Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 9.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming just one day after the launch of watchOS 9.
To install watchOS 9.1, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, watchOS 9.1 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
We don't yet know what's included in the watchOS 9.1 update, but watchOS 9 brought a redesigned Compass app, a new medication tracking feature, updated watch faces, improvements to Workouts, new features for the ECG app, and more.
We'll update this article if anything notable is found in the watchOS 9.1 update.
Thursday September 10, 2026 11:57 am PDT by Juli Clover
Some Apple Watch users who upgrade to the Series 12 or the Ultra 4 might temporarily lose access to hypertension notifications.
On the watchOS feature availability page, Apple says notifications might not be available on the Series 12 or Ultra 4 at launch because regulatory clearances are in process.
Hypertension Notifications may not be available on Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 in your ...
Wednesday September 9, 2026 12:06 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27 to developers and public beta testers. The release candidates are the final versions of the updates that will be seeded to the public as long as no final bugs are found during this last round of testing.
The updates can be installed through the Software Update section in the Settings app on each...
Monday August 31, 2026 10:12 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the eighth beta of watchOS 27 to developers, with the update coming a week after the launch of the seventh beta.
The beta can be downloaded through the Watch app on the iPhone with a free developer account. The Apple Watch will need to be on the charger, connected to Wi-Fi, and have a battery level of 50 percent or above for new software to be installed.
watchOS 27...
Since I updated to watchOS 9 on my SE watch, the battery at the end of the day is far worse. I'd easily have >50% at the end of the day and last night it was like 20%. It's only been a few days so I'm keeping track. I know .0 versions with Apple typically have terrible battery life.
I'm seeing the same thing. Normally I would have about 40-45% left at the end of the day but now I'm down to about 20-25%.
I hope they fix the OS9 tiny illegible complications! World time was a glance; now it's a squint and hold the watch to face. Major step backwards. See the image, OS9 left / OS8 right
Since I updated to watchOS 9 on my SE watch, the battery at the end of the day is far worse. I'd easily have >50% at the end of the day and last night it was like 20%. It's only been a few days so I'm keeping track. I know .0 versions with Apple typically have terrible battery life.
