Apple Releases watchOS 2.1 With Improved Language Support, Bug Fixes

Apple today released a new software update for the Apple Watch, upgrading watchOS 2 from version 2.0.1 to version 2.1. The update comes six weeks after Apple first released watchOS 2.0.1 to the public and two and a half months since the public launch of watchOS 2, the first operating system upgrade for the Apple Watch.

The 2.1 update can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the Apple Watch charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

watchos_2_1
watchOS 2.1 includes a range of bug fixes to improve the performance of the device and it also includes support for several new languages. There's now system language support for Arabic, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Malay, Portuguese, and Vietnamese, along with expanded dictation and Siri support for several languages. Bug fixes address issues in Calendar, Power Reserve mode, third-party apps, and more.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
ikea smart home devices

IKEA Debuts 21 HomeKit-Compatible Smart Bulbs, Sensors, and Controls

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered. There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on MacBook, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
maxresdefault

In-Depth iPhone Battery Experiment Pits Slow Charging Against Fast Charging

Friday November 7, 2025 1:19 pm PST by
HTX Studio this week shared the results from a six-month battery test that compared how fast charging and slow charging can affect battery life over time. Using six iPhone 12 models, the channel set up a system to drain the batteries from five percent and charge them to 100 percent over and over again. Three were fast charged, and three were slow charged. Another set of iPhones underwent...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...

Top Rated Comments

testcard Avatar
130 months ago
Got confused by all the updates today. Now running watchOS 2.1 on my MacBook Air. Does that sound right?
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ButteryScrollin Avatar
130 months ago
Looks like a "meh" update.
fixes 3rd party apps not installing and not showing an icon is big.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mascots Avatar
130 months ago
Here's to hoping they eliminated the lag when attempting to dictate anything.

IMO the most notable bug introduced in 2.0
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
130 months ago
My favorite fix in the list is "Addresses issues that could prevent third party apps from launching." This is my #1 problem with the Watch right now. Fix this and I'm much happier with the device. Third party apps are still a pain point on the device. Many of them, even after being updated for Watch OS 2, are extremely slow to load or don't load at all. Sometimes I'm not sure which is going on, and other times it will crash back to the watch face when trying for a while. Please, please let this fix that!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
batting1000 Avatar
130 months ago
Looks like a "meh" update.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gcooldude86 Avatar
130 months ago
Please add some more options for nightstand mode.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)