When you’re done updating your iPhone to iOS 11.1 (gotta get those new emoji), you might as well dip into the Apple Watch app and update your wrist computer to WatchOS 4.1. The latest update adds a number of features promised in WatchOS 4, including GymKit compatibility and Apple Music streaming on the Series 3.
The highlight of the update, for Series 3 owners, is going to be the new music features. You can finally stream music from either Apple Music or your iCloud Music Library. But there’s also a new Radio app that lets you listen to Beats 1 live, Apple’s other curated stations, or your own custom stations.
Don’t have the new Series 3? There’s still plenty of useful stuff in there. Support for Apple’s new GymKit standard, which syncs your watch to supporting exercise equipment, is a big deal. It’ll take some time for new equipment supporting GymKit to roll out, and then your gym has to buy new gear, but it’s got to start somewhere, right?
Oh, and there are a handful of bug fixes and security updates, including a fix for the KRACK Wi-Fi vulnerability.
Apple’s full list of changes is below. To update your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone, scroll down and tap on General, then Software Update.
- Stream music on Apple Watch Series 3 with Apple Music or iCloud Music Library.
- Listen to live radio on Beats 1, custom stations, and expert-curated stations with the new Radio app on Apple Watch Series 3.
- Use Siri to find, discover, and play songs, playlists, or albums.
- Sync fitness data with GymKit-enabled treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and indoor bikes for more accurate distance, pace, and energy burn metrics.
- Ability to disconnect from a WiFi network in Control Center for Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular).
- Fixes an issue for Apple Watch Series 1 and later where Heart Rate notifications were delivered when the feature was not enabled.
- Fixes an issue where some users did not receive Stand Reminders.
- Resolves an issue where the current stand hour indicator did not appear for some users.
- Resolves an issue that caused haptics to not be delivered for silent alarms.
- Addresses an issue that prevented Apple Watch (1st generation) from charging for some users.
- Resolves an issue where the Sunrise and Sunset complication would sometimes not appear.
- Restores Mandarin as the default dictation language for China.
Author: Jason Cross, Senior Editor
I have written about technology for my entire professional life - over 25 years. I enjoy learning about how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.