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Release record

watchOS 4.3

Full article
Public release
Recorded milestones
7
Beta cycle
63d
Average interval
11d
Public release
Mar 29, 2018

Release notes

Overview

Editorial synthesis with inline references and a source ledger when citations are available.

Release overview

watchOS 4.3 was released on March 29, 2018 with HomePod and iPhone music controls, flexible Nightstand orientation, Siri-face updates, Activity and Siri fixes, and security repairs.[1][2]

Evidence boundary

The six named consumer changes are kept distinct from the advisory's security work. Regional qualifications remain attached, and no 4.3.1 or 4.3.2 change is projected backward.[3][2]

Source ledger

References

Sources are linked to the claims they support. Publication and access dates are shown when available.

  1. About the security content of watchOS 4.3

    Apple Support · Apple · 2018-03-29T00:00:00.000Z · Released March 29, 2018

    Back to text ↑
  2. About watchOS 4 Updates

    Apple Support · Apple · 2026-07-30 · watchOS 4.3

    Back to text ↑
  3. About the security content of watchOS 4.3

    Apple Support · Apple · 2018-03-29T00:00:00.000Z · watchOS 4.3 security content

    Back to text ↑

Documented & observed

Changes in this version

Source-linked features, fixes, known issues, removals, and community-observed behavior recorded across this version’s appearances and verified builds.

Release changes

Changed in this release

Features, fixes, removals, and regressions first observed in this release record.

enhancement · changed

Nightstand mode in either orientation

documentedconfirmed

The bedside display no longer depended on one fixed charging orientation.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] About watchOS 4 Updates · watchOS 4.3 — Nightstand

feature · introduced

HomePod playback controls

documentedconfirmed

The update let a watch act as a compact controller for audio playing on HomePod.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] About watchOS 4 Updates · watchOS 4.3 — HomePod

security · fixed

watchOS 4.3 security repairs

documentedconfirmed

Apple's advisory records race-condition, memory-safety, information-disclosure, spoofing, profile-cleanup, and cross-origin fixes.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] About the security content of watchOS 4.3 · CoreFoundation; CoreText; File System Events; Kernel; libxml2; LinkPresentation; NSURLSession; Quick Look; Security; System Preferences; WebKit

bugFix · fixed

Activity achievement correction

documentedconfirmed

watchOS 4.3 corrected erroneous award state for affected users.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] About watchOS 4 Updates · watchOS 4.3 — Activity achievements

bugFix · fixed

Siri music-command audio fix

documentedconfirmed

Apple addressed a compatibility failure between voice-directed playback and certain audio outputs.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] About watchOS 4 Updates · watchOS 4.3 — Siri music commands

enhancement · changed

Siri face Activity and music updates

documentedconfirmed

The predictive face surfaced more personal fitness progress and music-library updates.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] About watchOS 4 Updates · watchOS 4.3 — Siri watch face

bugFix · fixed

Restored iPhone music controls

documentedconfirmed

The release returned an earlier remote-control path for iPhone music playback.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] About watchOS 4 Updates · watchOS 4.3 — music on iPhone

Milestones

Release history

Every recorded channel appearance in chronological order. Open an appearance for any available build, scope, notes, and sources.

  2. +13 days
  3. +14 days
  4. +13 days
  5. +6 days
  6. +4 days
  7. +13 days

    Public release

    Public

    Full articleEditorially verified

    watchOS 4.3 reached the public channel on March 29, 2018 with expanded music and Nightstand controls, richer Siri-face information, two targeted corrections, and a broad security update.

    Availability
    available
    Sources
    11 linked
    Open this appearance

Historical context

Cycle comparison

Pace, intervals, and duration compared with earlier releases on the same platform.

Historical avg for .3 releases

46 days, 4.4 milestones

Based on 5 previous watchOS .3 releases

Cycle vs. platform average

63d (avg: 58d)

5 days longer than the watchOS average

Duration ranking

#15 of 49

Middle of the pack watchOS beta cycles

Longest gap in this cycle

14 days

Between Beta 2 and Beta 3

Previous .3 releases (watchOS)

Previous comparable watchOS releases
VersionYearCycleMilestonesAvg. Interval
watchOS 8.3202147d69d
watchOS 7.3202141d414d
watchOS 5.1.3201943d414d
watchOS 3.2.3201764d516d
watchOS 3.1.3201733d317d

Scroll horizontally to compare every historical field.

Official release notes