Apple Releases watchOS 10.1.1 With Fix for Apple Watch Battery Drain Bug

Apple today released watchOS 10.1.1, a bug fix update for the watchOS 10 operating system that first came out in September. watchOS 10.1.1 comes two weeks after the launch of watchOS 10.1, an update that brought Double Tap and NameDrop support.

watchOS 10 Launch Feature
‌watchOS 10‌‌.1.1 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on an iPhone running iOS 17 or later by opening it up and going to General > Software Update. 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 addresses an issue that is causing some Apple Watch models to drain battery more quickly than expected. Complaints about Apple Watch battery started after the launch of watchOS 10.1, and Apple confirmed in a memo over the weekend that the battery problems would be fixed in a software release.

This update provides important bug fixes and addresses an issue that could cause the battery to drain more quickly for some users.

Apple is already testing watchOS 10.2, an update that is expected to be released alongside iOS 17.2 in December.

Related Roundup: watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
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 ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
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...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
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...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
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...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
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...

Top Rated Comments

anthogag Avatar
30 months ago
My Ultra is on 10.2.

Apple needs to bring back swiping between faces. The press-hold really-really sucks. ?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
30 months ago

Oddly, I have a Watch Series 9 cellular model and haven't noticed any problematic battery drain issues. I guess I'll install the update but it doesn't seem all that pressing to me.
It never affects the newest models.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xDKP Avatar
30 months ago
Kinda worrying they mention it like an issue starting with 10.1 when 10.0 has been smashing my battery from early betas all through to today. Massive step down from WatchOS 9
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
headlessmike Avatar
30 months ago

I don't think they would, mainly because other cheap knockoffs smartwatches use swiping gesture to change faces. I suspect they already knew this and differentiate for the sake of their "image".
The number one complaint I've heard from Apple Watch owners I know is that they accidentally change faces and don't understand why. I suspect that is the main reason for the change.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shaggymax Avatar
30 months ago
YES! Finally! Updating Now....fingers crossed
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BatCat Avatar
30 months ago
Watch S6 here. Batt was straight to zero post charging and now update has it back to running rock solid all afternoon only used 15%. So seems like a win. Also figure will all the reindexing etc post-updates, I hope for even better performance tomorrow. Don’t stop believing.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)