Zwift version 1.122 begins its phased rollout today. This update includes automatic background pairing, homescreen changes, and the removal of all level-locked roads. Read on for details!
No More Roadblocks
Zwift’s update notes say they have, “Removed level restrictions from routes and route intersections, making all routes available to Zwifters at any level.”
Prior to this update, level gates existed when turning off the Epic KOM Reverse toward the Jungle (level 5+), turning from the Jungle Circuit onto Alpe du Zwift (level 6+), and turning at the LAX Roundabout onto the Southern Coast Road (level 10+).
Background Pairing
As mentioned in last week’s “What else is coming on Zwift?” post, today’s update includes background pairing. If you have it enabled (it’s turned on by default), the game boots directly to the homescreen and automatically connects to your fitness devices (trainer, power meter, heart rate monitor, controllers, etc) instead of forcing you to click to continue from the pairing screen.
Small widgets on the homescreen show your pairing progress:
The Pairing button on the homescreen shows how many devices are connected, and you can click it to add or change devices:
Additionally, Pairing Options are now available on the Pairing screen, allowing you to enable or disable the new Background Pairing feature and use Zwift Companion as a Bluetooth bridge:
Homescreen Changes
As announced in their “This Season On Zwift” Fall 2026 Press Release, Zwift has been working on several homescreen changes. These will “roll out gradually” starting with today’s game update. Changes include:
- The new theater card puts Challenges front and center on the Home screen.
- Personalized Recommendations are now only visible in the ‘For You’ row.
- New Progress Widget on the Homescreen makes levels, achievement counts, and route completion more visible, giving Zwifters something to chase every time they log in.
- The ‘For You’ row now uses ribbons to show when planned activities are due, e.g. today, tomorrow, and day-of-week labels.
- Estimated duration now shown on route cards when selecting a workout from the Home screen.
New Launcher
Zwift says that launcher version 1.1.18 is now the minimum required version and will be installed automatically. This launcher has a slightly different look from the old one, and includes your profile photo, name, and ride/run levels:
The more important improvements, though, are behind the scenes, particularly for macOS users who have had connectivity challenges due to recent OS updates. Zwift’s release notes for the new launcher include this line for macOS:
Improved Local Network and Bluetooth permission handling when the macOS Launcher starts Zwift. Wi-Fi trainers and Companion devices connect more seamlessly on newer versions of macOS.
Coming Soon – Tour of Watopia
Today’s release notes include a mention of Tour of Watopia coming soon. This big ride series is always a fun kick off to “indoor season”. This year features double XP, new unlocks, and our first look at the Watopia expansion… what’s not to love?
The Tour runs from October 5-November 15. Watch Zwift Insider this Friday for all the details about ToW 2026!
Release Notes
Zwift supplied these additional release notes:
- Fixed a crash that could occur with JetBlack Victory trainers connected via USB when used as a Bluetooth bridge for other fitness devices like heart rate monitors or Zwift controllers.
- Windows: Improved Bluetooth connection reliability.
- iOS and tvOS
- Reduced the amount of time it takes to open Zwift on some devices.
- Improved text clarity on larger / lower DPI displays.
Discuss this update in Zwift’s forum >
Questions or comments?
If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!
When you post these upgrades, it is frustrating. I’m in Zwift 4-5 times a week. I want to force my system (windows) to do the upgrade now instead of waiting 1, 2, maybe 3 days. I want this “early adopter” option so it doesn’t effect my race days.
Hi Bob, if you delete your Zwift Installation you’ll download the most recent launcher and be prioritised for the new game files.
There is a containerized version of Zwift that would automate this: netbrain/zwift always has the freshest Zwift. It’s made for Linux but I don’t see why the container wouldn’t work on peasant operating systems like windows. Have AI convert the install script for you or run it on WSL *shudder*. Or install Linux and enjoy a gazillion other QOL features…
I agree. This website has ZERO control over that…
Some nice updates, always thought the level gates were a little strange as level 6/10 is a low bar. I wouldn’t expect someone just start cycling to be able to to AdZ even at level 10, but it was a bit annoying to be locked out of some of those routes when I picked up Zwift to supplement outdoor riding.
New to Zwift DOES NOT equal new to cycling
To me getting rid of the pairing screen and not the loader screen is strange especially as they have now updated the loader screen.
Seeing the Loader Screen has zero benefit and sometimes if you step away to get ready you can forget to click Lets Ride, at least the pairing screen disappeared once sensors were paired.
The only use of the loading screen is the possibility to change profile (e.g. for my kids), but they could just as well make that an option within the main screen.
I was thinking about this after posting my message, the loading screen is so rubbish it doesn’t even list associated profiles so you can easily switch between them.
If if did then they could display it if people have multiple profiles.
The pairing screen disappears after 1-2 seconds. Surely they could have optimised other parts of the start-up process. What problem does this background pairing solve?
Exactly.
Instead of putting their energy into adding streetlights to Fuego Flats, cosmetics, or fixing a color slider in the garage, I wish they’d focus on the core gameplay and improve the Teleport and Coffee Break systems, which are currently broken and allow users to abuse them over and over again, disrupting everyone riding with the stronger pacers.
Sad to say, but sometimes Zwift still feels like it’s in beta. The SL9 name still isn’t fixed after almost two months? And why remove RoboPacers from other worlds? The new rotation is going to get boring pretty fast. Makuri was great especially when you wanted a change of scenery.
