Apple today released watchOS 10.1, the latest version of the watchOS 10 operating system that was released in September. watchOS 10.1 comes four weeks after watchOS 10.0.2, a minor update that brought bug fixes.
watchOS 10.1 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.
There are several new Apple Watch features enabled in watchOS 10.1, including NameDrop. NameDrop lets you tap an Apple Watch to another Apple Watch or iPhone to exchange contact information with someone.
The update also includes Double Tap, a gesture that is available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Double Tap can be activated by tapping the index finger and thumb together twice, and it can be used to answer phone calls, end phone calls, stop alarms, and more.
Along with these two features, there are a handful of bug fixes, including an issue that could cause cities not to sync in the Weather app and a bug that could cause the elevation to be incorrect for some users. Apple's full release notes for the update are below.
watchOS 10.1 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including:
- Double tap gesture can be used to perform the primary action in notifications and most apps so you can answer a call, play and pause music, stop a timer, and more (Available on Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2)
- NameDrop allows you to exchange contact information with someone new by simply bringing your Apple Watch near their iPhone with iOS 17 or Apple Watch (Available on Apple Watch SE 2, Apple Watch Series 7 and later, and Apple Watch Ultra)
- My Card is available as a complication for quick access to NameDrop
- Fix for bug that causes the climate section in the Home app to be blank
- Addresses an issue that causes a white selection border to be unexpectedly displayed after turning off AssistiveTouch
- Fixes an issue where cities may not sync between iPhone and watch in Weather
- Resolves an issue where the scroll bar may unexpectedly be visible on the display
- Fix for bug that causes elevation to be incorrect for some users
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
More details on everything new in the watchOS 10 update can be found in our watchOS 10 roundup.
