In late June, Apple placed a second test version of its next watch software in the hands of registered developers, roughly two weeks after first presenting it at its annual developers conference. It is a quiet, incremental moment in a long cycle, where a device that many people wear close to the body is slowly being reshaped by small changes to how it holds keys, tracks breath, and quiets distractions. The software is not yet for everyone, and its makers are openly cautious about what it might break, which is how careful technology tends to arrive: by degrees, and first among those willing to
Apple Seeds Second watchOS 8 Beta to Developers, Adding Wallet Keys, Mindfulness and Focus Syncing
The Breathe app has been renamed Mindfulness
Mark
Two weeks after WWDC, a second beta. Why does that matter to anyone who isn't a developer?
Mimi
It's the first sign the software is moving. The beta carries the features Apple announced, like keys in Wallet and Focus syncing, into something people can actually run.
Mark
The Wallet keys seem like the biggest change. Hotels, cars, homes.
Luke
Careful. The report says Wallet can hold those keys, but it doesn't say which hotels, car makers, or home locks support it. That's unknown here.
Mimi
Fair. And the ID feature is a promise, not a shipping thing: U.S. users can add IDs later this year.
Mark
What about the health side?
Mimi
Tai Chi and Pilates workouts, Breathe becoming Mindfulness with a Reflect session, and respiratory rate measured during sleep.
Luke
Worth noting the report lists respiratory rate but gives no detail on accuracy or how it's displayed. Nothing here tests it.
Mark
And the warning about installing it?
Mimi
Don't use your main watch. The software may be unstable this early.
Luke
Right, and the public beta in July is described as planned, not confirmed with a date.
The Pulse
- Apple has pushed the second watchOS 8 beta out to developers, and the update is still far from the public.
- The test build arrives with a warning to keep it off primary watches, since early software can behave unpredictably.
- Wallet is gaining room keys, car keys, and home keys, pulling more daily access onto the wrist.
- Mindfulness replaces Breathe, and sleep now records respiratory rate as the health features expand.
- A public beta is expected in July, which will widen testing before the final release lands.
In late June, Apple placed a second test version of its next watch software in the hands of registered developers, roughly two weeks after first presenting it at its annual developers conference. It is a quiet, incremental moment in a long cycle, where a device that many people wear close to the body is slowly being reshaped by small changes to how it holds keys, tracks breath, and quiets distractions. The software is not yet for everyone, and its makers are openly cautious about what it might break, which is how careful technology tends to arrive: by degrees, and first among those willing to tolerate its rough edges.
On Thursday, Apple sent the second developer beta of watchOS 8 to testers, a little over two weeks after showing the software at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Only registered developers can install it for now, and it offers the first real look at how the next Apple Watch software will feel in everyday use.
Installing it takes several steps, starting with a configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center and ending in the Apple Watch app on the iPhone. Apple advises against running the beta on a main watch, because software this early may be unstable.
Much of the update builds on iOS 15. Wallet can now hold keys for hotel rooms, cars, and homes, and Apple has said U.S. users will be able to add IDs later this year. Fitness and health also grow, with Tai Chi and Pilates workouts, a renamed Mindfulness app with a new Reflect session, and respiratory rate tracking during sleep. Focus modes now carry over to the wrist, and Messages allows mixed input, edited dictation, and GIFs.
The update adds a Portrait watch face, Memories in Photos, a new Find My app, and a new Contacts app. For now, the software stays with developers, and a wider public beta is expected sometime in July.
On Thursday, Apple pushed the second developer beta of watchOS 8 out to testers, a little more than two weeks after the company first showed the software at its Worldwide Developers Conference. The release is for registered developers only, and it arrives as the first look at what the next Apple Watch software will do in daily use.
Getting it onto a watch takes a few steps. Developers have to download a configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. After that, the update appears through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone, under General > Software Update. The watch must have at least 50 percent battery, sit on its charger, and stay within range of the iPhone. Apple's guidance, relayed in the report, is not to put the beta on a main Apple Watch, since software this early may be unstable.
Much of what's in watchOS 8 extends features introduced in iOS 15. Wallet is the clearest example: it can now hold keys for unlocking hotel rooms, cars, and homes. Apple has also said that U.S. users will be able to add their IDs to Wallet later this year. The Home app has been overhauled as well.
Fitness and health get several changes. The Workout app gains Tai Chi and Pilates as new workout types. The Breathe app has been renamed Mindfulness, in part because of a new Reflect session that prompts users to settle into a positive state of mind. During sleep, the watch now measures respiratory rate.
Focus mode, which debuts in iOS 15, syncs to the watch so that a user's chosen mode carries over to the wrist. Messages gets more flexible too: Scribble, dictation, and emoji can be combined in a single message, dictated text can be edited after the fact, and GIFs can be sent directly from the watch.
The update also brings a new Portrait watch face, and the Photos app now supports Memories and Featured Photos. A new Find My app lets people locate items from the wrist, and a new Contacts app joins the lineup. Music, Weather, Timers, and other apps receive updates as well.
For now, watchOS 8 remains limited to developers. A public beta is expected at some point in July, which would open testing to a wider group of Apple Watch owners ahead of the final release.
Notable Quotes
Installing watchOS 8 on a main Apple Watch is not recommended, as the software may be unstable at this early date.— MacRumors report on Apple's beta guidance
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