Apple Releases watchOS 8.0.1 With Fixes for Apple Watch Series 3 Bugs

[Gator5000e]

Yeah, I use the HeartWatch and My Radar apps and neither update on their own. I don't know if these are WatchOS or app issues. I think WatchOS issues as any complication I use is the same way. Or maybe it's designed that way to save battery. Who knows.

 

[LMC91]

My S4 watch battery life has been shot ever since WatchOS 8 - without doing any workouts or excessive screen usage, I've been getting low battery around 7-8pm every day. Really hoping 8.0.1 adresses this.

My S4 is a little bit worse since WatchOS 8. I charge mine every other night, but now it needs a top up before the end of the 2nd day earlier than previously. I understand though I'm doing quite well in that sense even with the hit.

I always read the suggestion that people should unpair the watch if they are having battery issues. I just did it for the first time the other day, it's early days but I think it's better now.

You just restore from backup after unpairing, so you don't lose anything. I just had to re-add my card for Apple Pay.

 

[UoMDeacon]

My S4 watch battery life has been shot ever since WatchOS 8 - without doing any workouts or excessive screen usage, I've been getting low battery around 7-8pm every day. Really hoping 8.0.1 adresses this.

Did you enable participation in Apple's health studies? I noticed my battery life tank after I agreed to the studies. Disabled them and my S4 battery life returned to previous levels.

 

[nikotown]

watch to iphone unlock still not working even after update

 

[gluckett]

My 4 updated fine. Took a while but successfully installed. But as far as I can tell, it did not fix the complications not updating on their own. I still have to tap the complication to get it to update.

On my 5, the watch face updating seems to be working now. Prior to the update, even the time would be off, but not it seems to be correct.

 

[jwolf6589]

My S4 watch battery life has been shot ever since WatchOS 8 - without doing any workouts or excessive screen usage, I've been getting low battery around 7-8pm every day. Really hoping 8.0.1 adresses this.

Not my S4

 

[matrix07]

I see what you meant, it keeps wanting to goto edit alarm?

Yeah turning on is easy. Turning off however always goes to Edit.

 

[smitpat]

I’m hoping they fix the wonky Dismiss button that triggers underlying auto-replies in Messages. People are laughing at me!😳

 

[cdrider]

My S4 watch battery life has been shot ever since WatchOS 8 - without doing any workouts or excessive screen usage, I've been getting low battery around 7-8pm every day. Really hoping 8.0.1 adresses this.

Same. My Series 6 battery used to last all day and night and get a charge in the morning. Now it's on 10% by the end of the day. Seems to charge a lot slower, too.

 

[KoolAid-Drink]

Has anyone with a series 3 tried to turn alarms on? It takes me about 5 attempts per alarm to enable. The touch area for it is incredibly small.

Same issue with my series 5, it's annoying AF. Hopefully 8.0.1 fixes this!

Answering my own post - glad to report that 8.0.1 seems to fix this — the touch area is improved, and I no longer struggle to toggle alarms. @Pistol Pete can you confirm that 8.0.1 fixed this for you?

 

[Westside guy]

My S4 watch battery life has been shot ever since WatchOS 8 - without doing any workouts or excessive screen usage, I've been getting low battery around 7-8pm every day. Really hoping 8.0.1 adresses this.

This is how Watch updates have gone since... forever. It’s not until the .1 or sometimes even .2 update that battery life gets back to where it should be.

The only thing that’s changed is that Apple makes it ever harder to ignore the updates with each major software revision.

 

[kkillam]

That’s great and all but I can’t update my watch anymore. I have to wipe it down to factory, install, then restore from backup every time. Not worth the effort. Got a 7 coming. Time for an upgrade anyway.

 

[xpxp2002]

That’s great and all but I can’t update my watch anymore. I have to wipe it down to factory, install, then restore from backup every time. Not worth the effort. Got a 7 coming. Time for an upgrade anyway.

Once you get your S3 onto watchOS 8.0, that should no longer be an issue. Apple made changes to the upgrade process beginning in 8.0 that help the S3 install upgrades while paired despite its limited storage.

 

[Tagbert]

Will it still take 2-3 hours to update a Series 3 Watch?

With all the times you have to wipe, install, rewipe, reinstall, it takes all evening and you can't even just set it and go. you have to keep interacting with the process.

Why is Apple still selling this model to customers?

 

[kaiserkrisn]

So much for trying to install this update on my watch Series 3. I get sent into an endless loop of "Enter pass code", but the watch MUST be on its stand to install. Once on its stand, you cannot enter pass code, and the installation stalls out until you enter the passcode by taking it off the stand..
This has NEVER been the case before when updating.

Wake up Apple! This is annoying.

 

[Trevor613]

I can’t even update to the new watch os 8. I keep getting this message. And I just updated my phone today to iOS 15. Hit try again about 10x. Canceled and tried again, same thing.

 

[minik]

I can’t even update to the new watch os 8. I keep getting this message. And I just updated my phone today to iOS 15. Hit try again about 10x. Canceled and tried again, same thing.

Could it be because it is connected to VPN?

 

[Trevor613]

Could it be because it is connected to VPN?

Well, I noticed it keeps switching in between VPN and my wifi. Not sure if that’s another bug that needs to be fixed with iOS 15 or what.

 

[smitpat]

8.0.1 installed fine on my Series 4...but now my watch periodically is unresponsive (with plenty of charge) upon raising my wrist, or shaking it, or tapping it. I have to click and click and click and then, maybe, I get the "wait" swirl and it pops on. Or I have to completely reboot it. Apple wants me to take it in for repair, but I am convinced this is an update issue. It was completely fine until...

 

[xpxp2002]

8.0.1 installed fine on my Series 4...but now my watch periodically is unresponsive (with plenty of charge) upon raising my wrist, or shaking it, or tapping it. I have to click and click and click and then, maybe, I get the "wait" swirl and it pops on. Or I have to completely reboot it. Apple wants me to take it in for repair, but I am convinced this is an update issue. It was completely fine until...

My S4 has been like that since day 1. It's still better than the first gen watch, but not by much. I just think the angle/threshold that the watch uses to decide when to consider the wrist raised is not calibrated well.

 

[smitpat]

My S4 has been like that since day 1. It's still better than the first gen watch, but not by much. I just think the angle/threshold that the watch uses to decide when to consider the wrist raised is not calibrated well.

Thanks for the insight! Definitely not worth spending $299 to repair out-of-warranty, I think. I'll just reboot from time to time.

 

[unphased]

Was hoping that release log meant that I would get the AssistiveTouch on my S3, but i guess it's not available yet. Have S7 on order.

 

[oli4ch]

Am I the only one that is missing ALTIMETER or ELEVATION? Can't find it on 8.0.1 anymore. Previously I had it in meters (bottom left) but now its just blank, all I can use is compass.

 

[cecil444]

The biggest unfixed "bug" is actually disguised as a "feature" -- the redesigned texting screen layout. I'm sure it works well on other watch models, but on the Series 3 it significantly shrinks down the typing area, making it impossible to draw certain characters, and highly difficult to do anything besides dictation, since the edges of the display are also crowded with buttons. The design is AWFUL, clearly not made with the Series 3 in mind -- or rather, likely made exactly with the Series 3 in mind, since Apple's likelier intention is to frustrate the heck out of Series 3 users into upgrading to one of its pricier models. Shame on Apple for being so greedy...and making it impossible to downgrade from this terrible version of watchOS.