Apple this morning seeded an updated beta of an upcoming watchOS 5 update, one week after releasing the first beta after the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference Keynote. watchOS 5 is the newest version of the software that runs on the Apple Watch. To install the beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 5 beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device instead of a primary device given that this is an early version of the watchOS 5 software that still has bugs to be worked out. The first version of the initial watchOS 5 beta was pulled by Apple shortly after it was released due to reports that the beta had been bricking some Series 2 Apple Watches, rendering them unusable. This new beta fixes that issue and makes the watchOS 5 update available to developers once again. watchOS 5 is a significant update to watchOS, introducing Activity Competitions so you can compete on workouts with friends, Walkie-Talkie with push-to-talk functionality for quickly communicating with the people you talk to most, and auto workout detection to make it easier than ever to start and stop workouts. Other new features include an improved Siri watch face with support for third-party apps, a dedicated Apple Podcasts app, new Workout types that include Yoga and Hiking, new features for runners, WebKit support for viewing some web content on Apple Watch, and enhanced notifications, which will make notifications on the Apple Watch interactive. watchOS 5 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers (because there's no way to downgrade Apple Watch software), so non-developers will need to wait until the software is officially released in the fall to try it out. The watchOS 5 update runs on all Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 Apple Watch models. It is not available for the first-generation "Series 0" Apple Watch models, likely due to performance and battery issues.<doc-sep>Apple has issued an updated watchOS 5 beta for Apple Watch. The new build comes just one week after the first was seeded to developers during WWDC. Apple was forced to pull it shortly after its release following reports that it had bricked some Apple Watch Series 2 units. watchOS 5 will make its public debut this fall, alongside iOS 12. It will give Apple Watch owners access to Activity Competitions, automatic workout detection, a new Walkie-Talkie feature, and an improved Siri watch face with support for third-party apps. The update will also bring support for podcasts, new Workout options for hiking and yoga, and more. watchOS 5 gets updated beta Just like iOS 12, watchOS 5 got its first beta last Monday, giving developers the opportunity to test its new features and update their apps for compatibility. Apple halted its availability soon after, however, following reports that the software was bricking some devices. A new watchOS 5 beta is available now. You can download it by installing the correct configuration profile, which is available through the Apple Developer Center. Your Apple Watch will need to be charging with at least 50 percent battery to install the update. Apple doesn’t provide public betas for watchOS, so you’ll have to wait until September to get your hands on watchOS 5 if you don’t have an Apple Developer account. It should also be noted that watchOS 5 won’t support the original Apple Watch.<doc-sep>Apple has issued a revised beta of watchOS 5 to registered developers, addressing glitches that forced the company to pull the initial June 6 seed. Developers can get the new code, build 16R5283r, so long as they've obtained the right configuration profile from Apple's Developer portal. With that in hand, they can push the update to an Apple Watch using the Watch app on a paired iPhone. Apple doesn't make watchOS betas available to the general public, since there's no easy way of reversing an installation if something goes wrong. Some developers trying watchOS 5 encountered their own installation troubles, ranging from downloads failing to complete to Watches booting back into watchOS 4. Some Series 2 Watches were rendered unusable. watchOS 5 promises a number of upgrades, such as a Walkie-Talkie mode, Activity Competitions, and auto-workout detection. It should also be easier to interact with Siri, and Apple is implementing long-demanded podcast support so that people can listen to shows without their iPhone being nearby.<doc-sep>
Apple this morning announced watchOS 5, a new version of the software that runs on the Apple Watch. The first developer beta of watchOS 5 has now been released to developers for testing purposes. To install the beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 5 beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the beta, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device instead of a primary device given that this is an early version of the watchOS 5 software that still has bugs to be worked out. watchOS 5 is a huge update that brings Activity Competitions so you can compete on workouts with friends, Walkie-Talkie with push-to-talk functionality for quickly communicating with the people you talk to most, and auto workout detection to make it easier than ever to start and stop workouts. Other new features include an improved Siri watch face with support for third-party apps, a dedicated Apple Podcasts app, new Workout types that include Yoga and Hiking, new features for runners, and enhanced notifications, which will make notifications on the Apple Watch interactive. watchOS 5 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers (because there's no way to downgrade Apple Watch software), so non-developers will need to wait until the software is officially released in the fall to try it out.