Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.1.3 update to developers for testing purposes, more than a week after watchOS 3.1.1 was released and three months after the launch of watchOS 3.
watchOS 3.1.3 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. watchOS 3.1.3 requires an iPhone running iOS 10 to install.
We don't know yet what new features or bug fixes might be included in the watchOS 3.1.3 update, but we'll update this post with any new discoveries. watchOS betas are often rather minor in scale, focusing on small bug fixes and performance improvements rather than major interface changes.
The watchOS 3.1.3 beta comes shortly after Apple pulled the watchOS 3.1.1 release after it was found to be bricking some Apple Watch Series 2 devices. Apple has not re-released an updated version of watchOS 3.1.1 that fixes the bug, so many users are still running watchOS 3.1.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
I found a solution to your (and my) problem, in case you haven't found one yet.
1. Delete the already downloaded watchOS update in the Watch app (if you haven't done so already). 2. Force restart your iPhone (hold power- and home-button until the Apple logo appears). 3. Force restart your Watch (hold side button and crown until Apple logo appears).
Now, after both devices are powered back up, you should be able to install the app-updates from the Watch app on your phone. Strangely, already updated iPhone apps with Watch apps were not pending automatically for installation - I had to manually start the update/reinstall process.
Although I am on a first day update the HW with the iPhone and the Macs, I do have concerns regarding Apple Watch. I stopped installing Betas on any device, too many problems, too much battery consumption and so on.
However the Watch - sacred me when I realised that Apple issues an update, it bricks your device and if it's not under Apple Care - you have to pay for their mistake....
No. They did not and never have charged for firmware flashes, especially when the update is what caused it.
I'm hoping Apple release this (or at least a fixed version of 3.1.1) very soon. I downloaded 3.1.1 and left it to update overnight. When I got up the next morning there was a message on my iPhone saying it couldn't install because I didn't have an internet connection. Of course the real reason was that Apple had pulled the release.
However this means I can no longer install apps on my watch. When I try it says something along the lines of "cannot install app because an OS update is in progress". This wouldn't be the end of the world but apps that are already installed on the watch that have been updated on the iPhone also can't be installed. Therefore even though the app is on the watch my iPhone doesn't think that app is installed on the watch and won't communicate with it. I have a couple of apps that I use very often (Hole 19 & Dark Sky) that I currently cannot use on the watch. I've deleted the 3.1.1 download from the watch and rebooted it but I still can't install or update apps on my watch. I could restore the watch from a backup to see if that solves it but then I would have to set up Apple Pay again and the whole process takes ages.
It's really annoying not to be able to use the watch (especially Hole 19 which I use whenever I play golf - which will be several times next week).
Part way through the install on a Series 0, no problem so far. One thing I've noticed (and never seen before) when the progress "ticks" are making their way round the dial, the last mark turns on an off about once a second.
