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How to Update Apple Watch's watchOS Software

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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watchOS is the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch, powering its fitness tracking capabilities, apps, communication features, time-keeping abilities, and more. Apple plans to push regular updates to fix watchOS bugs, refine performance, and introduce new features, and the release of watchOS 2 alongside iOS 9 later today is a major uprade for the platform. (Update: Apple has delayed the public release of watchOS 2.)

watchos_2_install.jpg

watchOS updates are installed in a unique way that differs from how we install iPhone and Mac updates, so we've crafted a quick tutorial to remind users how to get the latest version of watchOS on their Apple Watches so they're ready for watchOS 2.


Click here to read more...

Article Link: How to Update Apple Watch's watchOS Software
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/update-apple-watch-watchos/
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Thanks for the detailed and timely tutorial. I didn't know how to update the Watch prior to reading this.
 
Pro tip: budget yourself a long, long, LOOONNG amount of time for the update to take place. Perhaps overnight. It is a brutal wait.
 
Where are the rumors of the slimmer more powerful Apple Watch 2? Shouldn't they be due for early next year?
 
Thanks for this great article. Will start charging my AW now to be ready . I've ordered pizza and Coca Cola!
 
patjem said:
Thanks for this great article. Will start charging my AW now to be ready . I've ordered pizza and Coca Cola!
Click to expand...
You're celebrating a software update with pizza and coke? Hope you don't use Windows 10 or you'd be obese by now.

Edit: Ouch, bet you wish you didn't order that pizza so soon. No software update for the Watch today. :(
 
Last edited:
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Native OS2 Watch apps with their own complications are being approved in the App Store.
I updated WaterMinder and I'm sorry to report that it has crashed every time after long waiting times. Not good. I had so much faith in native apps finally making third party apps useful.
 
tasset said:
Pro tip: budget yourself a long, long, LOOONNG amount of time for the update to take place. Perhaps overnight. It is a brutal wait.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't take all night. Installed multiple times never more than ~ an hour. To your point an hour is a long time for an update to occur.
 
foodog said:
No it doesn't take all night. Installed multiple times never more than ~ an hour. To your point an hour is a long time for an update to occur.
Click to expand...
Updated last Wednesday with the 2.0 GM and it was about 1.5 hours to complete. It feels like it was way longer but not the case. It feels like forever because much of the update looks like nothing is happening.
 
I just saw in my Twitter feed that Apple found a bug in watchOS 2 and won't be releasing it today.
 
Why is there no create back-up option someplace?

I've looked in iTunes > preference and once in a while I back-up my iPhone and iPad those backs are nicely listed in iTunes. I wished I also could list my Apple Watch back-up in that same list.
 
goinskiing said:
Wait, I need my charger? Ungh, my charger is at my bedside. Guess I'll have to wait until after work. :-(
Click to expand...

Yeah it was a requirement with the previous update as well. I really wish the charger wasn't a requirement, I wonder what the technical reason is if the watch has plenty of charge on it.
 
Wow, you have to have 50% charge and plug it in? I was looking forward to this update but wish I had known that before leaving for work today. Would have made sure I had my cable in my bag. Unlike a lightning cable it's not something that is just lying around or that I can borrow from anyone, lol.

ipedro said:
Native OS2 Watch apps with their own complications are being approved in the App Store.
I updated WaterMinder and I'm sorry to report that it has crashed every time after long waiting times. Not good. I had so much faith in native apps finally making third party apps useful.
Click to expand...

I freaking love WaterMinder and rely on it every day now. I hardly get headaches now after using it for a few months. Too bad it's crashing a bunch. Do you think it's crashing because it needs Watch OS 2.0 to work properly? Or have you already installed the GM? Will these apps suddenly start breaking a bunch for people who haven't upgraded their Watch? Because that seems kinda silly.

Reading up on these "native" apps, it doesn't seem like they're really much better than what we had before. I hope my interpretation is wrong, but I think many of us are bound to be disappointed. It's really a shame considering this thing is basically an iPhone 4S inside.
 
c1phers said:
Yeah it was a requirement with the previous update as well. I really wish the charger wasn't a requirement, I wonder what the technical reason is if the watch has plenty of charge on it.
Click to expand...

The technical reason is that it likely wouldn't perform well with the size of the update. It took years until the phone was able to do a non-cabled update, and I imagine the watch is technically even harder to do that with.
 
macduke said:
I freaking love WaterMinder and rely on it every day now. I hardly get headaches now after using it for a few months. Too bad it's crashing a bunch. Do you think it's crashing because it needs Watch OS 2.0 to work properly? Or have you already installed the GM?
Click to expand...

I have the watchOS2 GM installed. I've tried everything including uninstalling Waterminder and putting it back.

If it were to work, I love the idea of trying to complete a water ring in my complications. It's always there so you won't forget.
 
ipedro said:
I have the watchOS2 GM installed. I've tried everything including uninstalling Waterminder and putting it back.

If it were to work, I love the idea of trying to complete a water ring in my complications. It's always there so you won't forget.
Click to expand...
This bug you're seeing may be why they pulled the AWOS 2 release today.
 
macduke said:
Wow, you have to have 50% charge and plug it in? I was looking forward to this update but wish I had known that before leaving for work today. Would have made sure I had my cable in my bag. .
Click to expand...

It looks like you can start downloading it before it gets to 50%, that might give it time to top off.

I was surprised at how fast the phone charged, I forgot to charge it last night and it was at 16% this morning and about 90 minutes later it was at 100% (it might have been at 100% before that, that's just when I looked).

EDIT: I just realized that (of course) you wanted to update while at work. Duh!

Gary
 
patjem said:
Thanks for this great article. Will start charging my AW now to be ready . I've ordered pizza and Coca Cola!
Click to expand...
I guess cold pizza taste best? LOL Hopefully you aren't kept waiting too long as even refrigerated pizza goes bad.
 
Update: Waterminder suddenly started working. It's the first native app on watchOS2 and it turns on instantly! As you zoom in with the digital crowd from the app screen, it already comes in with your water percentage displayed.

The complication also works:
cs2LRWi.jpg
 
MacRumors said:



watchOS is the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch, powering its fitness tracking capabilities, apps, communication features, time-keeping abilities, and more. Apple plans to push regular updates to fix watchOS bugs, refine performance, and introduce new features, and the release of watchOS 2 alongside iOS 9 later today is a major uprade for the platform. (Update: Apple has delayed the public release of watchOS 2.)
​

watchOS updates are installed in a unique way that differs from how we install iPhone and Mac updates, so we've crafted a quick tutorial to remind users how to get the latest version of watchOS on their Apple Watches so they're ready for watchOS 2.


Click here to read more...

Article Link: How to Update Apple Watch's watchOS Software
Click to expand...

THANK YOU for this, I had no idea. My Apple Watch had the old 1.0.1 update already installed when I got it.
 
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