watchOS 11 Drops Support for These Apple Watch Models

As was rumored, watchOS 11 drops support for the Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 5, and first-generation Apple Watch SE, according to Apple's website.

apple watch series 4 flames
The update is compatible with all other models, including the Apple Watch Series 6 and beyond:

  • Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)

  • Apple Watch Series 6
  • Apple Watch Series 7
  • Apple Watch Series 8
  • Apple Watch Series 9
  • Apple Watch Ultra
  • Apple Watch Ultra 2

Even though the Series 5 has an S5 chip, it has the same processor as the S4 chip in the Series 4, so it is not too surprising that Apple dropped support for these models simultaneously. Key changes with the Series 5 compared to the Series 4 included an always-on display option, increased storage, and a compass.

watchOS 11 continues to work with a paired iPhone XS or newer. A developer beta is available starting today, and a public beta will follow in July.

The general public can expect watchOS 11 to be released in September.

Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...

Top Rated Comments

rotvaldi Avatar
20 months ago
What a ******** to kill watches at 4 years… dude the SE 1st gen came out same as S6 like forreal
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roguedaemon Avatar
20 months ago
sad that my only reason to upgrade is my series 4 is no longer supported...
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
b251 Avatar
20 months ago
I bought my SE 2020 shortly before the 2022 came out. I’m very disappointed that I got less than 2 years of software updates for it. This it the last Apple Watch I’ve bought. I don’t think Apple will provide security updates to it for long.

I don’t understand why the $149 Apple TV HD gets support for 10 years whilst the $399 Apple Watch only gets 4 years.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
b251 Avatar
20 months ago
The new features in watchOS 11 are not overwhelming for me too but the point is that watchOS 10 won’t get security updates for long so it quickly gets unsafe.

Technically there’s no reason why the SE (as well Series 4 and 5) get dropped with watchOS 11. It’s does not have any major changes which require a more powerful processor.

The Apple TV HD which has the Apple A8 in it will get the iOS 18 based tvOS 18.

If Apple wants to force the customers to replace their perfectly working watches (mine has 97% battery life left) my clear answer is that I will never buy one again. I understand when they drop devices if they can simply not handle the new software version but this is a kind of planned obsolescence.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blackstick Avatar
20 months ago
One thing I've seen with the Apple Watch is that, more than any other device, if it's even a few generations old -- it's painfully slow to sync/unsync, upgrade, erase, etc.

I know they're miniature compared to phones and the constraints on the wrist are enormous because of size and cooling considerations alone, but they really gotta make that a lot less painful.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dandyryan Avatar
20 months ago
literally why cant they just give the series 4/5 watchOS 11? are they really pushing the chip of a damn watch that hard? its just greed. smh
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)