Apple Seeds First watchOS 8 Public Beta

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 8 update to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to experience the software ahead of its fall release.

The watchOS 8 update can be downloaded after upgrading your iPhone to the public beta version of iOS 15. After installing iOS 15, the proper watchOS 8 profile from Apple's beta software website must also be installed.

The software can be accessed by going to General > Software Update in the Apple Watch app on iPhone. To update, ‌Apple Watch‌ needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone.

watchOS 8, like iOS 15, introduces improvements to the Wallet app with support for driver's licenses and new types of keys for homes, cars, and hotels. The Home app lets you see who is at the door with HomeKit-enabled cameras, plus the Home app has been updated to make it easier to get to HomeKit accessories and scenes.

There are new Tai Chi and Pilates workout types, and the Breathe app has been renamed to Mindfulness because it has a new "Reflect" feature that gives you thoughtful notions to consider to for mindfulness purposes. A Portrait Watch Face pulls portrait photos from the iPhone, and the Photos app has new ways to view and navigate photos collections.

There's a new Find My app for locating lost items and devices right from the wrist, and the Messages app now supports sending GIFs. There are tons of other new features in watchOS 8, with details available in our watchOS 8 roundup.

Article Link: Apple Seeds First watchOS 8 Public Beta

 

[macsareveryinteresting]

I really think that soon maybe WatchOS 9, the Mindfulness app will literally be Headspace.

 

[Johnny907]

And feel free to skip it, because it is a huge nothing-burger of an update.

 

[Robert.Walter]

And feel free to skip it, because it is a huge nothing-burger of an update.

Good operative Maxim: Folks who say ‘nothing-burger” should be taken not seriously but possibly for observation… ? (maybe)

 

[fenderbass146]

Good operative Maxim: Folks who say ‘nothing-burger” should be taken not seriously but possibly for evaluation. .

Didn't your momma teach you if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all.

 

[Robert.Walter]

would like to install 8 beta on my AW20.

But my watch is slaved to my primary iPhone, a 6S.

Not going to install 15 beta on the 6S until I know the beta is stable (concern that limited RAM and aging battery might not be up to the typical beta issues in these areas.

So in the meantime, I’m going to install 15 beta on my spare 6S+ to gauge progress toward stability.

ps I installed 14.7.pb4 yesterday and had much trouble downloading (5 attempts) and installing (had to restart watch and install took ages. Didn’t wear it to bed because I had to leave on charger to finish). Watch seems to be working ok now tho.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Didn't your momma teach you if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all.

Believe me, I’m not only being nice, I’m being charitable.

 

[locovaca]

I’m curious from fellow S3 users if this has the same upgrade issues as watchOS 7

 

[TheSkywalker77]

I’m curious from fellow S3 users if this has the same upgrade issues as watchOS 7

Installing the profile now on my S3. Let’s see if the neglect of this watch continues!

 

[TheSkywalker77]

I’m curious from fellow S3 users if this has the same upgrade issues as watchOS 7

Installing the profile now on my S3. Let’s see if the neglect of this watch continues!

Downloaded without any need for a reset and prepared surprisingly quickly. Installing the update now.

 

[macbeth1026]

I'd love to hear some feedback from people running the previous betas on a Series 4. Particularly battery life. Has anyone had any luck?

 

[Jeddd1]

I'd love to hear some feedback from people running the previous betas on a Series 4. Particularly battery life. Has anyone had any luck?

Seems to be draining faster than usual.

 

[Nam3less]

I'd love to hear some feedback from people running the previous betas on a Series 4. Particularly battery life. Has anyone had any luck?

I am losing between 5-10% each hour depending on what i am doing. I generally charge to 100% before sleeping then wear it to sleep and when i get up its between 70-85% over 8 hours time. Then before heading to work at 9am i will top up the battery again to 90-100%. So by the time i put the watch on charge again at 9 pm it would be between 20-40% depending how heavy my usage was on the watch.
For the past few months i have always been on beta sw and i always thought my watch was lasting around 18 hours on a single charge which is what Apple puts it out too.
Having said that i do feel there is more drain on OS8 but i feel if i would have gone on a single charge it would last at least 16-17 hours.

Not sure this helps you but though not completely happy with my battery but i am totally fine with the OS8. There are many small changes and tweaks done to it compared to OS7 and i cant go back to OS7 for those reasons. Watch feels fresh and fast navigating menus on settings or general day to day app usage.

 

[sdz]

I don't use "Breath" and this feature nags me everytime. What a nonsensical concept. Especially when ending a workout and it nags me immediately after the workout to breath. Is it too stupid (with all that supposedly superior neural engine marketing crap) to detect, that I am on my way to the bathroom? And yes, my body breathes on its own.

And yet they add another magic thing that shall cover up the lack of useful health sensors on the apple watch: mindfulness. OMG. Stop it.

How about stop development of these cheap nonsense features and invest all your effort into
- 24h continuous blood pressure?
- 24h Body Temperature Monitoring
- Blood Oxygen at Sleep
- And someday maybe even Blood Glucose Monitoring?

 

[Absolute Trainwreck]

I don't use "Breath" and this feature nags me everytime. What a nonsensical concept. Especially when ending a workout and it nags me immediately after the workout to breath. Is it too stupid (with all that supposedly superior neural engine marketing crap) to detect, that I am on my way to the bathroom? And yes, my body breathes on its own.

And yet they add another magic thing that shall cover up the lack of useful health sensors on the apple watch: mindfulness. OMG. Stop it.

How about stop development of these cheap nonsense features and invest all your effort into
- 24h continuous blood pressure?
- 24h Body Temperature Monitoring
- Blood Oxygen at Sleep
- And someday maybe even Blood Glucose Monitoring?

“I myself don’t use these features so I demand that apple stops developing them instead of just turning them off in settings like a normal person”

 

[sdz]

“I myself don’t use these features so I demand that apple stops developing them instead of just turning them off in settings like a normal person”

I demand innovation. My critique should be heard. ❄️ ❄️

 

[enjoi52]

I demand innovation. My critique should be heard. ❄️ ❄️

LOL.

 

[Absolute Trainwreck]

I demand innovation. My critique should be heard. ❄️ ❄️

Right this way ? -> https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/wearables/smartwatches/

 

[Robert.Walter]

Took forever to download and prepare. Actual install went about as quickly as normal. Running well on watch.

 

[fischersd]

Find My won't load on AW3. Reported.

 

[5425642]

Does anyone know the build no on this?

 

[mrwizardno2]

Anyone else having issues with their activity rings on this release? Noticing my watch is saying I'm completing 24 hours of stand ring each day - like it's stuck thinking I'm standing all the time. It's throwing off my sleep tracking and stand goals. I toggled activity tracking off and on and rebooted without effect. About to try an unpair to see if that helps.