Hands-On With the New Theater Mode in watchOS 3.2

[MacRumors]

Apple released the first beta of watchOS 3.2 for developers this morning, and included in the update is a brand new "Theater Mode." Theater Mode is designed to let customers mute the sound on the Apple Watch and disable Raise to Wake, preventing the screen from lighting up with arm movement.

Since watchOS 3.2 is limited to developers, we went hands-on with Theater Mode in the video below to give MacRumors readers an idea of what they can expect when the update is released to the public.

Theater Mode can be accessed by swiping up on the watch face to bring up the Control Center. It's just below the option for silencing the Apple Watch and features an icon with two theater masks.

When Theater Mode is turned on, it prevents the Apple Watch from making noise and it keeps the screen dark even when the wrist is raised. Notifications still come through, however, and are delivered via haptic feedback. The Apple Watch's screen can be activated with a tap or through a press on the Digital Crown.

watchOS 3.2, which will likely be released to the public sometime in March, also brings SiriKit to the Apple Watch, letting customers ask Siri to do tasks like sending messages, sending payments, booking a ride, and more.

Article Link: Hands-On With the New Theater Mode in watchOS 3.2

 

[rikscha]

I don't get it at all - how this is remotely useful. Who is spending that much time in dark places to justify its own easily accessible setting for this feature?

I have my watch always on silent and I get haptic feedback all day, every day. When exactly was it ever an issue to have the screen light up, turning the situation into an inconvenient moment? Even in a theatre/cinema, it is not like my watch will light up the entire room.

 

[Blackstick]

Seems like a widely-deployed solution to a very small problem.

 

[unashamedgeek]

Can you turn the digital crown to slowly turn the screen on in this mode? For example, currently if my watch face is off, I can turn the digital crown and the screen will turn on, but dimly and will get brighter as I turn it. It'd be nice to be able to just turn the dial enough to where I can see the time.

 

[wolfshades]

I don't get it at all - how this is remotely useful. Who is spending that much time in dark places to justify its own easily accessible setting for this feature?

I have my watch always on silent and I get haptic feedback all day, every day. When exactly was it ever an issue to have the screen light up, turning the situation into an inconvenient moment? Even in a theatre/cinema, it is not like my watch will light up the entire room.

As a weekly theatre-goer, you'd be surprised how annoying even a little bit of light can be. This is a good feature. Not an "OMG I have to upgrade immediately" type of feature, but a good one anyway.

 

[Analog Kid]

I usually use power reserve in the theater, and probably still will. I don't want to be disturbed by haptics either...

 

[rikscha]

As a weekly theatre-goer, you'd be surprised how annoying even a little bit of light can be. This is a good feature. Not an "OMG I have to upgrade immediately" type of feature, but a good one anyway.

but that's the point - who is like you anymore? No one goes to watch movies in a cinema anymore with all due respect. This is indeed a feature for the cinema enthusiast and therefore pretty pointless to put this on all our watches.

update: I will also stand to what I said before - the light is hardly strong enough to be an annoyance to anyone. also, my watch usually disappears under my sleeves anyway ?

update2: I can't get over your comment - you are being distracted in a cinema all the time by people being loud and standing up or arriving late. This is way more distracting/disturbing than a tiny light. I disagree with what you said. This is also one of the reasons why I don't like to go - there is always someone not behaving him/herself.

 

[motm95]

Here is my watch with theater mode. Works great.

 

[NightCastle]

Can you turn the digital crown to slowly turn the screen on in this mode? For example, currently if my watch face is off, I can turn the digital crown and the screen will turn on, but dimly and will get brighter as I turn it. It'd be nice to be able to just turn the dial enough to where I can see the time.

I was wondering the same exact thing.

Also, I agree with wolfshades relative to this new feature's necessity.

 

[windywalks]

As a weekly theatre-goer, you'd be surprised how annoying even a little bit of light can be. This is a good feature. Not an "OMG I have to upgrade immediately" type of feature, but a good one anyway.

Agreed! Plus the watch lighting up at a meeting, dinner or any occasion where it's impolite for an electronic device to attract attention to itself.
This is a good feature to have, I'm not sure if it wouldn't even be more adequate if you could activate it with the same gesture as the mute/silence one - cupping your hand over the Watch.

 

[misterkevo]

I wear my watch to bed every night - can't tell you how many times my wrist has blinded me as I change sleeping positions.

That's what I'll use this for!

 

[zacheryjensen]

As a weekly theatre-goer, you'd be surprised how annoying even a little bit of light can be. This is a good feature. Not an "OMG I have to upgrade immediately" type of feature, but a good one anyway.

Right? I hate to witness someone being so completely ignorant of how rude they are like this. If you think your apple watch turning on in a theatre isn't incredibly rude, you need some serious recalibration of whatever part of your brain determines this.

To be perfectly clear: any light source in a theatre coming from a person is rude and very distracting. Period. It's never okay. And it's almost always 10x brighter than you think it's going to be. In fact, the farther away you are from it, the worse and more distracting it becomes as that is the nature of light, the smaller the source of light relative to your view, the higher contrast it will have in the view.

So in reality, the watch lighting up is actually worse than a phone. And personally, I have always gone through the trouble of manually setting my watch to behave as this mode does during any movie screening I attend. I'll be very happy to be able to do it in a swipe + tap.

On another note, I wonder about the water icon there. It's not there on my current watch. Is this a series 2 specific feature? If not, is it also new? What does it do?

 

[rikscha]

I wear my watch to bed every night - can't tell you how many times my wrist has blinded me as I change sleeping positions.

