Since I upgraded to iOS 15, watchOS 8 and Xcode 13, after I turned off and on my Mac, every first time I want to launch an app from Xcode to my iPhone appear this message (even if I'm not developing for watchOS):
iPhone is busy: Making Apple Watch ready for development
The Mac stays stuck on it for at least 20 minutes.
The only solution I found (until now) is to switch off WiFi on my Watch.
Is there a better solution?
The 100% worked solution is:
Turn you Apple Watch off, and every thing is OK.
PS: Sold it on eBay may work fine I guess :)
This is unbearable. Apple needs a toggle to say Xcode "This app does not have a Watch component. I will never build Watch apps. Forget my Watch"
The same issue outlined in the original post is still occurring as of today, April 30th, 2022.
Steps to replicate issue:
Versions of Hardware & Software:
The fact that this is still an issue is very bothersome. I keep having to remember to put my watch into airplane mode (and take it off airplane mode when I'm done). What's the point of having the watch if it's just going to slow down my development DRASTICALLY?
Same issue
Xcode 13.2.1 Big Sur 11.6 iPhone 11 iOS 15.4.1 Apple Watch Series 7 watchOS 8.5.1
I've done the clean, delete derived data, restart dance. Along with various hacks suggested in this thread. Nothing works.
Apple Watch development was terrible 2 years ago. I hoped they would've smoothed things out by now, but it's even worse. If not at fix, can we at least get an explanation of what's going on? Given the amount of time and money we spend to work on your platform. I'm tempted to ask for a refund of my recently purchased watch. Apple is aggressively indifferent to its developer community, to the point of hostility. This is a ******* joke.
same here... apple watch series 6 OS 8.5.1 iphone 11 ios 15.4.1 xcode Version 13.3.1 (13E500a) macOS monterey 12.3.1 (21E258)
Only two things seem to remedy this issue: 1) just be patient and wait a while (15 minutes?), or 2) switch off the Apple Watch and don't use it while you are developing.
Speculation on my part but it looks like that Apple is just too big and compartmentalized. Right had not caring what the Left hand is doing. Those at Apple who have an Apple Watch can't reach over the wall to those maintaining X Code.
I just run a very simple project (Hello world) then go back to the app under development and it works.
Upgrade to macOS 12.3.1, Xcode 13.3.1, ... none work (it did solved for iPad cannot compile to issue but not iPhone).
I unpair the watch it worked. Hence, but I tried flight mode of watch ...
Finally I switch off the bluetooth of the phone (as I found out it still connect to the watch even if the watch is on flight mode and there is no bluetooth connection). It finally compile the sample program!
Anyway, still got this cannot start remote debugging service issue (which mean it cannot start the program at least, unlike the iPad).
Very frustrating, especially I am not even developing for the watch !!
Let me join the chorus..I am now having the same problem. After months of everything seeming to work and synch, now the watch never gets 'prepped for development', even though nothing has changed for the watch app portion. Just a useless message box, that provides no update information or status. Apple get on it..it is destroying the development process.
I just want to through my Apple watch when I meet this f****ing bug, I didn't use watch to develop anything but Apple say that they must prepare debug symbol for watch for me.
What a joke!!!!
iOS 15.5 update, and here we go again same issue is back, except not finishing just spinning. I guess the watchOS needs updating too. Watch is working tho... elevated heart rate, stand goals...
I have this issue to on my old mbp 2015 and brand new mac studio. I mean I'd expect xcode to work, not do wonders, but actually "work" properly?! Seems like spending >2k usd on a new mac is not enough, maybe because xcode demands an M1 ultra or a mac pro with a custom config of over 15K usd... There's always an issue with xcode..
How is this still a thing after so long? Software quality seems to be really "great" these days.
Apple, are you listening!!!!!!!!!!
please address this, it's extremely frustrating. Just how many times does it need to make my iPhone ready for development?
For me, drilling into watch settings and turning off bluetooth seems to have worked. However, this is pretty awful design and I can't help but wonder if having bluetooth off on my watch caused a corrupted backup during a recent reset/restore because the watch stopped syncing with my phone.
So, if you do turn off bluetooth, be aware that it might cause a headache... like losing an activity streak of 351 days and having to start over.
Just created a feedback regarding this problem (ID: FB10026560)
Exactly Same issue. Driven me crazy .Where to completely disable watch developing? Help ~
My situation was the following:
Xcode 13.2 iPhone 15.4 watchOS 8.6
For me the solution was to update Xcode to 13.4 since it had the SDK for watchOS 8.6 (as per this article)
Same problem even now with XCode 13.4. Hung with message "iPhone is busy: Fetching debug symbols for Melvin’s Apple Watch paired to Mels iPhone" indefinitely. Very annoying bug. It is preventing me from testing an app on my iPhone.
Turning off completely Bluetooth (Settings -> Bluetooth -> Off) forced any reconnect attempts or limbo state to go away, and then I could proceed with building my project :-)
I'm still getting this regularly, too. It takes such a long time to sort itself out and occurs at the most inopportune moments, like when I'm in the middle of training a team of iOS developers how to code. Thankfully, it sometimes decides to work when I turn off Bluetooth.
This is really frustrating. I would love a better solution than turning off my Apple Watch every time I work on my app.
I got same problem with Latest Version of iOS and watchOS. When I quit Xcode, reopen Xcode and retry the build, it solved.
Same problem here. I tried turning on/off everything as suggested in this thread, even un-paired my Watch from iPhone. Nothing worked. Spent 5 hours trying to rectify.
And then I finally found a solution: I cleared the /Users/me/Library/Xcode/DerivedData directories for my app. (ie, any directory which begins with your app name.) That did it. Could have saved myself a 1/2 day of programming if I had tried that 1st.
YMMV
