Apple Seeds Eighth Beta of watchOS 8 to Developers [Public Beta Available]

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the eighth beta of the upcoming watchOS 8 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming one week after Apple released the seventh watchOS 8 beta.

To install ‌watchOS 8‌, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌watchOS 8‌ can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.

To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌iPhone‌. It's not recommended to install ‌watchOS 8‌ on a main Apple Watch as the software may be unstable at this early date.

watchOS 8 has several new features that are extensions of new features introduced in iOS 15. There are improvements to Wallet that allow it to hold keys for unlocking hotel, car, and home doors, plus Apple will let U.S. users add their IDs to Wallet later this year.

Apple overhauled the Home app, and for the Workout app, there are new Tai Chi and Pilates workout types, and the Breathe app has been renamed to Mindfulness thanks to a new Reflect session that invites users to get into a positive state of mind. When sleeping, the Apple Watch now measures respiratory rate.

Focus mode from iOS 15 syncs to the watch so users can stay on task, and in the Messages app, Scribble, dictation, and emojis can be combined within the same message, making it easier to communicate. Dictated text can be edited, and GIFs can be sent right from the watch.

There's a new Portrait watch face, and the Photos app has been updated with support for Memories and Featured Photos. A new Find My app lets items be located right on the wrist, and there are also new updates for Music, Weather, Timers, and more, along with a new Contacts app.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Eighth Beta of watchOS 8 to Developers [Public Beta Available]

 

[Klzjr]

Hopefully this update fixes the battery drain issue

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Sad, we got a report Apple Watch 7 is being delayed. Hopefully it's not true.

Hopefully this is a final beta before RC is out.

 

[julesme]

If you're on a Series 4 (like me), this is shaping up to one he** of an upgrade: always on screen, blood oxygen monitor, larger screen, blood pressure monitor (?), double the storage, and significantly faster. I don't care about the redesign, but I'll take it.

 

[Johnny907]

Battery drain with the previous beta was ridiculous. I always charge my watch before bed and wake up with the battery around 95-96%. With the last beta I'd wake up to the battery hovering around 76-77%. That's a problem.

 

[Johnny907]

If you're on a Series 4 (like me), this is shaping up to one he** of an upgrade: always on screen, blood oxygen monitor, larger screen, blood pressure monitor (?), double the storage, and significantly faster. I don't care about the redesign, but I'll take it.

Yeah as someone who went from the 4 to the 6 last year, Always On is some useless BS with more drawbacks than advantages.
1) The new screen is noticeably dimmer. I used to keep my watch at the middle brightness and didn't have any issues. The 6 is now at highest brightness yet still isn't as bright.

2) Always On is slower to refresh from static to active, and does so with this weird blurring effect I find annoying, than my Series 4 was from display off to on when triggered my lifting my wrist up to my eyes.

When I'm not looking at my watch face I don't really care what it is displaying, frankly. It may as well not exist as far as I am concerned, so Always On never really interested me in the first place. Because of this, and the above mentioned issues, I've kept it turned off since the second day of owning it. This has negated issue number 2 but not number 1, as whether I use the always on feature or not, because of the tech involved the screen will always be dimmer. Had I known this I would have stuck with my Series 4 one more year, frankly.

 

[JWDE]

Battery drain with the previous beta was ridiculous. I always charge my watch before bed and wake up with the battery around 95-96%. With the last beta I'd wake up to the battery hovering around 76-77%. That's a problem.

Yep, have the exact same problem. During the night the battery is dropping 20-25% (AW 5). But there has been no change since beta 4. I‘m curious to hear if you are seeing any improvements… I‘ll update my post after I had a chance test driving the latest beta

 

[BarrettF77]

Where is the public beta the title says it‘s out and it is not. Do they even read before they hit post?

 

[Robert.Walter]

If you're on a Series 4 (like me), this is shaping up to one he** of an upgrade: always on screen, blood oxygen monitor, larger screen, blood pressure monitor (?), double the storage, and significantly faster. I don't care about the redesign, but I'll take it.

Imagine me last year, Launch Day Series 0 to a 6. Like night and day!

 

[5097842]

Same here, not seeing it, even after restarting phone and watch.

What is the latest build #?

 

[anshuvorty]

If you're on a Series 4 (like me), this is shaping up to one he** of an upgrade: always on screen, blood oxygen monitor, larger screen, blood pressure monitor (?), double the storage, and significantly faster. I don't care about the redesign, but I'll take it.

Series 6 had these features:

• Always-on Display
• Blood Oxygen monitor

The only "new" feature supposedly coming in the Series 7 are:

• redesigned face with a slightly larger screen
• faster performance

The BP monitoring isn't coming to the Series 7..., so, if you had a choice between a cheaper S6 and a new S7, I would say, go with the S6 because you aren't going to be losing out on any new "must-have" feature...

 

[Robert.Walter]

Not feeling the PB love here in Switzerland. (Last week it took until Thursday to drop.)

 

[Icaras]

PB not showing up here either.

 

[TheSkywalker77]

I noticed my public beta profile said not verified when I checked. I got it from Apple’s beta site, I’ll just reinstall it and that’ll hopefully fix the issue of it not showing up. Unless the public beta truly isn’t out yet.

EDIT: beta didn’t show up after reinstalling the profile. Tomorrow it is! (Hopefully)

 

[jaredwsmith]

I don't think the PB is out yet; not getting the update here as well. Last week it dropped at 1PM ET the day after the developer beta shipped.

 

[testcard]

PB not showing in the UK this morning.

 

[lcvleo]

PB not yet available for Watch Series 6 in Brazil...

 

[imnotthewalrus]

1:15 EST still no Beta...

Edit: 1:30 It's up now!

 

[testcard]

PB just now appeared in UK. 👍

 

[lcvleo]

PB 7, not 8, just now appeared in BR.

 

[BrokenLimits]

Where is the public beta the title says it‘s out and it is not. Do they even read before they hit post?

Good point. I hope you get a refund.

 

[jaredwsmith]

PB 7, not 8, just now appeared in BR.

Yep, PB7 = DB8. There was no public beta for DB5.

 

[Z3roFlaw]

If you're on a Series 4 (like me), this is shaping up to one he** of an upgrade: always on screen, blood oxygen monitor, larger screen, blood pressure monitor (?), double the storage, and significantly faster. I don't care about the redesign, but I'll take it.

Also on a series 4 and I think this generation will be the one to upgrade for me! Lots of improvements have been made since series 4. I was REALLY hopping for a blood sugar reader, but I really doubt that it will make it this time or even in the near future. Hopefully someday though. This watch is turning out to be a really amazing health tool.