Last month, Apple released watchOS 8.1 to the public, which brought Fitness+ SharePlay support. The company has been beta testing watchOS 8.3 with developers and public testers. However, the update seemingly doesn't add any new major features. Meanwhile, the Cupertino giant has released watchOS 8.1.1 to Apple Watch Series 7 models exclusively. This update fixes a bug that stopped affected models from charging as expected.

watchOS 8.1.1
Credit: 9to5Mac

Some Series 7 users have noticed that their watches have been charging too slowly. This update should address this issue, and we advise all users to update their watches. If you don't have an Apple Watch Series 7, then you won't be receiving this update. To update your Series 7:

  • Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
  • Click on General.
  • Go to Software Update.
  • Wait for the page to refresh.
  • Once it does, the update should show up. Click Download and Install.
  • Your watch should be charging and at least halfway full to be able to install the update.
  • It's important to leave your watch on the charger until it finishes updating. If the battery dies during installation, then you won't be able to restore it without visiting an Apple Authorized Service Center.

It's unclear why Apple has decided to skip watchOS 8.2 completely and jump to 8.3 on the beta channel. The company is beta testing iOS 15.2, rather than iOS 15.3.  So that doesn't make much sense. It's yet to be seen whether it will release watchOS 8.2 to the public at some point before 8.3's stable release.

watchOS 8.3 should be available to the public in a month or two. We haven't been able to find any new changes in any of its betas. The update probably brings under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes. It could potentially be preparing for future watchOS features, as well.

Do you beta test watchOS on your Apple Watch? Let us know in the comments section below.