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Apple Watch stuck on "Copying shared cache symbols" – blocks real-time testing via Xcode

Hi everyone,

I’m a student developer currently building a watchOS app that uses HealthKit and HKWorkoutSession to estimate core body temperature from real-time heart rate data. The app runs well in the simulator, but testing on a physical Apple Watch has been extremely difficult.

Each time I try to run the app from Xcode (Version 16.3), the build gets stuck on:

“Copying shared cache symbols from MyWatchName (0% completed)”

Sometimes it just stops stating connection failure. However, more often no errors are shown, but the sync never finishes. I’ve tried the following without success:

Restarting the watch, iPhone, and Xcode

Switching networks (Wi-Fi and hotspot)

USB wired pairing

Resetting developer settings and trust prompts

Deleting derived data

Rebuilding the project

This is especially limiting for a real-time health tracking app where I need to monitor HKLiveWorkoutBuilder data while the screen sleeps — which can’t be tested effectively in the simulator.

Apple Watch stuck on "Copying shared cache symbols" – blocks real-time testing via Xcode
 
 
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