That's what I'll use this for!

That's a much better point then the cinema argument. I'll give you that !

 

[2457248]

how's this different from 'do not disturb' mode? (i don't own an apple watch, just curious)

is it justifiable for you to have two distinct modes?

 

[rikscha]

Agreed! Plus the watch lighting up at a meeting, dinner or any occasion where it's impolite for an electronic device to attract attention to itself.
This is a good feature to have, I'm not sure if it wouldn't even be more adequate if you could activate it with the same gesture as the mute/silence one - cupping your hand over the Watch.

This is just stretching a thin argument - are you having dinner in a dark room? In a normally lid up room, you wouldn't even notice your watch turns on. People try to make this into way more than it is I think

 

[akfgpuppet]

how's this different from 'do not disturb' mode? (i don't own an apple watch, just curious)

is it justifiable for you to have two distinct modes?

The screen still lights up on Do not Disturb, on this new mode it does not.

 

[zacheryjensen]

how's this different from 'do not disturb' mode? (i don't own an apple watch, just curious)

is it justifiable for you to have two distinct modes?

Well, in DND mode you don't get any notifications but the screen still lights up when you look at it. It's basically the opposite of this mode where in this mode you'll still get notifications (albeit without sound, only the haptic) and the screen will not light up when you look at it, only when you tap it or press the crown.

In a theatre setting, with DND or with no option set, your watch would annoying turn on and distract people every time you moved your arm in the right (or wrong, I guess) way. Imagine someone eating popcorn with their watch arm, light turning on every time they reach over to get another handful, light zipping around, turning on and off every few seconds. Very annoying.

So yes, if you go to the theatre ever and you are not rude, you will appreciate this feature as making it work this way otherwise requires a number of taps.

 

[itsmilo]

That damn "Emergency Exit" Sign over the escape door right next to the damn screen needs a theater mode! Annoys me every time.

 

[Steeley]

This will make using a sleep tracking app on the watch bearable. I had to stop before because every time I rolled over the screen would light up.

 

[izzy0242mr]

I'd think this is a very useful feature for Apple Watch owners. I have an Android Wear watch and the ability to simply double press the home button to turn on Theater Mode is extremely convenient. Display is off, but I still get small haptic feedback from notifications. Also comes in handle for charging the watch at night next to my bed, so the light isn't shining on my face. Also turning the screen off lets you use it as a mini mirror

 

[BC2009]

but that's the point - who is like you anymore? No one goes to watch movies in a cinema anymore with all due respect. This is indeed a feature for the cinema enthusiast and therefore pretty pointless to put this on all our watches.

update: I will also stand to what I said before - the light is hardly strong enough to be an annoyance to anyone. also, my watch usually disappears under my sleeves anyway ?

"No one goes to watch movies in a cinema anymore" -- what planet do you live on? There were like 1.3B movie tickets sold in the U.S. alone last year. Sure that is off its peak in 2002 from 1.6B, but its still more iPhones than Apple sold in like 10 years and nobody says "no one carries an iPhone".

And yes, when your Apple Watch light comes on when you reach for your drink or your popcorn and shines right in your face in a dark theatre it is disturbing the person wearing the watch. This is way better than using power-save mode since it takes forever to come out of power-save mode.

I am glad they are providing this feature. If it it wasn't in control center, it would be worthless. Putting it where you can get to it quickly when the lights dim is right on the money.

 

[redscull]

On another note, I wonder about the water icon there. It's not there on my current watch. Is this a series 2 specific feature? If not, is it also new? What does it do?

Series 2 feature that uses the speaker's sound waves to push water back out of the speaker hole (part of the water-proofing enhancement of the Series 2).

 

[rikscha]

Well, in DND mode you don't get any notifications but the screen still lights up when you look at it. It's basically the opposite of this mode where in this mode you'll still get notifications (albeit without sound, only the haptic) and the screen will not light up when you look at it, only when you tap it or press the crown.

In a theatre setting, with DND or with no option set, your watch would annoying turn on and distract people every time you moved your arm in the right (or wrong, I guess) way. Imagine someone eating popcorn with their watch arm, light turning on every time they reach over to get another handful, light zipping around, turning on and off every few seconds. Very annoying.

So yes, if you go to the theatre ever and you are not rude, you will appreciate this feature as making it work this way otherwise requires a number of taps.

you forgot the person you will do a handstand and occasionally clap while jumping up and down, making the watch turn on all the time. The arguments are getting better. It takes a bit more for the screen to light up (you have to raise your arm and look at it) and you make it sound as if this was happening all the time. I sat through a handful of movies with my watch on and I typically watch the screen rather than my watch.

Come on people, you are making up weird scenarios to justify this feature - the only good point so far was from the guy who wears the watch when sleeping.

 

[Justjay27]

haven't updated my watch yet but can anyone tell me what that "water drop" icon is for?

Edit: Nvm its for activating the digital crown to eject water out of the speaker

 

[zacheryjensen]

I have literally been wishing for this feature since the first day I had my Apple Watch at launch. I have no idea why someone would complain about it being added. The people who find their way onto these forums never cease to amaze me. You lose literally nothing with Apple adding this feature. You don't care about distracting people in the theatre? Fine. Never tap that button. Never go to the theatre? Probably not a concern to you then. Don't own an Apple watch? Why do you think your opinion is valid?

All the existing buttons on the swipe-up panel are still there. They just made it taller. Nobody loses anything. Considerate theatre-goers get a nice boost in convenience.