Apple Watch wearers can download watchOS 9.5.1 but Apple's being coy about it

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Nobody knows what the update does.

Apple Watch series 8
(Image credit: Future / iMore)

As Apple gets ready to announce watchOS 10 during the WWDC 2023 event on June 5, the company continues to release new versions of its existing software. The latest is watchOS 9.5.1, a seemingly minor revision that is now available for download.

The new watchOS 9.5.1 update is available for all devices that support watchOS 9 and is a free download. The update “includes improvements and bug fixes for your Apple Watch,” according to Apple, but so far that's as much as it's said.

While this likely means that there are no new features for people to try, it does suggest that there are security issues at play — one reason you should consider updating your Apple Watch at the earliest opportunity.

Security matters

Apple has yet to publish actual release notes for this update and vague mentions of improvements and fixes could mean that Apple isn't yet ready to say exactly what has been fixed here.

This watchOS 9.5.1 update is likely to be the last before Apple announces the watchOS 10 update next week. That update is said to be the biggest change to the Apple Watch software since its debut in 2015 which suggests that there is plenty to look forward to.

Unfortunately, watchOS 10 won't ship to the public until in or around September, likely alongside new Apple Watch hardware updates.

WWDC will also see Apple announce iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14, and tvOS 17. New hardware is also expected, with the 15-inch MacBook Air set to be joined by the Reality Pro AR/VR headset. Recent rumors also suggest that the MacBook Air could be joined with yet more Mac hardware, although it isn't yet clear exactly what that hardware will be. It's possible the Mac Pro could finally get its Apple silicon refresh, but we might have to wait until June 5 to find out. 

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.