5 Things to Know About the watchOS 10.1 Update [u]

Apple’s pulled its watchOS 10.1 update out of beta testing and pushed it to Apple Watch devices around the world.

watchOS 10.1 is the first major upgrade to Apple’s new watchOS 10 operating system and the software brings new features and under-the-hood enhancements to compatible Apple Watch models.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest changes on board is limited to the company’s flagship Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

That being said, watchOS 10.1 is an important upgrade for all compatible devices and most Apple Watch owners should install the update today.

Updated on October 27th with new information about the watchOS 10.1 update’s performance and Apple’s next watchOS 10 update. This post was first published on Monday, October 26th. 

In this guide we cover everything there is to know about the watchOS 10.1 update for Apple Watch. Our guide goes over the software’s changes, offers some thoughts about performance, and it also takes a look at some of the issues impacting the software.

We’ll start with some quick thoughts about watchOS 10.1’s performance.

watchOS 10.1 Review

Our watchOS 10.1 review provides a quick look at the software’s performance in key areas like battery life, connectivity, and speed.

If your Apple Watch is currently running watchOS 10.0.1 or watchOS 10.0.2, you’ll see a fairly large download. If you’re moving up from watchOS 9, the download will be much larger. If you fall into the latter group, you’ll want to remain patient because the process could take awhile.

As for 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 on an Apple Watch 4 for a few days now and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance:

watchOS 10.1 Battery Life & Connectivity

• Battery life is currently stable
• Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable
• Bluetooth is working normally
• GPS is also working properly

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 feels fast and we haven’t noticed abnormal lag, lockups, or freezes thus far

If you’re dealing with bugs and/or performance issues on watchOS 10.0.2, or an older version of watchOS, you might want to install the watchOS 10.1 update right now.

watchOS 10.1 Problems

We haven’t run into any major bugs or performance issues during our brief time with watchOS 10.1, but some Apple Watch users have run into problems.

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.

We’re also seeing an uptick in complaints about rapid battery drain and overheating issues when users say they’re unable to properly charge their Watch.

These issues are impacting Apple Watch models across the board as we’ve seen complaints from Apple Watch 4 users, Apple Watch 9 users, and others. We haven’t noticed these problems on our Apple Watches.

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

watchOS 10.1: What’s New

watchOS 10.1 is a milestone upgrade and it delivers a mix of changes including enhancements, bug fixes and important security updates.

The two most notable changes on board are NameDrop support and DoubleTap.

NameDrop lets you share contact information with another Apple Watch or iPhone while DoubleTap lets you tap your thumb and index fingers together to start a call, change a song, and more. DoubleTap is exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Here’s the full watchOS 10.1 change log:

New Features

• Double tap gesture can be used to perform the primary action in notifications and most apps so you can answer a call, play and pause music, stop a timer, and more (Available on Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2)
• NameDrop allows you to exchange contact information with someone new by simply bringing your Apple Watch near their iPhone with iOS 17 or Apple Watch (Available on Apple Watch SE 2, Apple Watch Series 7 and later, and Apple Watch Ultra)
• My Card is available as a complication for quick access to NameDrop

Bug Fixes

• Fix for bug that causes the climate section in the Home app to be blank
• Addresses an issue that causes a white selection border to be unexpectedly displayed after turning off AssistiveTouch
• Fixes an issue where cities may not sync between iPhone and watch in Weather
• Resolves an issue where the scroll bar may unexpectedly be visible on the display
• Fix for bug that causes elevation to be incorrect for some users

watchOS 10.1 also has security patches on board and Apple’s detailed those on its website. The software addresses issues with Siri, WebKit, and more.

watchOS 10 Downgrade

Most Apple Watch owners know this, but if you’re a new 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.

So, 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.

While the watchOS 10.1 release date is probably weeks away, the company could certainly release a watchOS 10.1.1 bug fix update as a bridge between watchOS 10.1 and watchOS 10.2. Keep an eye out for new software.