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watchOS 8: New features, compatibility, review, more

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How to install watchOS 8 beta

watchOS 8 received its first preview during the WWDC21 keynote and launched three months after this on September 20. The Apple Watch software focuses on health and well-being features, bringing a new Mindfulness app, Always-On Display API for developers, and Find My integration. Here’s everything about Apple’s latest watchOS update.

New features in watchOS 8

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With the release of watchOS 7 in 2020, Apple introduced a handful of features as a new sleep tracking app, more workouts, and handwashing detection.

One of the features praised in this update was the ability to developers offer more than one complication per app on Watch Face. For example, Glow Baby can display multiple complications that help parents track bottle-feeding, breastfeeding, pumping statistics, and nap times, while Dawn Patrol can show tide, wind speed, and water temperature from a favorite surf spot.

Over the years, Apple has made changes to its internal development process for watchOS updates that make it easier for the company to add and remove new features. This makes each yearly release more stable because the company can remove features that aren’t ready for primetime. Now it’s time to meet all the new functions on watchOS 8.

New Watch Faces, Photos focus, and new workouts

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watchOS 8 introduces two new Watch Faces: Portraits, in which users can select a Portrait photo taken ok their iPhones and add it as a main Watch Face, and World Timer, which features time zones from places all over the globe.

Apple’s also putting a lot of effort into the Photos app with new memories served daily, a new mosaic grid view, and the ability to share photos via Messages and Mail with just a few taps.

With watchOS 8, Apple is also introducing a new Pilates workout as well as Tai Chi practice. A new guest trainer and Artist Spotlight are coming in this update. Trainer Jeanette Jenkins is coming to Apple Fitness+ and Artist Spotlight features workout playlists with music from a single artist, including Lady Gaga, Keith Urban, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Lopez.

Home and Wallet features with watchOS 8

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The Apple Watch better connects with your home. With watchOS 8, if someone rings your connected doorbell, you might see options like unlocking the door or turning on the entry lights. There’s also a new Camera room, and watchOS 8 knows which scenes you’re most likely to use based on the time of day.

The Wallet app is also becoming bigger and better. Apart from your car keys, the app will store your Home key and ID cards as well. This feature will also work with hotel keys and work credentials.

Both of these features will be available in an upcoming watchOS 8 update.

Focus, Mindfulness, and Sleep

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One of the most important features in these update cycles is Focus. With this function, you can filter out distractions. For example, in the Watch app, you can set that every time you start a workout the “Fitness Focus” is on, so you won’t receive any notification you don’t want to.

The Breath app has also been reimagined and it’s now called Mindfulness. The new Reflect feature helps you establish a meditation practice by focusing on a short, thought-provoking theme.

With watchOS 8, the Sleep app now knows your sleeping respiratory rate and well as tracking your trends for even more health metrics to better see changes in your health over time.

Additional features in watchOS 8

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There’s so much more coming to the Apple Watch with watchOS 8:

Lost and Found: Locate misplaced Apple devices with Find Devices, including Items, Devices, and People.

AssistiveTouch: Built-in motion sensors help answer calls, control an onscreen pointer, and even launch a menu of actions.

Enhanced Family Setup features: Transit cards for certain regions are now supported, so family members can easily use public transportation. Google Calendar and Mail accounts are also supported. And hiking workout metrics are now validated for kids.

Always-On Display: The Always‑On display allows you to see your watch face without raising your wrist or waking your watch. And now it works with lots of additional apps, including Alarms, Maps, Stopwatch, and your favorite third‑party apps.

New Contacts and Weather apps: On Contacts, it’s possible to quickly browse, add, or edit contacts. The Weather app now has a new icon and supports severe weather notifications. Get next-hour precipitation alerts and see rain intensity too.

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Audio controls: See real‑time headphone audio levels in Control Center when you’re listening to media — just like on iPhone and iPad.

Set multiple timers at once: One for the rice. Another for the veggies. And, of course, don’t forget about what’s on the grill. Start several timers simultaneously and use Siri to give each one a label.

Siri integration with workouts: There’s a new Voice Feedback option in watchOS 8. When working out,  users can simply hear occasional checkpoints through their headphones. Read more about it here.

watchOS 8.1 features

Apple released watchOS 8.1 on October 25. Here’s what’s new with the system:

  • Enhanced algorithms to detect falls during workouts and option to enable fall detection during workouts only (Apple Watch Series 4 and later)
  • COVID-19 vaccination card support allows you to present verifiable vaccination information from Apple Wallet
  • Fitness+ supports SharePlay to allow subscribers to invite up to 32 people to workout together through a FaceTime call using iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV
  • Always On may not display the time accurately for some users when their wrist is down (Apple Watch Series 5 and later)

watchOS 8.3 features

Here’s what’s new with watchOS 8.3:

  • Apple Music Voice Plan gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
  • Support for App Privacy Report to record data and sensor access
  • Fixes an issue where notifications may interrupt Mindfulness sessions unexpectedly for some users.

