Apple appears to have temporarily pulled the first watchOS 5 beta from its website after some users reported cases of the software bricking Apple Watch devices. Several users on the MacRumors forums and over on Reddit have expressed problems trying to get the software onto their devices, with freezes reportedly occurring during the installation phase, particularly on Apple Watch Series 2 models. Apple has obviously deemed the issues to be sufficiently widespread for it to take action. As such, developers accessing Apple's beta software download portal are currently unable to get a download link and are instead met with the following message: Seed 1 of watchOS 5 is temporarily unavailable. We are investigating an issue that occurs while updating. If you've experienced any issues, please contact AppleCare. Both the watchOS 5 configuration file and the over-the-air update have been removed, and right now it's unclear when they will return. As is often the case, initial software beta releases can be susceptible to bugs and issues which only reveal themselves during device propagation. We'll update this article when Apple fixes the problem and makes a revised version of the beta available once more.<doc-sep>The very first beta version of watchOS 5 launched yesterday, but was pulled this evening after reports it was mucking up people’s devices. It’s not clear yet exactly what the problem is, but Apple’s vague description seems to indicate that Watches were getting bricked. A note appears on the company’s developer portal stating: Seed 1 of watchOS 5 is temporarily unavailable. We are investigating an issue that may occur while updating. If you’ve experienced any issues, please contact AppleCare. The implication is that wearables are locking up during installation. Locking up so completely that Apple might need to step in to fix them. The beta is not only gone from Apple’s website, but the over-the-air version has been pulled as well. Doesn’t bode well for the future This issue doesn’t affect the beta versions of iOS 12, macOS Mojave, or tvOS 12 that were also released yesterday. Still, such a significant problem already emerging in watchOS, even a beta, doesn’t bode well for Apple’s new focus on stable software. Early developer betas like this are expected to be bug-ridden, but not so badly that devices get bricked. watchOS 5 was unveiled Monday during the keynote address of WWDC 2018. New features include Walkie-Talkie mode, fitness competitions with friends, and more.<doc-sep>After making it available yesterday, Apple this evening has seemingly removed the watchOS 5 developer beta from its website. The company doesn’t elaborate as to the specifics of the removal, though it acknowledges the unavailability on its website… On its developer portal, Apple says that seed 1 of watchOS 5 is “temporarily unavailable.” The company seems to suggest that the update process rendered the Apple Watch of some unusable. Apple says it is investigating an issue that occurs while updating and invites affected user to contact AppleCare. Seed 1 of watchOS 5 is temporarily unavailable. We are investigating an issue that occurs while updating. If you’ve experienced any issues, please contact AppleCare. Apple has both removed the watchOS developer configuration file from its website, as well as removed the over-the-air update that would appear in the Apple Watch app on iPhone after the configuration profile had been installed. The company doesn’t provide a timetable as for when the update might become available again. Aside from typical beta issues such as general bugs and app compatibility issues, we’ve not seen any reports of such bricked devices. Have you had issues updating to beta one of watchOS 5? Let us know down in the comments! Be sure to catch up with all of our WWDC coverage in our full roundup of yesterday’s announcements. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:<doc-sep>Testers of the first watchOS 5 beta for Apple Watch are hailing a new option in the software's Settings menu that enables you to manually connect your device to nearby Wi-Fi networks. In previous versions of watchOS, your Apple Watch is locked to the wireless network that your tethered iPhone is using, and there's no way to browse and manually connect to networks from your wrist. But that all changes in watchOS 5, if the beta 1 seed is anything to go by. Reddit user whiskey_91 found a new option in Settings where users can search for and connect their Apple Watch directly to available Wi-Fi networks when their iPhone is out of range. After a network is selected from the list, users are prompted to enter the Wi-Fi password via Scribble (scribbling characters one by one on the screen with their finger), while using the Digital Crown to select lowercase/uppercase and special characters. A Join button then appears for users to tap and connect to the network. The new Wi-Fi option appears on both Apple Watch Series 2 and Series 3 models, but we've yet to confirm whether it works on Series 1 (watchOS 5 doesn't support the original Apple Watch, or Series 0). There's plenty more to look forward to when watchOS 5 gets its official release in the fall, but eager adopters are advised to stay patient while Apple works out the kinks. Apple temporarily pulled the watchOS 5 beta 1 seed from its developer portal in the early hours of this morning after reports that the software was bricking some devices.<doc-sep>
Apple late Tuesday halted downloads of the first watchOS 5 beta seed, saying the software will be temporarily unavailable as it investigates an unspecified issue that may occur during the update process. Details of the issue were not made public, though AppleInsider readers have reported inordinately long wait times when attempting to install the first watchOS 5 beta seed that saw release shortly after its unveiling onstage at Monday's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. In addition to first-hand reports, beta update troubles were also detailed in online forums posts by members of Apple's developer program. In some cases, the 546MB over-the-air download failed to complete, while others ran into errors during the update process. The most frequently reported problem, at least among those outlined online, was an issue that saw an Apple Watch seemingly complete the installation procedure only to reboot into a current version watchOS 4. Re-pairing the device with an iPhone running iOS 12 beta worked for a small number of users, though most claimed the workaround was ineffective. Apple has since pulled watchOS 5 beta and the initial seed's release notes from its developer website, which now shows the software as "Coming Soon." In an update, the company says, "Seed 1 of watchOS 5 is temporarily unavailable. We are investigating an issue that may occur while updating. If you've experienced any issues, please contact AppleCare." Bugs and other problems are common occurrences in beta software, especially first release versions like initial seeds. Indeed, beta builds exist to ferret out potential issues before the release reaches consumers. As AppleInsider noted earlier this week, beta software should only be installed on non-critical hardware. These early releases are built for developers, not average consumers looking to get a sneak peek at Apple's upcoming platform advancements. Announced on Monday, watchOS 5 comes with a slew of new features including enhanced fitness functionality, deeper Siri integration, a new "walkie-talkie" communication feature, user interface tweaks and more.