I was gutted when I saw that the Robo pacers are now restricted to Wattopia. I love the other worlds and its even better with a group. It was a real mix and match experience especially as the Route of the Weeks are all Wattopia. Also, for me personally, all of my Green Jersey’s came from non Wattopia Pacer rides.
That was an odd change for sure! It might also make the other worlds emptier? I wonder if they prepare to get rid of the world rotation schedule entirely and make the other wolds event/workout-only?
“abuse of coffee” GUFFAW. It is a game.
Eric, the key phrase was that it is “disrupting everyone riding with the stronger pacers,” i.e. making the “game” less enjoyable for many riders. Competent game developers fix exploits like that.
coffee breaks are broken. I agree wholeheartedly there
So excited for the tour of Watopia especially and the new roads. One of my favorite Zwift events.
It’s not been mentioned in release notes, but given this release talks about trainer connectivity – I think the Bluetooth stack on Zwift has been changed in recent months.
Teammates and I have noticed far more trainer drop outs recently, especially when competing devices (primarily Bluetooth headsets) are active.
Strange as nobody I ride with has noticed an increase in dropouts.
No issues here either; it’s worth noting that Wifi capable Wahoo devices however have suffered massive issues this year due to bunk firmwares that got released… but that only affects those users; not bluetooth in general.
That may be the issues you and others have seen.
I haven’t had any power drops on my Kickrbike v1 or Tacx2T all year, both on bluetooth.
Removing the gates is a great update… it takes a few weeks of riding at most to go above lvl 10, became pointless now. Made sense at the beginning when levels were more spread apart.
Looking forward to the ToW… this and ToZ are the two main events of the year, I wish there were more “carrots” like these to pressure into riding more
Sorry if this has been addressed elsewhere, I have been away for a while.
I noticed this week that the Route and Climb of the Week and are Drops not XP now. Is this a permanent or temporary?
It’s both; it appears some weeks are XP, others are Drops. This started I guess this past week unannounced by anyone except those that have noticed.
Seems the going assumption is this is how it will be until someone decides to change it again.
This “rides of the week” is always in changing… also no more 500/250XPs but both are now 250
I’m really sad to see the more personalized “next up” area go. I enjoyed seeing the recommendations and being able to tweak it to a longer or shorter workout. It was one of my favorite new features in Zwift.
I’d echo this – it was so helpful to be reminded of latest and recent activity and given a range of suggestions that cooks be tweaked by length and type (ie workout or free ride). I discovered some new routes and workouts and it was quite motivational.
Robopacers: I have maybe an easier time chasing Genie or Constance but yet if I want to burn fat with Maria then bbbbbooooorrrrriiiiinnnnngggggggggggggggggggggg and no one is made a better cyclist with road undulations and/or [GASP] a small climb…and why not force EVERYONE who wants Robopacer X to be in the GUEST world and keep some variety. Congratulations to ZHQ for giving me my first thing to be irrationally unhappy about in a game. 🙄
I wish they would do a simple fix for coffee stops. When I’m climbing, which is like always, I get random riders coffee stopping me, because they want a free tow. I would like the option to either accept or decline this coffee stop. If it’s someone I know then I accept but if it’s just a random rider then I decline.
does it affect your effort….
I’m on 122, I see some of the new features (the pairing icon, the planned dates, the new launcher), but I don’t see the progress widget.
I don’t see the Progress Widget either, and I’ve had the update for at least a week. Usually the updates that ‘roll out’ are done over 1, 2 or 3 days. I think I’ll like having the progress widget (assuming I get it).
‘Estimated duration now shown on route cards when selecting a workout from the Home screen’ Is the personal or generic?
Personal. All estimated durations in game are personalized based on your FTP.
Based on your z2 wkg
So, the update has been downloaded but I still don’t have the new home screen but I have the background pairing.
Climb of the week and route of the week, now give some drops (15k drops) instead of XP.
Good thing , it is difficult to gets Drops whereas you are very fast growing in levels so unlock a lot of items that you can not purchase.
Not a fan that they removed the paring screen when starting up Zwift.
I had to restart Zwift every time seens in order to get the components to connect.
Don’t know what they have changed, but liked the old start up screen better, now I have to click on the pop up paring in order to make sure every thing is connected proberly.
It’s an option to re-enable it.
Arh thanks, if it’s possible to set it back I will look in to that
Party Crashers is dumb
ToW articles were supposed for this Friday or next Friday?
Yes looking forward to this article – hopefully Eric will post an update this weekend.
Is there a page where we can suggest future updates?
The new background pairing worked fine for my additional devices, but not for my trainer, aTacx Flux S smart.
Was there a revision in how a degraded race score is adjusted when you’ve been off zwift for the summer and come back?
I’m about the same fitness at this point as last year, but my race score jumped immediately back to my end of last zwift season score in one ride. Last year it took several weeks.
so is this update roll out supposed to be complete yet? I have the background pairing, but i still don’t have the new widget/home screen
With the removal of level restrictions, unfortunately for @Eric Schlange the route lists and all route description pages will need to be updated.
The Complete Master List has level restriction annotations.
The routes that had level restrictions had the level restriction mentioned in the Route Basics section. Sugar Cookie is an example.
saw a rider yesterday with a blue ribbon under the orange one indicating lvl 100, is this lvl 200 and part of this upgrade?
Yes, that’s level 200. Not a part of the 1.122 update, if that’s what you’re asking…? The blue line was already in game quite a while back. Just very few riders at level 200+!