Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Releases watchOS 3.1 With Bug Fixes

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,543
39,398



Apple today released a new software update for the Apple Watch, upgrading watchOS 3 to watchOS 3.1. The new watchOS 3.1 update comes more than one month after watchOS 3 was first provided to the public, marking the first update to the new operating system. watchOS 3.1 has been in testing since September 21, with Apple having seeded three betas before launch.

watchOS 3.1 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 must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. An iPhone running iOS 10 or later is required to download the new software, but it is available for all Apple Watch models.

watchos3.1.jpg

During the beta testing period, no major outward-facing changes or feature tweaks were discovered, so watchOS 3.1 focuses mainly on performance improvements and bug fixes to address issues that have popped up since the release of watchOS 3. The release notes list several bug fixes and improvements:
- New option to replay bubble and full screen effects in Messages
- Messages effects can play with Reduce Motion enabled
- Fixes an issue that could cause the notification for Timer complete to be delivered twice
- Resolves an issue that could prevent Apple Watch Series 2 from fully charging
- Resolves an issue where Activity rings may disappear from the watch face
- Fixes an issue that prevented Force Touch options from appearing in some third-party apps.
Click to expand...
watchOS 3 is a significant update that brings a new interface to the Apple Watch, with a dedicated app dock, instant launch apps, and new watch faces. There are new Activity sharing features, a "Breathe" app guides users through deep breathing sessions to cut down on stress, and an SOS feature can automatically call emergency services. For more details on watchOS 3, make sure to check out our watchOS 3 roundup.

Article Link: Apple Releases watchOS 3.1 With Bug Fixes
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/10/24/apple-releases-watchos-3-1-with-bug-fixes/
Can't see the build number in the dev portal so I can't establish if this is the same as the last beta, or just not showing up yet :(
 
Not giving me the option to update to 3.1 Says 3.0 is up to date. Hmmmm.

Update: Had to reboot the Watch in order for the iPhone to realize it needed the update. Weird.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SFjohn
I don't think the watch no longer needs to be placed in a charger to update. As long as your batter is greater than 50%, you should be good.

Edit: The watch app on your iPhone appears to be worded differently if you're running iOS 10.1. In the end, I did have to connect to a charger to update my watch, despite having over 50% battery on my watch.
 
Last edited:
Fun story: I was taking my original steel Apple Watch off the charging puck last week, and the back of the watch decided to stay on the puck, rather than on the back of my watch. The charging wires are only VERY lightly soldered to the board, so they came right off.

Luckily, Apple has a "quality program" to deal with this issue, so my repair is gratis.
 
  • Like
Reactions: orbital~debris
My apple watch series 1 is slow and laggy on watchos 3. hope this at least alleviates that.

Can't help but think that lazy programming is behind all this. I mean come on, do we really need a dual core processor nowadays to smoothly run a 42mm screen computer on a wrist watch?

My main desktop computer 10 years ago was single core amd athlon xp with 512mb ram....same as my 'old' watch...and it was a beast and could do incredible and amazing things... like play online against 30+ people on battlefield lol.

Now 10 years later, the same specs can't send or receive emojis to one person without lag.
 
  • Like
Reactions: themick4u
teknikal90 said:
My apple watch series 1 is slow and laggy on watchos 3. hope this at least alleviates that.

Can't help but think that lazy programming is behind all this. I mean come on, do we really need a dual core processor nowadays to smoothly run a 42mm screen computer on a wrist watch?

My main desktop computer 10 years ago was single core amd athlon xp with 512mb ram....same as my 'old' watch...and it was a beast and could do incredible and amazing things... like play online against 30+ people on battlefield lol.

Now 10 years later, the same specs can't send or receive emojis to one person without lag.
Click to expand...
I bet that 10 yr old desktop wasn't milled from a solid ingot of aluminium! Was it the most personal computing device you ever owned? Probably wasn't even magical either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Simche, Hustler, windywalks and 4 others
jonnysods said:
A much welcomed update, I have found 3.0 a little jittery and unstable, with a few restarts along the way.

Oh and crappy battery life on my S2.
Click to expand...

That's what I keep hearing about the S2, is the poor battery life. That was the one thing that kept me from upgrading. I know the battery is larger in the S2, but with the screen brightness and GPS, its equivalent to the first Gen Apple Watch.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back