Apple Seeds Fifth Public Beta of watchOS 7 to Public Beta Testers

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the fifth public beta of an upcoming watchOS 7 update to public beta testers, one week after seeding the fourth public beta and just a few days after seeding a new beta to developers.

The watchOS 7 update can be downloaded after installing the proper profile from Apple's Public Beta website. watchOS 7 should not be installed on a primary device as it is still an early beta and there could be bugs, plus there is no way to downgrade back to watchOS 6.

watchOS 7 is a major update that introduces a new Sleep Tracking feature for the Apple Watch, which is designed to measure how long you're asleep as you wear the Apple Watch while sleeping.

It comes along with a Wind Down feature that helps you establish a bedtime routine to make it easier to fall asleep at night, as well as a Sleep Mode that turns on Do Not Disturb and dims the Apple Watch display.

The Apple Watch can also wake you up with haptic vibrations, providing a weather report in the morning as well as info on battery life so you can get your day started.

Along with these sleep tracking features, the Apple Watch has automatic handwashing detection that listens for the sound of running water and handwashing motions and then starts a 20-second timer so you can make sure you're washing your hands for the appropriate amount of time.

A new watch Face Sharing feature lets you share watch faces with others and install new watch faces from the App Store, Messages, Mail, websites, and more.

There's a new Chronograph Pro face with tachymeter, updates to complications, and new workout options in the newly renamed Fitness app, which was previously the Activity app.

The Maps app now supports directions for cyclists, Siri provides spoken translations, and there's a Shortcuts app on the Apple Watch. For more on what's new in watcOS 7, make sure to check out our watchOS 7 roundup.

watchOS 7 is limited to the Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, and Series 5 models, and is not compatible with the Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Fifth Public Beta of watchOS 7 to Public Beta Testers

 

[ghostface147]

The only reason I don't do Watch betas is because I can't downgrade it on my own. Good luck to those who do test it.

 

[kenbewick]

The only reason I don't do Watch betas is because I can't downgrade it on my own. Good luck to those who do test it.

fully agree with you... i'd be willing to test if there was a way to have the users be able to roll back if we chose to... Even if that meant i had to do a complete wipe and lose all my data from it... That would be my risk... But not having the option is a deal breaker for me.

 

[RevTEG]

Watch betas have been stable for me. Although, I’m not sure that I’d call watch OS7 a major update, it’s certainly not a bad one.

 

[jlocker]

Apple Watch 6 should be nice!

 

[Mr. Dee]

With so many operating systems to manage, Apple should take a 2 year break. Make the next year be maintenance year and focus on iOS 15, iPad OS 15, WatchOS 8, macOS 11.1 for a 2022 target. You can then spend the time building and thoroughly testing features internally. So, by June 2022, you have a more fit and finish betas that max out to 3 the most, final GM, September 2022. This means, no delayed features, a clean slate is started for iOS 16 and the rest.

It just feels like for the past 3 years, its been a biting off a bit more than they can chew and the current pandemic is not helping.

 

[ghostface147]

With so many operating systems to manage, Apple should take a 2 year break. Make the next year be maintenance year and focus on iOS 15, iPad OS 15, WatchOS 8, macOS 11.1 for a 2022 target. You can then spend the time building and thoroughly testing features internally. So, by June 2022, you have a more fit and finish betas that max out to 3 the most, final GM, September 2022. This means, no delayed features, a clean slate is started for iOS 16 and the rest.

It just feels like for the past 3 years, its been a biting off a bit more than they can chew and the current pandemic is not helping.

So stay stagnant while others still update their systems. Got it.

 

[Spock]

So stay stagnant while others still update their systems. Got it.

I don’t think a Snow Leopard like release across the board next yet year would make them go stagnant...

 

[interval28]

Watch betas have been stable for me. Although, I’m not sure that I’d call watch OS7 a major update, it’s certainly not a bad one.

What are your thoughts on the Sleep app? It's supposed to be the big feature for this release but I find it to be an utter mess. It's basic in it's tracking abilities and way over complicated in it's implimentation. I find it almost unuable compared to other tracking apps.

 

[Axiboy]

What are your thoughts on the Sleep app? It's supposed to be the big feature for this release but I find it to be an utter mess. It's basic in it's tracking abilities and way over complicated in it's implimentation. I find it almost unuable compared to other tracking apps.

I haven't been overly impressed with it, and in fact have stopped sleeping with my watch on. The only useful info I got from it was to see about what time I actually fell asleep after going to bed. Way back in the day I had a Jawbone tracker, which actually did a nice job of breaking down how I slept at night - as primitive as it was.

 

[Axiboy]

fully agree with you... i'd be willing to test if there was a way to have the users be able to roll back if we chose to... Even if that meant i had to do a complete wipe and lose all my data from it... That would be my risk... But not having the option is a deal breaker for me.

It's scary for sure thinking you'd have to send in your watch and be without it for a while. With that said, I've been doing the betas since my Apple Watch 2 and have never had serious issue resulting in it needing to be restored. However, in early betas you definitely tend to lose battery life and some things might not work, but the farther in the cycle you go, the better it gets. I haven't had an issue at all running the public betas this year. I decided to go the public beta route rather than the dev betas b/c Apple releases the public a day later - which means if there was something seriously wrong with it, then it should be caught in time. I also find observing their design tweaking process quite interesting.