For an unknown reason, Apple jumped from watchOS 8.1 to watchOS 8.3.

watchOS 8.4 features

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watchOS 8.4 is another small update for the Apple Watch. Apple only notes a bug fix when charging the watch:

  • Fixed a bug that caused some Apple Watch chargers not to work as expected with the Apple Watch

watchOS 8.5 features

Different from the previous update, watchOS 8.5 brings some interesting new features:

  • New emoji;
  • New American non-binary Siri voice;
  • Ability to authorize Apple TV purchases and subscriptions;
  • COVID-19 vaccination cards in Apple Wallet now support the EU Digital COVID Certificate format;
  • Updates to irregular rhythm notifications are designed to improve atrial fibrillation identification. Available in the United States, Chile, Hong Kong, South Africa, and many regions where the feature is available;
  • Audio hints in Fitness+ provide you with audio commentary of visually demonstrated movements during workouts.

watchOS 8.6 features

watchOS 8.6 is a small update. It mainly fixes bugs and brings two important features for users in Mexico:

  • Support for the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later in Mexico
  • Support for irregular heart rhythm notifications in Mexico

watchOS 8.7 features

This is a small update. It includes improvements and bug fixes for Apple Watch users. This was the latest watchOS 8 update before Apple released watchOS 9.

watchOS 8 device compatibility

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All Apple Watches compatible with watchOS 7 are able to upgrade to watchOS 8. Here’s the full list:

  • Apple Watch Series 3 (2017)
  • Apple Watch Series 4 (2018)
  • Apple Watch Series 5 (2019)
  • Apple Watch SE (2020)
  • Apple Watch Series 6 (2020)
  • Apple Watch Series 7 (2021)

Different from iPadOS, iOS, and macOS updates, Apple doesn’t make clear what functions will be available for each Watch. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 3 did not receive support for multiple complications last year.

Release date: When will watchOS 8 come out?

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watchOS 8 was introduced at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference 2021.

The watchOS 8 developer beta program started on the same day as the keynote, June 7. Apple launched the operating system on September 20, 2021.

watchOS 8 public beta: release date and how to install

On June 30 of 2021, Apple released watchOS 8 public beta version. With that, all users running iOS 15 can install the upcoming watchOS software. Even with the operating system now available, enrolling in the Beta Software Program here lets you try upcoming software updates before anyone else.

watchOS 8 Review

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In our review post about watchOS 8, we say that the new Apple Watch operating system brings small additions to the wearable while focusing on the user’s well-being:

watchOS 8 is all about small changes that will improve your glimpse experience with the Watch. This year, Apple is focusing on the quality of life improvements and larger screen sizes with the Apple Watch Series 7.

If you already enjoyed watchOS 7 but want to do a bit more with your Watch, stay more connected, learn more about your routine, and know when to take a break, watchOS 8 will help you with all of that.

watchOS 8 for Apple Watch brings Health Sharing to families/doctors, Always-On display upgrade, Mindfulness app, new watch faces, more

watchOS 8.6

The next major version of Apple Watch software lands today with the release of watchOS 8. Now users can choose to share health information with family members and doctors, take a moment to pause with the new Mindfulness app, and turn Portrait mode photos into watch faces.

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Apple looks to expand beta testing of iOS 15 as stable release nears

Last month, Apple launched the Beta Software Program for all users who want to preview iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12 Monterey, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15. Now, the the company is looking to expand beta testers and is sending emails to those subscribed to the beta program to try out its latest public betas.

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iOS 15 and watchOS 8 beta 3 allow you to install system updates with less available storage

As Apple continues to work on iOS 15 and other updates ahead of the fall release, the company rolled out today the third beta versions of its latest software for developers. Interestingly, Apple claims that the updates will now require less available storage to install, which may solve a big problem for some users.

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The watchOS 8 public beta is now available, but remember – there’s no way to downgrade

Apple Watch Series 6

Apple this week has officially released the first public betas of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8. As we wrote yesterday, there are some risks to installing the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 public betas, but you can take comfort in knowing that you can easily downgrade to iOS 14 if you experience bugs and performance issues.

The same, however, can’t be said for watchOS 8. Once you install the watchOS 8 public beta (or developer beta), there is no way to downgrade…

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Hands-on: watchOS 8 brings major always-on display upgrades for third-party and Apple apps

watchOS 8 didn’t receive as much focus during Apple’s WWDC keynote as other platforms, but there are still notable new features coming to Apple Watch users this year. Perhaps most notably for some users, watchOS 8 includes new built-in applications that take advantage of the always-on display used on the Apple Watch Series 5 and later. There is also a new way for developers to tap into the always-on display.

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New unreleased ‘World Timer’ Apple Watch face spotted at WWDC 21 session

With watchOS 8, Apple has announced some new features for Apple Watch users, including a new Mindfulness app, photo sharing, and more. Usually, every new watchOS comes with new watch faces, but this year, Apple has only shown one new watch face — Portraits. However, one of the WWDC 2021 sessions revealed that there’s another new watch face that hasn’t been announced by Apple, this one called “World Timer.”

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Poll: Which WWDC 2021 announcements most excited you?

WWDC-2022

We yesterday summarized everything Apple announced in the WWDC 2021 keynote, which covered iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, watchOS 8, iCloud+, and more.

Reactions have been mixed, with some suggesting that the event wasn’t as exciting as it could have been, while others have expressed the view that Apple has introduced a solid set of new features that will add up to a significantly better experience …

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