Apple Watch Battery Drain Bug Fix Reportedly Coming Soon via Software Update

Apple Watch owners have been facing battery drain issues shortly after Apple rolled out the update to watchOS 10.1 last month, and the company is reportedly preparing a software update that will resolve the problem. Owners of various smartwatch models, including the latest Apple Watch Ultra 2, have reported rapid battery drain issues after updating to the latest firmware. There's no word on when the bug fix — which is said to resolve the issue — will be rolled out to currently supported models.

A MacRumors report citing multiple sources states that the company has confirmed to Apple Authorised Service providers that it is aware of a battery drain issue that is affecting Apple Watch owners. According to the company, the bug will be resolved with a software update for watchOS 10. Apple reportedly states in the memo that the fix is "coming soon" but does not specify a timeline for the update to be released.

Several users who installed the watchOS 10.1 update that was rolled out in October have taken to various platforms including Reddit, X (formerly known as Twitter), and the company's own support community website. From the posts describing the issue, it appears that owners of many currently supported models are affected by the bug — including the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra that was launched at the company's September launch event.

While Apple has reportedly told its service providers that a software update is coming soon, there's no word on when the bug fix will arrive. If Apple wants to push out a software update soon, it could do this in the form of a minor watchOS 10.1.1 update. However, if the company plans to issue the bug fix with the watchOS 10.2 update, then users might have to wait for a few more weeks — the update to watchOS 10.2 is currently in beta testing.

The update to watchOS 10.1 added support for a new gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, allowing users to tap their index finger and thumb to perform different tasks on the smartwatches. With the new Double Tap feature, Apple Watch owners can reply to a text message, pick up calls, snooze alarms, play/ pause music, and switch to the Elevation view on the compass app. The new gesture isn't available on older models, including the Apple Watch Series 8 and the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra.