Heads up if you are still on WatchOS 9

[Gator5000e]

Are you guys who miss the Dock feature able to do anything to compensate?I have 3 app in my Dock to give me quick access - Now Playing, Alarms and Sleep. I hit the side button and all three are there ready for me to interact with instantly. Is there anything similar in watchOS10? Cause as it stands now, if I want to keep watchOS 9, I can't upgrade the phone to 17.4 or even 18 later this year. So any suggestions for a substitute method to access these app quickly and easily would be welcome. Thanks.

 

[jz0309]

Are you guys who miss the Dock feature able to do anything to compensate?I have 3 app in my Dock to give me quick access - Now Playing, Alarms and Sleep. I hit the side button and all three are there ready for me to interact with instantly. Is there anything similar in watchOS10? Cause as it stands now, if I want to keep watchOS 9, I can't upgrade the phone to 17.4 or even 18 later this year. So any suggestions for a substitute method to access these app quickly and easily would be welcome. Thanks.

I use the grid view, you can rearrange icons and I put the most used ones on top.
This is what mine looks like, kinda like 17 apps in the "dock":

 

[Gator5000e]

Thanks for the pic. Still not quite as easy to access as the dock but it may work for me. Appreciate the reply. Now I just have to get brave enough to update.

 

[Gator5000e]

One last question. are the Now Playing and Sleep apps available to put into this grid view? Thanks.

 

[jz0309]

One last question. are the Now Playing and Sleep apps available to put into this grid view? Thanks.

Sleep app for sure.
Is now playing an actual app? It didn’t seem to be listed as one so not sure. And I guess the drawback for me in the grid view is that you have to know the icon of the app but after a while I learned the ones I care about

 

[Gator5000e]

Thanks. Not sure if it still is but it was. This is what my dock looks like now that opens with a press of the side button. I am loathe to lose it. With this Now Playing app, I can control what's playing on my phone. Skip songs, change stations and adjust the volume (app dependent).

 

[jz0309]

Thanks. Not sure if it still is but it was. This is what my dock looks like now that opens with a press of the side button. I am loathe to lose it. With this Now Playing app, I can control what's playing on my phone. Skip songs, change stations and adjust the volume (app dependent).

View attachment 2358800

it still is an app, didn't know the icon and it's at the very bottom of my grid view as I never use it

 

[Gator5000e]

Thank you, again!!!

 

[alzoo]

Long live the Dock!!!

 

[alzoo]

I reverted back to 17.3.1 and now I can access my phone via the Now Playing I set in my dock. All is good with the world again!

how could you downgrade our iphone to 17.3.1 in early march when the signing was closed in February?

I am gutted they are forcing uses to update the apple watches, I refuse to as WatchOS 10 took away the Dock feature which I use constantly.. I refuse to update.

I bought a new iphone 15 and I had to update to 17.4 as the iOS was on 17.2 and could not restore to it from my 17.3.1 phone. I've left feedback saying it is incompatible and have scheduled a visit to the apple store to get the iphone downgraded. The update does not state it will be incompatible. they can't omit information critical to customers using their products them make them useless.

 

[Gator5000e]

Yep, it is completely unfair that they make you update both the phone and the watch. I was fortunate enough to get the IPSW before Apple stopped signing it. That wasn't too long ago. But as it stands now, I can't update my phone to 17.4 without updating the watch to watchOS 10. And, when iOS 18 is released you will not be able to update the phone without having to update the watch to 10. I am really not sure why Apple is forcing this update on us. If you learn anything at your store appointment, please share. Thanks.

 

[leoborges]

how could you downgrade our iphone to 17.3.1 in early march when the signing was closed in February?

I am gutted they are forcing uses to update the apple watches, I refuse to as WatchOS 10 took away the Dock feature which I use constantly.. I refuse to update.

I bought a new iphone 15 and I had to update to 17.4 as the iOS was on 17.2 and could not restore to it from my 17.3.1 phone. I've left feedback saying it is incompatible and have scheduled a visit to the apple store to get the iphone downgraded. The update does not state it will be incompatible. they can't omit information critical to customers using their products them make them useless.

Yeah, this sucks. I kept my Watch on 9.6.3 and it's just a fitness tracker now. I will wait the new iOS update to see if this is a bug or a "feature", but I think Apple is pushing everyone to watchOS 10 now. Maybe the total % of devices on watchOS 10 was lower than expected because of the battery draining issues with all models and the UX changes or maybe it's the iMessage with PQ3 as other user pointed out in the first page of this post.

I'm willing to accept the new UX but don't want to bet on the battery impact just yet. My series 7 at 89% health can go beyond 24h with AOD depending on the usage. Internet is full of posts about battery draining on all watchOS 10 versions (including 10.4) in all models (including Ultra 2 and Series 9).

It's great to have the option of updating older devices like Series 4, but I think the user have the right to choose what to do. My Series 0 last update was 4.3.2 and worked great with newer iOS versions.

 

[leoborges]

Series 0 paired with iOS 10.4 without issues (set as a new watch), so they're pushing users with older watchOS versions and compatible watches to watchOS 10.4.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Series 0 paired with iOS 10.4 without issues (set as a new watch), so they're pushing users with older watchOS versions and compatible watches to watchOS 10.4.

View attachment 2361364

Series 0 (actually series 1) cannot be updated to 10.4. The latest version it can be updated to is 4.3.2.. Series 4 is the earliest watch that can run 10.4

 

[leoborges]

Series 0 (actually series 1) cannot be updated to 10.4. The latest version it can be updated to is 4.3.2.. Series 4 is the earliest watch that can run 10.4

I know, the point is I can run Series 0 at 4.3.2 in iOS 17.4 but can't use Series 7 at 9.6.3.

 

[Gator5000e]

And Apple just released 17.4.1 for iOS and I'm sure there is no fix for this. Maybe I can get the DOJ to add this requirement of forcing us to upgrade to watchOS 10 to the lawsuit against Apple.

 

[leoborges]

And Apple just released 17.4.1 for iOS and I'm sure there is no fix for this. Maybe I can get the DOJ to add this requirement of forcing us to upgrade to watchOS 10 to the lawsuit against Apple.

Yep, just installed iOS 17.4.1 and no luck for watchOS 9.6.3. At this point I don't know if I wait 17.5 or update de watch. Not receiving notifications sucks, but I really want to be safe at 9.6.3 regarding battery issues and prefer the old interface.

 

[gazsiazasz]

I hope Apple fixes either the compatibility with watchOS 9 or fixes the utter crap watchOS 10 user interface to work like the watchOS 9. 🤞🏻

 

[leoborges]

Knowing Apple's history of control, I know they won't change this. Updated my Series 7 to 10.4 because I wanted the notifications back. Didn't get the battery drain issue so far (used for 24h with AOD, 1h exercise, and 10% left when put on charger), but removed weather widget soon after the update.

Unfortunately I have to learn how to use the watch again. Every action I was used to is different now but at least it's more than just a fitness tracker.

 

[gazsiazasz]

fortunately, Apple is signing 17.3.1 as of now again so everybody can downgrade the iPhone and save the SHSH2: https://github.com/airsquared/blobsaver

 

[Gator5000e]

Is anyone brave enough to see if the revised 17.4.1 released last night allows a phone running 17.4.X to connect to a watch still on 9.6.3?