What do you want in watchOS 5?

[apolloa]

I would actually like for Apple to either fix the ‘breathe’ app or bin it and remove it altogether, because currently it’s useless unless you use it manually, the automatic breathe reminders I got on the last OS version are well and truly AWOL on the current Watch OS.

That’s pretty much all I want, oh and better sleep detection too.

 

[zhenya]

Better native running app with more customization and ability to export directly to other aggregation platforms since Apple has decided our Health data should only be accessible on our phones and watches.

Fix the (better, but still present) bug where network connectivity is spotty in between wifi and cellular networks.

 

[mahurangi]

-I want some improvements on the activity app, like being able to set rest days, new achievements for achieving some step goals for exemple.

-Being able to disable the auto brightness

-Being able to set font size bigger or being able to set text color white on black background on the message app.

[doublepost=1527285304][/doublepost]I agree. Rest days are important. While a streak is great to talk/boast about. Health wise rest and recuperation is important to overall physical well-being.
[doublepost=1527285479][/doublepost]

I’d really like to see a proximity notification when the watch loses Bluetooth contact with the iPhone, and of course have it as a user selectable option.

The wife seems to always be running out the door to work in the morning and leaving her iPhone behind in random places around the house. The feature could also be useful for battery hawks, as switching to WiFi and cellular inflicts some pretty rapid battery drain.

Great idea. Most useful.

 

[pspman71]

podcast support

Like offline podcasts support?

 

[LopatGary]

We haven't really heard any details on what's coming in watchOS 5. What are you hoping to see?

[doublepost=1527291514][/doublepost]Accessibility issue.
Would like to be able to stream audio from watch to Mifi For IPhone hearing aids (Starkey Halo).
You can stream to AirPods and other Bluetooth devices, why not the hearing aids? The work excellently with the iPhone.
The watch speaker is difficult to hear for a hearing impaired person and this would make the watch perfect in my eyes

 

[Lerxt]

I want to know when I’ve walked out of range of my phone....

 

[mk313]

Like offline podcasts support?

Yes, Native podcast support that syncs with my iPhone podcast app, but lets me play podcasts directly from my phone without having to have my phone with me.

 

[xpxp2002]

It could show a red dot indicator for notifications that came in while the watch was locked, off my wrist, charging and so on. Showing notifications is a big part of its job. I shouldn't miss anything just because the watch wasn't unlocked/on my wrist.

This. I’ve never heard anyone else mention it, but it has always bothered me. I always try to hurry up and lock my phone when I’m not using it so notifications don’t get split between what’s on my watch and what’s only on my phone.

I would prefer if the Watch’s notification pane were a mirror of what’s on the phone notification pane so I could always see my outstanding notifications at a glance and know I’m not missing anything.

 

[yegon]

Volume control for third parties.

 

[44267547]

I agree. Rest days are important. While a streak is great to talk/boast about. Health wise rest and recuperation is important to overall physical well-being.

Off-topic: You’re correct, adequate rest during off day exercise is absolutely crucial in the sense of rebuilding and allowing muscles to rest. I sometimes over work out consistently where I don’t allow the necessary “Off” days, but I recognize the importance of physical exercise is detrimental to someone’s health, but rest is just as important as well.

 

[Raist3001]

I couldn’t care less about watch faces. My vote is for different notification sounds. Currently my reminders buzz just like any other notification. Id love for reminders to repeat or double buzz, or anything that would differentiate itself from other notifications.

 

[rcarter3636]

3rd party app developers get off their asses and develop more native apps that can work on WiFi......say someone like Pandora!

 

[Harvey Zoltan]

In the now playing watch app when playing music from the phone I would like to be able to see the song length and time remaining. On third party watch faces I can't really see Apple doing it in a free for all kind of way. I believe select partnerships is the path they will continue to go down.

 

[DotCom2]

There is only two things I want.
Find My Car native app and Notes App.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

3rd party app developers get off their asses and develop more native apps that can work on WiFi......say someone like Pandora!

Apps shouldn't care - or possibly even know - where from their internet connection is coming. The OS should handle switching seamlessly between any source, be it BT connection to your phone, direct wifi or cellular connection in watches so equipped.

 

[44267547]

There is only two things I want.
Find My Car native app and Notes App.

Good point on the Notes App. That’s something I would like to use in conjunction with my iPhone, which I use the Notes app almost every day.

 

[ManicMarc]

I would be curious if you would still have an issue with it once you own one. I don’t even notice it.

I have never had a problem with the heart sensor not registering because of sweat unless my watch isn’t tight enough. Have you tried tightening the strap?

