Having Apple Watch 3 performance issues? Here's how to fix them now

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Apple has a fix for Apple Watch Series 3 users facing watchOS 7 issues.

(Image credit: Future)

Apple has addressed the battery drain, missing health data and GPS history issues Apple Watch Series 3 users complained about in online forums after updating to watchOS 7. 

In a new support document called, "If you're missing Workout GPS routes or Health data after updating to iOS 14 and watchOS 7," Apple recommends restoring your Apple Watch to prevent future data loss.

Apple listed seven different performance issues users could be experiencing as a result of the iOS 14 or watchOS 7 updates. It suggests initiating the restore process if two or more of the scenarios apply to you.

Earlier this week we reported on a number of bugs frustrating Apple Watch 3 users who recently updated to watchOS 7. Though we've grown accustomed to iOS updates causing problems for users with older iPhone models, these watchOS issues are more surprising.

We haven't experienced battery drain or missing activity data with the Apple Watch Series 6, which shipped with watchOS 7, or Apple Watch Series 5, which we updated to watchOS 7 shortly after the update became available. It seems like these issues are limited to Series 3 models.

If you haven't updated your Apple Watch 3 to the latest software yet, you may want to keep waiting until users report that watchOS 7 is more stable.

But if you're already running watchOS 7 and experiencing any of the performance problems Apple flagged, unpair your Apple Watch, back up your data, reset your Watch and then restore it. Apple provides step-by-step instructions here.

Kate Kozuch
Kate Kozuch

Kate Kozuch is the managing editor of social and video at Tom’s Guide. She writes about smartwatches, TVs, audio devices, and some cooking appliances, too. Kate appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following if you don't already. When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her taking up a new sport, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef.