5 Things to Know About the watchOS 10.1.1 Update [u]

Apple’s released a new watchOS 10.1.1 update alongside iOS 17.1.1 for iPhone.

The company recently said it planned to release a new software update for Apple Watch in the near future and said software has now arrived.

watchOS 10.1.1, a point upgrade, is available to download if you own an Apple Watch model that’s compatible with the company’s watchOS 10 operating system.

It’s a small update, but it’s an important one, and most watchOS 10 users should install the software today or at some point in the near future.

11/10 Update: We’ve been using watchOS 10.1.1 for several days now and we’ve updated our review with some additional thoughts about its performance.

With that in mind, we want to go over everything there is to know about the watchOS 10.1.1 update for Apple Watch.

This walkthrough will take you through the software’s changes, highlight its performance, and give you a look at some of the issues impacting the new software.

watchOS 10.1.1 Review

Our watchOS 10.1.1 review provides a quick glimpse at the software’s performance in key areas like battery life, connectivity, and speed.

If your Apple Watch is currently running watchOS 10.1, you’ll see a fairly small download. The watchOS 10.1 download should be around 150MB for most Watch models.

If you’re moving up from an older version of watchOS like watchOS 9, the download will be bigger and the installation will take longer.

Speaking of the installation, it took around seven minutes to get the software up and running on an Apple Watch 4.

We’ve been using watchOS 10.1.1 on an Apple Watch 4 for several days now and the software is performing well. Here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance:

watchOS 10.1 Battery Life & Connectivity

• Battery life is stable right now, a sign that watchOS 10.1.1 did its job
• Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable
• Bluetooth is working normally
• GPS is also functioning properly as well

App Performance

• Third-party apps including All Trails, ESPN, Spotify, and JetBlue are all working fine
• First party apps like Podcasts are also running well

Speed

• watchOS 10.1.1 feels fast and we haven’t noticed abnormal lag

If you’ve run into bugs and/or performance issues on watchOS 10.1, or an older version of watchOS, you might want to install the watchOS 10.1.1 update right now.

watchOS 10.1.1 Problems

We haven’t run into any major issues with watchOS 10.1.1 yet, but some Apple Watch users have.

We’ve heard about issues with Notifications, Bluetooth issues, problems with first and third-party applications, UI lag, issues with cellular service, and pairing issues.

It’s a short list right now, but complaints about watchOS 10.1.1 problems should grow as more Apple Watch users download the firmware.

For more about watchOS 10 problems and how to fix them, head over to our guide.

watchOS 10.1.1: What’s New

watchOS 10.1.1 is a point upgrade and Apple’s point upgrades typically fix bugs that are discovered within the operating system. That’s exactly what watchOS 10.1.1 does.

Here’s the full list of changes on board the watchOS 10.1.1 update:

• This update provides important bug fixes and addresses an issue that could cause the battery to drain more quickly for some users.

watchOS 10.1.1 may also have new security patches on board. If it does, you can learn more about them over on Apple’s security site.

watchOS 10 Downgrade

Most people know this already, but if you’re a new Apple Watch owner or you’ve simply forgotten, here’s your PSA.

Unlike iOS, iPadOS, and macOS software, you can’t downgrade watchOS software to an older version if you run into trouble and want to move back.

In other words, you’ll want to be extremely careful moving to new watchOS 10 software in the weeks ahead. If you’re having a good experience, make sure you read reviews before you tap install on the latest software update.

What’s Next

Apple’s confirmed a new watchOS 10.2 update for Apple Watch and the software is currently in beta testing ahead of its public release.

We expect the software to arrive sometime before the end of the year, probably sometime in mid-December alongside iOS 17.2 for iPhone.

Wait for Blood Pressure Monitoring

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Gurman believes Apple is targeting 2024 for a blood pressure monitor on the Apple Watch. This is the earliest it will launch and there could be a delay. That being said, it's a feature worth waiting for.  He's outlined three health features Apple's working on: glucose and blood sugar monitoring, the ability to take blood pressure, and the ability to measure body temperature. Of these, it looks like the blood pressure tool is the closest to launch. If this pans out, the Apple Watch 10 would be able to detect a user's blood pressure from the wrist using infrared light. If you have blood pressure issues, or simply want a quick way to check, this feature alone might be worth the wait.

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