Apple introduced watchOS 9.0 a month ago, and it is now making watchOS 9.1 available to all customers. Although this update isn’t as interesting as iOS 16.1 or iPadOS 16.1, it has a slew of enhancements for both new and existing Apple Watch owners.
WatchOS 9.1 delivers a significant upgrade for Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE 2, and Apple Watch Ultra users:
- With the flexibility to limit the frequency of heart rate and GPS readings, battery life has been extended during outside walking, running, and hiking workouts.
WatchOS 9.1 now provides two important updates for Apple Watch users in general:
- Music may be downloaded while the Apple Watch is charging through Wi-Fi or cellular;
- the Smart home Matter standard is now supported, allowing a wide range of smart home accessories to communicate across ecosystems.
Last but not least, watchOS 9.1 includes various bug fixes for Apple Watch users. As an example:
- The average pace reported by the voice during the Outdoor Run may be wrong
- Estimations of rain in the Weather app may differ from estimates on iPhone in the current area.
- Hourly weather issues may cause times to be labeled as AM throughout PM hours.
- For some users, the time displayed during Strength Training Workouts may not advance.
- When receiving several alerts, VoiceOver may not announce the app name before reading the notification.
Among the enhancements mentioned during the WWDC 2022 keynote in June, one will be available later this year, most likely with watchOS 9.2.
When you begin a regular Outdoor Run or Cycle workout, the Race Route feature allows you to race against your previous or best result and receive in-the-moment updates to help you get there.
For the time being, this is what the watchOS 9.1 update will bring. Users of the Apple Watch Series 4 or later can now update. Just be sure to also upgrade your iPhone to iOS 16.1.