I wear it tight enough as to not be uncomfortable - sometimes if I start a run and it's not working I'll take the watch off, clean my arm and the back of watch with my shirt, and then it starts working again. I do wash like a normal person, I promise!
If I'm spending £500+ on a watch that I will wear for years, I don't really want to compromise on something like a red dot.
[doublepost=1527933694][/doublepost]

Apps shouldn't care - or possibly even know - where from their internet connection is coming. The OS should handle switching seamlessly between any source, be it BT connection to your phone, direct wifi or cellular connection in watches so equipped.

I think this is the case now, for apps built using the newer APIs.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

sometimes if I start a run and it's not working I'll take the watch off, clean my arm and the back of watch with my shirt, and then it starts working again.

Possibly, this is sort of akin to blowing into a NES cartridge edge connector - IE the action itself is basically meaningless; that it still achieves the desired result is entirely coincidental...

There's no particular reason sweat should interfere with the pulse sensor, as although water does absorb lower frequency light more strongly than higher (which is why large bodies of water appear blue in color), a thin sheet of liquid water is not opaque to green/IR light. If it was, light from the sensor LEDs could not penetrate our skin to reach capillaries and make it back to the photodetector devices of the pulse sensor... Also, people sweat - and especially when exercising - so an exercise device which was rendered impotent by a physical response to the exercising it is supposed to monitor would be useless.

Maybe shaving any hairs on your arm under the sensor might help, as it would both improve skin contact and also reduce light blockage by said hairs; both leading to increased signal strength from the sensor...

I think this is the case now, for apps built using the newer APIs.

Interesting. Strange though that Apple wasn't more thoughtful when building their APIs in the first place, making this the default way of function. *shrug*

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

-API's for podcast players
-More customizable watch faces (whether it be 3rd party or just further customizability of apple watch faces)
-Always on display ability (even if it's just limited faces/complications)
-Smart complications (this could be something as simple as automatically adjusting which complications are shown based on time/location or something much more radical)

You have that now. It’s called Series 3 LTE.

Wait are you saying S3 LTE notifies you when you walk outside of bluetooth range of your iPhone? I've never heard that before, and if true it doesn't make any sense why they wouldn't include that on other apple watches...

 

[matrix07]

Wait are you saying S3 LTE notifies you when you walk outside of bluetooth range of your iPhone? I've never heard that before, and if true it doesn't make any sense why they wouldn't include that on other apple watches...

Why not? It’s LTE after all. We’re paying monthly fee are we not?

From Apple

If your iPhone and Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) are both connected to a cellular network, your watch can do everything that it normally does, even if your iPhone isn't with you.

and..

To receive SMS, MMS, or push notifications from third-party apps on your Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular), your paired iPhone must be powered on and connected to Wi-Fi or cellular, but it doesn't need to be nearby.

EDIT: Are you, and the original poster, talking about notifying of disconnection from the phone? I thought he only wants to have notifications when his iPhone is out of range like leaving it in the car.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

EDIT: Are you, and the original poster, talking about notifying of disconnection from the phone?

Yes, I believe so.

It happens I walk away from home without my phone at times. If I had an LTE watch I could still receive phonecalls and notifications, but hardly for an entire day because it won't run in LTE mode a full day with the current level of battery consumption, and you can't surf the web, using maps is hard and reading emails is hard, especially those using html. So LTE watch is not a phone replacement, just a complement, a disconnect notification is definitely not too much to ask for.

I would also like a notification on low battery power for iphones. My Ericsson mobile phones (this was way back, obvs ) would tell me quite loudly I forgot to connect the charger, but in over ten years Apple has not seen fit to do the same. Very very strange, it's like they feel it is too embarrassing letting people know their products do need to be charged or something.

 

[MandiMac]

I'd like more options to display the apps; the cluster of little circles is pretty chaotic. Also would like a more comprehensive iPhone app to configure the watch in greater detail, as well as an iPad app to do the same, and perhaps a MacOS version.

That‘s simple: Just force touch (hard press) the display when you‘re seeing your cluster of little circles. Choose list view = PROFIT?

 

[honglong1976]

Disable everything when the watch is sat on a desk idle and wake up when picked up (to save battery power). Something the Pebble did which was a neat feature!

 

[Der Keyser]

Funny how we are all shouting for podcast support - and have been for years now. And I’ll bet you that’s one thing that’s guaranteed not to surface with WatchOS 5. Seems like Apple has somehow made it a principle not to listen to their customers and add what they ask.

 

[bbednarz]

Let me stream my podcasts over LTE. That is the only thing that jumps out to me. A few new watch faces would be nice to try out I guess.