Apple Seeds watchOS 7.1 Release Candidate to Developers

Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming watchOS 7.1 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the fourth beta and more than a month after releasing the watchOS 7 update.

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To install the ‌watchOS 7‌.1 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the ‌‌‌watchOS 7‌‌‌ beta can be downloaded through the dedicated ‌Apple Watch‌ app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.

To update to the new software, the ‌Apple Watch‌ needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌.

The watchOS 7.1 update introduces new hearing health protections, with the watch able to send a notification when music is too loud and could damage hearing. It also brings the ECG app to South Korea and Russia. Apple's full release notes are below:

watchOS 7.1 contains new features, improvements, and bug fixes.
- Adds the ability to be notified when your headphone audio level could impact your hearing
- Adds support for the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later in the Republic of Korea and Russia
- Adds support for irregular heart rhythm notifications in the Republic of Korea and Russia
- Resolves an issue that prevented some users from unlocking a Mac with Apple Watch
- Fixes an issue where the screen may be dark on wrist raise for some Apple Watch Series 6 owners.

watchOS 7.1, like watchOS 7, is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 3 and later.

Related Roundups: watchOS 11, watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

Marshalus Avatar
61 months ago
FINALLY can unlock my MacBook Pro with my Watch again. This has been bugging me for weeks, and none of the previous workarounds posted anywhere online were working for me.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gorms Avatar
61 months ago
Does anyone know if this will finally resolve the work out/map issue? I really hope it does
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Axiboy Avatar
61 months ago

Only seeing watchOS 7.1 Public Beta 4, so apparently the RC is not available for Public Beta testers yet.

BTW. Does an update to watchOS 7.1 require iOS 14.2?
RC is out now for Public beta. I'm not sure if you need 14.2 or not - I installed it on Saturday.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Braderunner Avatar
61 months ago

FINALLY can unlock my MacBook Pro with my Watch again. This has been bugging me for weeks, and none of the previous workarounds posted anywhere online were working for me.
Are you running Big Sur on your Mac? I didn’t have this problem until the last Big Sur beta. This Watch update didn’t fix it. Probably have to wait for next Big Sur beta release.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ladyc0524 Avatar
61 months ago
Are you running Big Sur on your Mac? I didn’t have this problem until the last Big Sur beta. This Watch update didn’t fix it. Probably have to wait for next Big Sur beta release.
I’m having this issue. I should have stayed on beta beta 10 of Big Sur instead of updating to 11.0.1. Oh well, I’ll wait for the next update.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DinkThifferent Avatar
61 months ago

Does anyone know if this will finally resolve the work out/map issue? I really hope it does
For me this has already been fixed after the latest update.
I'm running WatchOS 7.0.3 on a Series 3 with an iPhone 8Plus on iOS 14.1
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)