Apple releases watchOS 7.6.1 with security update

Apple has released watchOS 7.6.1, a minor update to the watchOS 7 operating system (OS) that was released in September 2020.

The watchOS 7.6.1 comes two weeks after the release of watchOS 7.6, an update that brought ECG capabilities to new regions, MacRumors reported on Thursday.

The update can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General and then Software Update.

To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 per cent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.

According to Apple's release notes, the watchOS 7.6.1 update includes important security updates and it is recommended for all users.

Recently, media reports said that the Apple Watch has again been credited with helping to detect a user's potentially life-threatening heart condition.

Diane Feenstra from Michigan said her Apple Watch alerted her to an abnormally high heart rate, sending her to urgent care where an EKG revealed that she had had a recent heart attack without realising it, a report said earlier.