Apple watch complications not showing latest data at 15min update cycles

[g0hww]

iOS device model, version and app version

Model Name: iPhone 16 Pro
Software Version: iOS 18.72
App version: 2025.11.1 (2025.1534)

Model Name: Apple Watch series 10, 42mm
Software Version: watchOS 11.6.1 (22U90)
App version: 2025.11.1 (2025.1534)

Home Assistant Core Version
2025.11.3

Describe the bug
My apple watch has stopped updating HA complication data reliably. This used to happen on a 15 minute cycle. Sometimes it works, but not often. This seems to have started with the last two updates to the HA companion app this week (version shown above and previous version, both released over the course of 1 or 2 days).

To Reproduce
Feed some frequently changing dynamically data from HA to complications on watch. For example, actual info from weather station and electricity price data that changes every 30 minutes..

Expected behavior
Values shown on watch are updated at 15 minute intervals, and refreshed when pressing the complication on the watch (showing the main HA interface) and/or doing the same and pressing the reload button.

Screenshots

Additional context
This was all working fine. I could see the temperature etc, tracking the actual weather info fairly well. and the Octopus electricity prices were well synchronised before the recent HA companion updates.

Forcing the Apple Watch Complications to update, using the limited 50 pushes with the "Update Complications" button in the HA Companion app on my iPhone DOES push through latest values.,

[g0hww]

Have just updated both iPhone and Watch to 2025.11.2 (2025.1537).
Initial impression is that the issue remains, but I will report in with further observations on this.

[g0hww]

Having seen other bug reports about HAC not reflecting sensor value changes, etc. on iPhones, that suggest the Local Push should be enabled in HAC , I have enabled this on my iPhone, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference. Note that I don’t seem to have a problem on the phone itself, only on the watch.

[g0hww]

To add to the confusion about this, here's my latest report on this bug.

1. After updating to version 2025.11.2 (2025.1537), yesterday morning, the situation did not improve.
2. I rebooted both the watch and the phone, no improvement.
3. Towards the end of the later (from late afternoon) I noticed that the watch complications did seem to be reporting latest data, specifically the Now and Next electricity prices which change every half hour were tracking correct values, and Outside Temp showed appropriate values (given that they are only expected to change automatically every 15 mins).
4. This morning, the values in the complications are not tracking actual values.
5. Manually sending updates with "Update Complications" continues to work.
6. With HAC open on my phone, pressing the reload button in HAC on the watch does not refresh the complication values.

[g0hww]

Some notes on connectivity.

1. My HA is only available on the domestic LAN, with no external connectivity.
2. When I leave home, the watch face changes to something else that doesn't present HA data.
3. My bug report relates to best case scenarios where I am sat at my desk, with the watch and iphone about 1 metre apart, with direct Bluetooth connectivity between the watch and phone, and the phone having an excellent wifi connection to the domestic LAN.
4. I don't suspect that the problem is caused by lost traffic due to connectivity issues.
5. The HAC on the iphone is working fine in all other respects and presents consistently correct values continuously.

[bgoncal]

Apple Watch complications related code needs a full refactor as well as upgrading to new watchOS standards, unfortunately don’t expect updates for it in the near future, hopefully next year or if a contributor volunteers sooner than that to take it over.

Meanwhile you can try to

• Delete the app from your watch, reboot watch, install it again.
• Manually update the complication state from the companion app settings on your iPhone.
• Double check that your user is admin, and double check the template set in companion app complication configuration.
  Delete and recreate it.

[g0hww]

Update: I do seem to have recovered this now and the complications are updating. It was quite an adventure and I will post more info later.

[g0hww]

Update 2: The original problem has come back. I managed to recover it on Friday evening, It worked fine until first thing this morning (Sunday) when I noted that the watch complications were stuck with data from 02:15 (the complications now have timestamps in them). I will attempt to go through the process that recovered it again, and report back.

[ping-spike]

Following with interest.

Do we know why it stopped working with v26 (and was fine on earlier versions)?

I also can’t seem to find the option to create a new complication anymore 🤷🏻‍♂️

[bgoncal]

@ping-spike #4025 (comment)

[ping-spike]

Thanks for looking in to adding it back in @bgoncal 😃

Re:

complications related code needs a full refactor as well as upgrading to new watchOS standards, unfortunately don’t expect updates for it in the near future, hopefully next year

Is there a sponsorship option for any developers to look at this issue sooner?

[bgoncal]

I don't have an answer for that, you would need to advertise like a bounty and then people decide to pick it up or not.

[ping-spike]

Probably all related but the "manual updates" automation examples in the docs no longer works either:

https://companion.home-assistant.io/docs/apple-watch/complications/#manual-updates

- action: notify.mobile_app_<your_device_id_here>
  data:
    message: update_complications

[bgoncal]

@g0hww what the procedure you used?