Apple Releases watchOS 26.2.1, Adding Precision Finding Support for AirTag 2

[MacRumors]

Apple today released watchOS 26.2.1, a minor update to the watchOS 26 update that came out last year. watchOS 26.2.1 comes six weeks after Apple released watchOS 26.2.

watchOS 26.2.1 can be downloaded for free on an iPhone running iOS 26.2.1 by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update, or initiating an update in the Settings app on the watch. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery and it needs to be placed on a charger.

Today's update enables Precision Finding for the new AirTag 2 on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later. Prior to now, Precision Finding for the AirTag has been limited to the iPhone.

It is not yet clear if the update enables Precision Finding on Apple Watch for the original AirTag, or if this is a feature limited to the new AirTag 2.

According to Apple's release notes, watchOS 26.2.1 also includes unspecified bug fixes.



Article Link: Apple Releases watchOS 26.2.1, Adding Precision Finding Support for AirTag 2

 

[Slix]

Does anyone know if Precision Finding on Apple Watch with this update works on older AirTags as well? I have an iPhone 16e and would love to be able to use Precision Finding if possible.

 

[metalsiren]

form the AirTag documentation

"Compared with the previous-generation AirTag. Improved Precision Finding works with AirTag (2nd generation) paired with iPhone Air or iPhone 15 or later (excluding iPhone 16e); availability varies by region."

 

[Astuces iOS]

Meanwhile iOS 12 got an update...

 

[jz0309]

328MB on my Ultra 2, initiated on watch itself, then turned BT off on phone, took about 1 min to download. Now showing "preparing" and BT back on

 

[qpid360]

For some reason, the trick to turning off Bluetooth stopped working for me. It just disconnects the watch no matter what now and can’t proceed with downloading the update.

 

[Infuspeur]

For some reason, the trick to turning off Bluetooth stopped working for me. It just disconnects the watch no matter what now and can’t proceed with downloading the update.

Maybe toggle WiFi off and on, on the Watch will do the trick.

 

[srl7741]

Updating the watch is always painfully slow, I hate it when there is an update.

 

[jz0309]

Updating the watch is always painfully slow, I hate it when there is an update.

See my post above:

328MB on my Ultra 2, initiated on watch itself, then turned BT off on phone, took about 1 min to download. Now showing "preparing" and BT back on

 

[jz0309]

For some reason, the trick to turning off Bluetooth stopped working for me. It just disconnects the watch no matter what now and can’t proceed with downloading the update.

Are you sure the watch was connected to WiFi? Turning BT off worked as usual for me

 

[Radeon85]

4.7GB on my Ultra 3 when downloading on the watch itself for some reason. About a 15 min download with Bluetooth off, never thought of turning that of before so that it forces it to download over the significantly faster Wi-Fi connection.

 

[t0rqx]

Would be nice if it came with an Airtag 2 to show off its features for current compatible watch owners.

 

[xpxp2002]

Just got the update installed. Unsurprisingly, it would appear that Precision Find My is not enabled for first-generation AirTags on Apple Watch.

 

[mattburley7]

cant get the bluetooth trick to work either says 4 hours to download

had this same issue with 26.2

 

[Tallfish0919]

4.7GB on my Ultra 3 when downloading on the watch itself for some reason. About a 15 min download with Bluetooth off, never thought of turning that of before so that it forces it to download over the significantly faster Wi-Fi connection.

same...

 

[mattburley7]

cant get the bluetooth trick to work either says 4 hours to download

had this same issue with 26.2

gonna have to wait it out again

 

[Slix]

Meanwhile iOS 12 got an update...

I just saw the update in the list of security updates, but I wonder why we didn't get anything for iPadOS 17 in all of those that got updated today. iOS 12, 15, 16, and 18 all got updates for older devices.

 

[Howard2k]

4.7GB on my Ultra 3 when downloading on the watch itself for some reason. About a 15 min download with Bluetooth off, never thought of turning that of before so that it forces it to download over the significantly faster Wi-Fi connection.

Same for me, surprisingly large, but over Wifi it's a quick enough download.

 

[Howard2k]

cant get the bluetooth trick to work either says 4 hours to download

had this same issue with 26.2

Does your watch connect to your wifi? If BT is disabled, where it it pulling the data from? Cellular?

 

[polyphenol]

Maybe toggle WiFi off and on, on the Watch will do the trick.

Brain broke when I posted.

Removing my idiocy.

 

[Howard2k]

Not on a watch without WiFi!

When I started the updated, it went up to 8 hours. Then dropped to one or two.

Kept being told it couldn't download without WiFi - but my phone's WiFi is working just fine.

Do not start updating if you need to use your phone or watch in the next few hours...

They all have wifi.

 

[BigBlur]

I just saw the update in the list of security updates, but I wonder why we didn't get anything for iPadOS 17 in all of those that got updated today. iOS 12, 15, 16, and 18 all got updates for older devices.

Probably because there are no devices that are stuck on iOS 17 as their last supported OS. If they are still running iOS 17, they can upgrade to iOS 18 or possibly iOS 26.

The same can't be said for iPadOS 17, but I find it interesting that they pushed out iPadOS updates considering the iPad doesn't support Precision Finding, and there are no security updates. Maybe they just wanted to keep the version numbers in sync between iOS and iPadOS; so since there's no need for an iOS 17 update, there's no need for an iPadOS 17 update.

 

[recurringdream]

“It is not yet clear if the update enables Precision Finding on Apple Watch for the original AirTag, or if this is a feature limited to the new AirTag 2.”

My tests say no. Precision capable Apple Watch 9, but no precision finding with original AirTags.

Also ran into a bug where the Find Items app was empty on the Watch. One more reset after the update fixed that.

 

[TheIntruder]

Updating the watch is always painfully slow, I hate it when there is an update.

Not planning to buy AT2 in the near future, and with 26.3 not too distant, not going to bother with this update, and have to repeat the process shortly thereafter.

 

[burgman]

4.7GB on my Ultra 3 when downloading on the watch itself for some reason. About a 15 min download with Bluetooth off, never thought of turning that of before so that it forces it to download over the significantly faster Wi-Fi connection.

Didn't know about turning Bluetooth off now I do. 4.7GB on my Ultra 3 said 5 hours. Turning off BT worked great. Wonder why the 3 needed full install. Found this thread by accident, why MR doesn't put this in Watch forum is odd.