Apple Pulls Buggy WatchOS 11.1 Beta 3 Update
Hours after releasing its watchOS 11 beta 3 update to developers for testing this week, Apple abruptly withdrew it after some users began to report serious problems with it.
A MacRumors reporter noted the development in a post on X, revealing that Apple had withdrawn the update after users on various online forums started complaining about their watches “locking up” until they were rebooted, though in some cases, even rebooting didn’t resolve the issue.
A comment spotted on Reddit by 9to5Mac found that after installing the beta software, the Apple Watch was “completely locking up every single boot.” It continued: “I hold the side button and crown to restart it, it reboots, and not even a minute later, is completely frozen. Time won’t update, nothing. It happened right when someone had [texted] me and it’s nonstop since. It’s currently locked up for the 7th time and it just started 15 minutes ago.”
Apple’s latest issue with its Watch OS follows a problem that it faced with its iOS 18 on its latest iPad Pro M4 devices as recently as two weeks ago.
Apple pulled iOS 18 updates for owners of iPad Pro M4 in an attempt to address issues that users reported. Apple is still to issue a patch for that issue.
Also, Apple recently pulled HomePod Software 18.1 beta 2 over similar bricking concerns.
The latest issue with Apple beta software across its devices is a stark warning to users to beware of downloading beta software on devices that they rely on for their everyday use. Some of these beta software can come with disruptive bugs.
Apple itself reiterates that beta software often contains bugs. “Please note that since the beta software has not yet been commercially released by Apple, it may contain errors or inaccuracies and may not function as well as commercially released software,” the company warns on its website, “We strongly recommend installing on a secondary system or device, or on a secondary partition on your Mac.”