Apple Watch Charging Bug Fixed in watchOS 8.4 Release Candidate

The watchOS 8.4 release candidate that was seeded to developers and beta testers this morning addresses an ongoing bug that could cause some Apple Watch chargers not to work properly with the Apple Watch.

apple watch series 7 aluminum colors yellowbg
Back in December, we reported on a growing number of charging issues that Apple Watch Series 7 owners were facing. Since watchOS 8.3, there have been a number of complaints about third-party chargers not functioning as expected.

For many users, third-party chargers would refuse to charge an Apple Watch Series 7 at all, and some others saw problems where the charger would appear to work normally, and then quit working after a few minutes.

Many of the reports focused on more affordable third-party chargers from Amazon, but there were also complaints about higher-end chargers from brands like Belkin. Some people even had charging issues with Apple's own Apple Watch charging pucks.

According to Apple's release notes for the watchOS 8.4 update, the software specifically fixes a bug that could cause some Apple Watch chargers not to work, suggesting the charging issues will come to an end when watchOS 8.4 sees a release.

Apple seeded the release candidate version today, and the release candidate represents the finished version of the software that will be provided to the public. We could see a watchOS 8.4 release as soon as next week.

Related Roundup: watchOS 10
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Top Rated Comments

cdrider Avatar
29 months ago
Apple have really dropped the ball on this. Anything that prohibits charging should be treated at the highest priority and an out of band patch issues ASAP. To make users wait and potentially be without their devices is unconscionable.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
29 months ago
I've experience this bug myself personally. It was annoying. Glad to see it is finally being fixed. Better late than never.

I reported this last year on December 22nd, 2021. ??

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/some-apple-watch-users-experiencing-charging-issues-after-updating-to-watchos-8-3.2328667/post-30721953
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
29 months ago

I haven’t updated to 8.3 because of this mess. Hope Apple sorts it out!
This was reported way before 8.3
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-watch-series-7-charging-issues.2322191/
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
29 months ago
I hope so, but given the reports here in the forums it also affected folks with original Apple chargers/cables so this statement might be premature until those who were impacted can confirm it is indeed fixed.
I for one never had an issue
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AgentOSX Avatar
29 months ago
As someone who has had a Red Series 7 that has been unusable since two days after I got it... I'll believe it when I charge it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
29 months ago
So this was only an issue with 3rd party chargers? Wonder what would cause this kind of issue? Glad to hear that it is fixed.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Delta Feature

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iPhone 15 Pro Action Button Translate

All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With the New App Store Delta Game Emulator

Wednesday April 17, 2024 12:19 pm PDT by
A decade ago, developer Riley Testut released the GBA4iOS emulator for iOS, and since it was against the rules at the time, Apple put a stop to downloads. Emulators have been a violation of the App Store rules for years, but that changed on April 5 when Apple suddenly reversed course and said that it was allowing retro game emulators on the App Store. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
iOS NES Emulator Bimmy Feature

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store [Removed]

Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation, GameCube, Wii, and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, GameCube, Wii,...