappeared with the Apple Watch Series 7. Since then, Apple has relied on wireless recovery tools – including an iPhone-based restore feature introduced with watchOS 8.5 – but those only work when the watch is still responsive enough to trigger the process.

This new in-store solution won’t help with hardware faults, of course, but for software issues, it should make your broken Apple Watch repair far more convenient.

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Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.