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Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 8.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the third watchOS 8.5 beta.

watchOS-8-on-Apple-Watch-feature.jpg

To install ‌‌‌watchOS 8.5, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌‌‌watchOS 8.5‌‌‌ 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. You'll also need the accompanying iOS 15.4 update before you can install watchOS 8.5.

watchOS 8.5 introduces support for Emoji 14 characters, with new additions including melting face, biting lip, heart hands, bubbles, beans, face with diagonal mouth, palm up hand, eggs, troll, low battery, coral, lotus, and more.


Article Link: Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of watchOS 8.5 to Developers
 
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gomichaelgo

macrumors regular
Sep 21, 2016
233
252
Does anyone else recall the feature for the watch for "notify when left behind"
I feel like it used to have it but no longer is supported.
When I charge my watch and leave the house with my phone, i would be pinged to tell me I left my watch behind. Same as my keys or phone if left behind.
Either way if it used to exist or not, why is it not supported or used? I hate when i take my watch off to charge and leave behind.
 
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darcyf

macrumors 6502a
Apr 25, 2011
781
1,266
Toronto, ON
Way too many updates for a watch, especially when you consider how clunky the watch update process is. I want my watch to receive an OS update every year, and maybe take one supplemental update somewhere in between, but 5+ updates every year for a device I wear on my wrist is just bizarre.
 

gugy

macrumors 68040
Jan 31, 2005
3,879
5,292
La Jolla, CA
My AW S5 bricked after the latest update. This is the second time it happened through the OS 8 updates. I was able to go back to the 8.0 and make it work again. Apple keeps screwing these updates. They can't keep stable and many of the past issues return. Get your sh-t together, please!
 
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gomichaelgo

macrumors regular
Sep 21, 2016
233
252
My AW S5 bricked after the latest update. This is the second time it happened through the OS 8 updates. I was able to go back to the 8.0 and make it work again. Apple keeps screwing these updates. They can't keep stable and many of the past issues return. Get your sh-t together, please!
That's awful. Sorry that happened. Was this on beta or the standard ones. You are commenting on the beta release and i feel like those are always a bit riskier. However I have been on the betas for all of iOS 8.0 and haven't had many issues really. Very minor ones that I report to Apple to help fix in the beta stage.
 
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gomichaelgo

macrumors regular
Sep 21, 2016
233
252
Way too many updates for a watch, especially when you consider how clunky the watch update process is. I want my watch to receive an OS update every year, and maybe take one supplemental update somewhere in between, but 5+ updates every year for a device I wear on my wrist is just bizarre.
A lot of people I know choose not to update until the "bigger" releases. 6.0, 7.0, 8.0... You can always choose not to update. I would personally rather have the option and if there are bugs they hopefully squash them.
 

AndiG

macrumors 6502a
Nov 14, 2008
955
1,782
Germany
So it is not possible for Apple just to replace the emoji font and to leave the OS alone? Really don‘t want your buggy updates Apple.
 

repoman016

macrumors 6502
Mar 28, 2017
266
616
Ohio
Way too many updates for a watch, especially when you consider how clunky the watch update process is. I want my watch to receive an OS update every year, and maybe take one supplemental update somewhere in between, but 5+ updates every year for a device I wear on my wrist is just bizarre.
lol. an entire update for 14 emojis most people probably never knew existed. Hopefully it wont slow down watches
 

BigBlur

macrumors 6502a
Jul 9, 2021
634
690
I’ve got a bug that I’ve posted/questioned below. I was hoping it’d be fixed in the past couple updates, but it hasn’t. I’m not holding my breath it’ll be fixed in this one either. Is there a way for me to report this bug to Apple without joining the beta? Or is anyone able to see if it’s already been reported in the Feedback Assistant app?

 

gugy

macrumors 68040
Jan 31, 2005
3,879
5,292
La Jolla, CA
That's awful. Sorry that happened. Was this on beta or the standard ones. You are commenting on the beta release and i feel like those are always a bit riskier. However I have been on the betas for all of iOS 8.0 and haven't had many issues really. Very minor ones that I report to Apple to help fix in the beta stage.
Standard. It happened with 8.1 and 8.4. It totally screwed the display's touch controls and the battery was draining from full charge to 0% in less than 6 hours. It was crazy. It was fixed with the 8.3 but I forgot to turn off the automatic updates, so it returned on the latest. Luckily, I was able to restore the 8.0 backup from last September and that's what I am currently using. I'll give it a shot once the 8.5 comes in but damn...lol
 
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