 

[Apple_Robert]

What are your thoughts on the Sleep app? It's supposed to be the big feature for this release but I find it to be an utter mess. It's basic in it's tracking abilities and way over complicated in it's implimentation. I find it almost unuable compared to other tracking apps.

The sleep app is rudimentary, as to providing deep (pun intended) analysis of one’s sleeping pattern throughout the night. The intent and focus of the app is to get the user in the habit of winding down every night and going to bed at the same time, thus (hopefully) improving one’s sleep quality. The app does an excellent job of minimizing battery usage overnight. I routinely use 12 - 15 % overnight.

I have been using it for many weeks and I like it. If I want to see other data, I look to AutoSleep or Pillow.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Can't wait to pre-order the new watch next week

 

[jmgregory1]

fully agree with you... i'd be willing to test if there was a way to have the users be able to roll back if we chose to... Even if that meant i had to do a complete wipe and lose all my data from it... That would be my risk... But not having the option is a deal breaker for me.

I worried about not being able to roll back on the Watch, but I’ve just not had any issues that would warrant needing to drop back to a non-beta WatchOS. I feel that way with iOS and iPadOS as well. Going back to the initial time I started using betas, with iPhone 5, when iOS in beta was often a hot mess until one or two updates just prior to GM, I would jump back and forth just so I could use my iPhone. I can’t say I remember needing to do that since then. Apple has definitely gotten better at producing usable betas, with just minimal issues for the most part.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I worried about not being able to roll back on the Watch, but I’ve just not had any issues that would warrant needing to drop back to a non-beta WatchOS. I feel that way with iOS and iPadOS as well. Going back to the initial time I started using betas, with iPhone 5, when iOS in beta was often a hot mess until one or two updates just prior to GM, I would jump back and forth just so I could use my iPhone. I can’t say I remember needing to do that since then. Apple has definitely gotten better at producing usable betas, with just minimal issues for the most part.

I sent my series 5 watch to Apple yesterday, to get downgraded to WatchOS 6, so that it would be easier to sell. Apple provides the service for free and with overnight shipping via Fed EX both ways. I am hoping I get it back on Monday.

 

[Tony_YYZ]

How are you WatchOS 7 folks dealing with the deprication of Force Touch? Is it easy to adapt to the changes or does it take several extra steps to accomplish what could be done by force pressing and tapping previously?

 

[jonnysods]

Its getting close fam. Just a few more days...

 

[IAMDAVE1969]

The only reason I don't do Watch betas is because I can't downgrade it on my own. Good luck to those who do test it.

I have been using WatchOS7 since the first Public Beta on my Apple Watch Series 5. The last three releases have been flawless in my opinion, and I have had zero issues. Same thing with iOS 14 Public Beta on my iPhone 11.

 

[Apple_Robert]

How are you WatchOS 7 folks dealing with the deprication of Force Touch? Is it easy to adapt to the changes or does it take several extra steps to accomplish what could be done by force pressing and tapping previously?

Surprisingly, I haven’t missed it at all.

 

[Mr. Dee]

So stay stagnant while others still update their systems. Got it.

I think I said the word maintenance. The last I checked, Android and Windows 10 and Linux can’t officially run on an iPhone. Apple still has the advantage. Of course, they could release a special iOS 14 specifically for the iPhone 13 with features unique to the device. They have done this in the past for other products, remember 10.2.6 or 7 I believe was for the G5.

 

[PrecisionGem]

What are your thoughts on the Sleep app? It's supposed to be the big feature for this release but I find it to be an utter mess. It's basic in it's tracking abilities and way over complicated in it's implimentation. I find it almost unuable compared to other tracking apps.

I have been using the sleep app for a few weeks now. The main thing I see wrong is that it shows my Avg Time in Bed as 6 hrs 26 min. yet Avg Time Asleep as 6 hrs 57 min.

So I guess I must be sleep walking!

 

[FishyFish]

I believe you are going to absolutely love this beta! The dev beta (same build) has been absolutely outstanding!

 

[DaveMcM76]

How are you WatchOS 7 folks dealing with the deprication of Force Touch? Is it easy to adapt to the changes or does it take several extra steps to accomplish what could be done by force pressing and tapping previously?

The only place I'm still instinctively trying to use it is for the Clear All option on notifications which is now a button at the top of the notification list so actually fewer steps to access than force touch -> clear all.

 

[pauloregan]

If you collect this data your life will become much more complete. Buy our gizmo today.
They should call Watch OS 7 ‘Snake Oil’.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If you collect this data your life will become much more complete. Buy our gizmo today.
They should call Watch OS 7 ‘Snake Oil’.

How is the sleep tracking app (as described by Apple) snake oil? It’s has gotten me to start going to be at the same time every night. It has gotten me getting up at the same times as well, not to mention being more cognizant of engaging in habits that may impede being able to go to sleep quicker.