Apple Seeds Third Beta of watchOS 4.1 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 4 update to developers for testing purposes, a week after releasing the second watchOS 4.1 beta and a month after releasing the new watchOS 4 operating system to the public.

Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS 4 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.

To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

watchos 4
watchOS 4.1 brings support for streaming Apple Music content directly to the Apple Watch Series 3 over LTE and it introduces a new Radio app with access to Beats 1 and other Apple Music radio stations.


The Music app on the watch looks the same, offering up access to the Music Library, recently played songs, playlists, and Apple Music mixes, but now all Apple Music content can be streamed over an LTE connection and doesn't need to be downloaded to the device. watchOS 4.1 also adds a new Wi-Fi toggle for turning off Wi-Fi to force the Apple Watch Series 3 to use LTE and it displays the Wi-Fi SSID so users can see the Wi-Fi Network an Apple Watch is connected to.

Support for Apple Music streaming appears to be the main feature in the new watchOS 4.1 update, but Apple is also introducing a range of new Unicode 10 emoji characters that include vomiting face, head exploding, mermaid, zombie, hedgehog, fairy, broccoli, and more.

watchOS 4 is a significant refresh of the watchOS operating system introducing new watch faces, including a personalized Siri face, improvements to the Workout app, support for integration with gym equipment, an Apple News app, a vertical Dock, and a new Flashlight feature in the Control Center.

For more on what's included in watchOS 4, check out our watchOS 4 roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch

Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Second Generation AirTag Feature

Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More

Monday January 26, 2026 6:07 am PST by
Apple today introduced the second-generation AirTag, with key features including longer range for tracking items and a louder speaker. For those who are not familiar, the AirTag is a small accessory that you can attach to your backpack, keys, or other items. Then, you can track the location of those items in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com. The new...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Apple to Launch These 20+ Products This Year

Sunday January 25, 2026 6:02 pm PST by
2026 promises to be yet another busy year for Apple, with the company rumored to be planning more than 20 product announcements over the coming months. Beyond the usual updates to iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, Apple is expected to release its all-new smart home hub, which was reportedly delayed until the more personalized version of Siri is ready. Other unique products rumored for ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Reportedly Aiming to Upgrade the MacBook Pro Twice This Year

Sunday January 25, 2026 11:46 am PST by
Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Studio Display models in the first half of this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman added that redesigned MacBook Pro models with an OLED touch screen "should be hitting toward the end of 2026," meaning that the MacBook Pro line would be upgraded twice this year. First up...

Top Rated Comments

gsmornot Avatar
108 months ago
waiting for this to launch officially so i can try out the cellular feature on my S3. I didn't want to waste a month of service.
You will enjoy it if you're like me. I just spent the week out of town and left my phone in the room everyday. Took/made a few phone calls, listened to music for hours, messages, etc. Fantastic.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
puckhead193 Avatar
108 months ago
waiting for this to launch officially so i can try out the cellular feature on my S3. I didn't want to waste a month of service.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0098386 Avatar
108 months ago
I’ve been so happy with the 4.1 beta so far. It’s incredible using such big features like having my entire iTunes library available on my watch! What a brilliant device. I even changed my cellular provider to make the most of my watch :) (sorry o2!)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Futhark Avatar
108 months ago
Really needing to upgrade my Series 0 as you can really notice the slow down since WatchOS 4
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Solver Avatar
108 months ago
it only displays on the Series 3 LTE model
I wonder why that is? It seems that all Apple watch users would want to see what WiFi network they’re connected to.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kiro Avatar
108 months ago
It's not an official Apple band, looks a bit cheap and nasty. Annnnd, the fact that the top strap isn't in the centre of the connector in the pic puts my OCD into overdrive every time I see it :)
Damn you :D Now, I've seen it and it can't be unseen :D
Never noticed it before and now I always look at the strap that isn't centred...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)