watchOS 7.0.3 Stops Unexpected Restarts for Apple Watch Series 3

Although the recent maintenance release of watchOS 7.0.2 was focused on just a couple of bug fixes (see “watchOS 7.0.2 Address Battery Life, ECG Bugs,” 13 October 2020), TidBITS reader David Redfearn reported that his Apple Watch Series 3 began restarting itself afterward for no apparent reason. It turns out that he was far from alone, and Apple responded to the problem by issuing watchOS 7.0.3 for the Apple Watch Series 3 to eliminate those problems. It’s probably worth installing immediately for users of that model; no one else should even see the update.

If you’re experiencing other problems with your Apple Watch after updating to watchOS 7.0.2 or 7.0.3, we recommend restarting your Apple Watch and its paired iPhone. If that isn’t sufficient, unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch. If even that fails, you could try erasing and restoring the iPhone as well, but that’s generally overkill.