Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of watchOS 10.2 to Developers

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 10.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third watchOS 10.2 beta.

To install the ‌watchOS 10.2‌ update, developers will need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the ‌watchOS 10‌ Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, ‌watchOS 10‌ can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

watchOS 10.2 adds support for iMessage Contact Key Verification, a feature designed for those who face "extraordinary digital threats," such as journalists, human rights activists, and government officials.

Users can ensure that there is no "man in the middle" snooping on iMessage conversations, and there is a Contact Verification Code so that iMessage users can verify that they're speaking to the correct individual during in-person meetings or on FaceTime calls.

The update also reintroduces an option to change watch faces by swiping left and right.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of watchOS 10.2 to Developers

 

[realphilan]

Let’s see what the battery draining does… but I almost give up hope.

 

[DocMultimedia]

Swiping watch faces. The only thing I care about. Still can't believe they removed it.

 

[fraXis]

Please Apple, for the love of God, give us the ability to adjust the brightness on the Apple watch in a dark room. I can't read the notifications on my Ultra 2 because the screen is so dark/dim. I have to use a mini flashlight to light up my Ultra 2 just to be able to read a notification in the dark. It's pathetic that it is like this for an $800 watch. My Ultra 1 did not have this behavior. I could read it just fine in a dark room.

 

[robvthof]

Swiping watch faces. The only thing I care about. Still can't believe they removed it.

Swiping was restored in previous beta

 

[sandler77]

What is crazy is that sites like this one and other YouTubers are ignoring the dark/dim room situation and not being able to adjust brightness (as mentioned above). We can't even talk about these public betas on Apple Discussion boards or Apple will delete the posts. Amazing how nobody at MacRumors or any other site is even talking about this...

 

[xDKP]

Let’s see what the battery draining does… but I almost give up hope.

Given up hope that they will make it as good as it was under WatchOS 9 again. Been 30ish % below (some days worse) the pre-update level

 

[jimbobb24]

Watch10 has so many steps back. Why can’t I change my ring goals with the crown? Why is it now multiple screens? Why do I waste a button on the control center?

 

[fbr$]

Just installed 10.2 Public Beta. To enable the left-right swipe gesture between watch faces you need to go to the Settings app on the watch (not on the Watch app on the iPhone!), scroll down to Clock (it's after Battery, Privacy & Security, Activity, App Store, Calculator), click on Clock, now there's an option "Swipe to Switch Watch Face", just turn it on.

 

[Octavius8]

WOS 10 has made me use less my watch.

 

[Seoras]

Let’s see what the battery draining does… but I almost give up hope.

So sick of my watch dying late afternoon / early evening...
I could go to bed with 20% remaning with WatchOS9.
What a pile of 💩 !

 

[groove-agent]

I wish they would make some sort of "Watch Kit" or Watch Face Store where we can purchase 3rd party watch faces. The same old watch faces get pretty boring quick although I have to admit, I love the newer Snoopy watch face probably because they keep updating it with new animations.

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

My AW2 is delivering stellar performance. I’m rocking it 24/7, full throttle! Great stuff man!

 

[Monorail]

What is crazy is that sites like this one and other YouTubers are ignoring the dark/dim room situation and not being able to adjust brightness (as mentioned above). We can't even talk about these public betas on Apple Discussion boards or Apple will delete the posts. Amazing how nobody at MacRumors or any other site is even talking about this...

I'm surprised this post hasn't been removed. The censorship of this issue is astounding.

There is word that the watchOS 10.2 Beta 4 has fixed this issue (not being able to read anything on the watch in a dark environment), but the release note don't mention anything about it at all. I returned my U2 after a few days, so I can't test it.

Never thought Apple, the company that's all about "user experience", would behave like this.

Even the employees at my local Apple store act like they don't know anything about it. When I returned my watch, they didn't ask a single question or offer help at the Genius Bar. They wanted me gone as soon as possible.

Internal messaging would need to be verbal because if anyone got their hands on the "Keep your mouth shut about this" email it could get out and expose them. Right?

 

[dblissmn]

Any indication of the following?
1. VO2 max inference from bicycle power meter data (so far, Watch OS, despite pairing with power meters, is still only calculating functional threshold power -- FTP, and it can't even ingest the VO2 data calculated by Garmin Edge bike computers, rendering Apple Health kind of half baked for cyclists even though OS10 was supposed to be the cycling update).
2. Giving you the choice as to whether to go red screen as opposed to forcing the matter when its light meter decides, and giving you actual control over brightness
3. Going to the last place you were at on the scroll menu or grid view, as opposed to always going to the top or first position in the alphabet

 

[bobcomer]

There is word that the watchOS 10.2 Beta 4 has fixed this issue (not being able to read anything on the watch in a dark environment), but the release note don't mention anything about it at all. I returned my U2 after a few days, so I can't test it.

I can't enable developer mode on my AWU2, even though I'm a registered developer. And after having tried to enable it so i could test it, I'm not so sure I want to be an apple developer anymore. How ugly, and no documentation that covers the option not being there. Nor any release notes that a fix is in WatchOS.

I had only used xcode with my iPhone before...

All I can say is it better be better in the next OS update.

 

[Monorail]

What is crazy is that sites like this one and other YouTubers are ignoring the dark/dim room situation and not being able to adjust brightness (as mentioned above). We can't even talk about these public betas on Apple Discussion boards or Apple will delete the posts. Amazing how nobody at MacRumors or any other site is even talking about this...

How has this comment NOT been remove by the censors? I was under the impression anybody who spoke about this major flaw got blacklisted, even on Macrumors.

An unusable watch in the dark. You know…..when you would expect the display to pop.

 

[Monorail]

Any indication of the following?
1. VO2 max inference from bicycle power meter data (so far, Watch OS, despite pairing with power meters, is still only calculating functional threshold power -- FTP, and it can't even ingest the VO2 data calculated by Garmin Edge bike computers, rendering Apple Health kind of half baked for cyclists even though OS10 was supposed to be the cycling update).
2. Giving you the choice as to whether to go red screen as opposed to forcing the matter when its light meter decides, and giving you actual control over brightness
3. Going to the last place you were at on the scroll menu or grid view, as opposed to always going to the top or first position in the alphabet

In reference to your #2 (control over brightness), can we assume that your watch is nearly unreadable in darkness?

I'm surprised by most of these comments listing a few wishlist items for fixes.......and few mention the elephant in the room. This watch is useless in a dark environment.

Although I returned mine after a few days, I know 2 people who kept theirs. When I brought up the dimness issue, both of them said something along the lines of "OMG, yeah! what's up with that? Is there a fix coming? I can't read this watch at night!". So sure, 2 other owners is not a huge sample size, but I've yet to find anyone who says that the watch is nice and bright in the dark. And.......both of those 2 people are on their first Apple Watch, so they don't have a frame of reference in the form of owning a previous Apple Watch.

This behavior by Apple is mind-boggling.