Apple today released watchOS 26.1, an update to the watchOS 26 operating system that came out in September.watchOS 26.1 comes a month and a half after Apple launched watchOS 26.watchOS 26.1 can be downloaded for free on an iPhone running iOS 26.1 by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update, or initiating an update in the Settings app on the watch.
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.No new features were discovered in watchOS 26.1 during the beta testing process, and Apple's release notes say the update includes unspecified "improvements and bug fixes."