An upcoming update to watchOS will include a fix for an issue that is causing some Apple Watches to show excessive battery drain after updating to watchOS 10.1. That information comes in an internal memo shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers.
In the memo, which was originally shared this weekend by MacRumors, Apple said the issue will be fixed in a watchOS update that is “coming soon.” Apple did not include any details about what the underlying cause of the issue is, how many customers are affected, and if every Apple Watch model is impacted.
A good number of Apple Watch users have been reporting severe battery drain and overheating issues since updating their wearables to watchOS 10.1. While the issue appears to be widespread, not all Apple Watch users are affected.
A wide range of Apple Watch models have been affected, including the Apple Watch Series 4 (the oldest model compatible with watchOS 10.1) as well as Apple’s latest Watch models, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Users are reporting that they’re seeing their Apple Watch drain at highly accelerated rates. One user on Twitter says that their Apple Watch Series 9 went from 100% to dead in just three hours. Another Twitter user reported that their Apple Watch Series 7 battery drained by 25% in just half an hour.
Many of the same users are also saying that they are having issues when charging their Apple Watch, due to overheating problems. Users are seeing this message Settings app: “Charging was on hold due to Apple Watch temperature.” Some users report seeing their Apple Watch’s battery drain while on the charger.
Apple is internally testing an iOS 17.1.1 update for the iPhone which is likely to be followed by the watchOS 10.1.1 update. However, there is a possibility the fix will not be available until Apple’s watchOS 10.2 update, which likely won’t be released until late November or December.
