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RMSko

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 3, 2010
365
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I've been on the phone with Apple support for a while and we think we have identified a significant issue with all of the new watch faces. None of my third party apps and also a lot of the native apps (e.g., mail, messages) are not able to be added as a complication on the new watch faces. However, they all are able to be added as a complication with the old watch faces. I haven't tried every complication with every new watch face, but I have tried enough to know there is an issue. Also, I've tried this with multiple Series 4 Apple watches and they all have the same result. Is anyone else experiencing this issue?
 
Yes.

I asked about workoutdoors in the app section and was told the older complications need to be updated to work with the new watch faces. He didnt seem surprised at all.
 
Yes.

I asked about workoutdoors in the app section and was told the older complications need to be updated to work with the new watch faces. He didnt seem surprised at all.
I've been on the phone with Apple support for a while and we think we have identified a significant issue with all of the new watch faces. None of my third party apps and also a lot of the native apps (e.g., mail, messages) are not able to be added as a complication on the new watch faces. However, they all are able to be added as a complication with the old watch faces. I haven't tried every complication with every new watch face, but I have tried enough to know there is an issue. Also, I've tried this with multiple Series 4 Apple watches and they all have the same result. Is anyone else experiencing this issue?


Yeah im having a similar problem... however when I use the new infograph... there's no option to use Phone & Messages as a complication.... also where's the ability to add the contact photos or faces of your fav's as a complication as well.....
 
The way the Infograph complications are implemented is all new and most developers didn’t have access to the tools to create them until after the keynote. It’s a game of catch up now. We could have given out to spec’s to do it in advance, but then that would’ve ruined the unveiling at the keynote. As if the leaks didn’t ruin it already.
 
As others have mentioned, I think developers need to play catchup. Not necessarily a bug. I have checked ESPN and Fantastical - both work on older faces, but not the newer ones. But others (outlined above me) have found apps that are working.
 
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Bought AW series 4, 44mm yesterday and I have experienced a couple of small issues with the complications.

I do believe that all of them are teething problems with WatchOS 5 and will be fixed soon, but it may be worth to list them here:

Face in use is the new Infograph.

- Alarm complication: I was able to position it at the bottom right corner but when I have clicked on it the screen was empty, with no chance to set an alarm. Fixed with a reboot

- calendar complication: positioned in the top round complication slot doesn’t reflect the date change (still showing yesterday). Fixed with a reboot.

On top of it, yesterday when I paired the watch with the phone and restored a backup from my old AW series 2, the entire procedure of setting up the watch remained stuck on the screen related to hearth monitor and I had to kill it and restart from scratch.
At the second attempt, all worked perfectly.
 
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I've been on the phone with Apple support for a while and we think we have identified a significant issue with all of the new watch faces. None of my third party apps and also a lot of the native apps (e.g., mail, messages) are not able to be added as a complication on the new watch faces. However, they all are able to be added as a complication with the old watch faces. I haven't tried every complication with every new watch face, but I have tried enough to know there is an issue. Also, I've tried this with multiple Series 4 Apple watches and they all have the same result. Is anyone else experiencing this issue?

Looks like we are waiting for WatchOS 5.0.1... I spoke to a senior Apple technical support rep this weekend (22Sept2018) and he went off to speak to engineering and get back to me. He just got back to me by email and these are his exact words: "I did get a response back from the engineers, and they told me that they are aware of some of the built-in complications not working with the new faces. As such, a fix will come out as a software update."

If you want to see this resolved quickly, you can go here and offer some encouragement:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch.html
 
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Looks like we are waiting for WatchOS 5.0.1... I spoke to a senior Apple technical support rep this weekend (22Sept2018) and he went off to speak to engineering and get back to me. He just got back to me by email and these are his exact words: "I did get a response back from the engineers, and they told me that they are aware of some of the built-in complications not working with the new faces. As such, a fix will come out as a software update."

If you want to see this resolved quickly, you can go here and offer some encouragement:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch.html
That's good news then least it is a bug and not the apps we are suppose to have available
 
Not included in 5.0.1. Third party developers such as Overcast are releasing their new complications, but no word that I have heard on whether Apple plans to update legacy complications (messages, mail, telephone, etc.) to work with the two new faces. Annoyance seems to be widespread and it is an active discussion over on Apple's support boards, but beyond what I was told by the customer support rep last weekend ("known issue, engineering is working on it, will come out in future update"), I am not aware of any new information.
[doublepost=1538343600][/doublepost]Not included in WatchOS 5.0.1. Third party developers such as Overcast are releasing their new complications, but no word that I have heard on whether Apple plans to update legacy complications (messages, mail, telephone, etc.) to work with the two new faces. Annoyance seems to be widespread and it is an active discussion over on Apple's support boards, but beyond what I was told by the customer support rep last weekend ("known issue, engineering is working on it, will come out in future update"), I am not aware of any new information.
 
I have a custom watch app that I wrote for myself that has a custom complication. I updated to to a series 4 watch on launch day. What I discovered was this: all the complication styles require you to write custom code for each type, and all the types on most of the new faces are new styles. I had a heck of a time finding any developer docs for them, at least with code examples. I finally was able to copy some code from a WWDC video I found. It was the only example I could find.

So... The new faces require new code, and this appears so new, there isn't a lot of developer help (as of a week ago and). So patience will be needed...
 
I understand third party app developers needing time to update their complications. I think it’s ridiculous that Apple did not make complications for standard stock apps like Messages and Mail available though.
 
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