Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta 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 needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 6.1.1 appears to be a minor update focusing on performance improvements and bug fixes that weren't able to be addressed in watchOS 6.1.
No new features were found in the first two betas of watchOS 6.1.1, but we'll update this article should new features be found in the third beta.
Sunday November 1, 2026 3:34 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has published a support document describing what to do if your Apple Watch continues to show time that's off by one hour after daylight savings time changes. "This incorrect time appears only on the Always On display when your wrist is down," says Apple. "When you activate the display by tapping it or raising your wrist, the time changes to the correct hour."
To fix the issue, Apple says ...
Wednesday October 7, 2026 12:02 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Some Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 owners have experienced unexpected skin irritation with the new models, according to reports on the MacRumors forums and Reddit.
Affected users complain of a burning sensation and redness under the sensor area. The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 measure heart rate every five seconds, and some people have wondered if that's the cause of the skin...
Friday October 9, 2026 10:20 am PDT by Juli Clover
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Southern Straps to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an Apple Watch Series 12 and a nylon band from Southern Straps to go along with it.
Southern Straps is a California-based company that has been making high-quality bands for the Apple Watch since the device first launched in 2015, and the company's selection of bands offer a an...
Those are great news. Can’t wait for the public release...[emoji3526]
With last weeks update I was getting almost 4 days battery life on my series 3 and my wife was getting almost 3 days with her series 1. This weeks update appears to be just as good, it's a little early to tell but it's definitely not any worse.
They really seem to be pushing a ton of updates and all of them without a trace of visual updates - is there really that many bugs that needs squashing all the time?
Absolutely, that’s why this year’s releases are updated almost weekly to the least. It’s a good thing, I’m not complaining, but I think Apple should release their software to the public when the experience is optimal and don’t treat regular users as “beta testers”. Just my two cents...
Nope, we don't have anything disabled, now granted neither one of us have a ton of apps installed but other than that they function normally. Yesterday I charged my S3 to 100% and installed the latest update around noon. This morning as I am writing this, it is 7:30, and my watch is sitting at 84%.