What you need to know

  • Apple today released watchOS 5.3.2 for the Apple Watch Series 4.
  • The update is meant for users on older iPhones that don't support iOS 13.
  • It lets users of older iPhones and Apple Watch Series 4 use their devices without having the latest software updates.

Today Apple released watchOS 5.3.2 for the Apple Watch Series 4. The update is meant for users of the Apple Watch Series 4 using devices like the iPhone 6 that don't support iOS 13, which means they subsequently can't update to watchOS 6.

There is a small number of users, but apparently it's big enough to warrant attention because Apple released a special update for them. The affected iPhone models include the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S.

This decision is not a problem in a vacuum, but with users on devices like the iPhone 6 using a newer Apple Watch Series 4, this presented a conundrum.

The watchOS 5.3.2 update—and the iOS 12.4.2 that is available to the iPhones—lets the older iPhone devices and Apple Watch Series 4 function without having the latest versions of their respective operating systems. Coincidentally, the update also fixes a few other security flaws.

If you are an Apple Watch Series 4 users with a non-iOS 13 iPhone, the watchOS 5.3.2 update is now available.