Apple Seeds Fifth WatchOS 2 Beta to Developers

by

Apple-Watch-Midnight-Blue-250x299Apple today seeded the fifth watchOS 2 beta to developers for testing purposes, more than two weeks after seeding the fourth watchOS 2 beta and nearly two months after announcing the new operating system update at its 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference.

watchOS 2 requires the iOS 9 beta to be installed and can be downloaded over-the-air using the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. Caution should be used when installing this beta, as downgrading the software on the Apple Watch is not possible without help from Apple [PDF].

watchOS 2 is the first major update to watchOS, the software that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 2 introduces several new features that developers can use to improve their Apple Watch apps, including native apps that run on the watch itself instead of the iPhone. The software also allows developers to access the Taptic Engine and other sensors like the heart rate monitor, the microphone, and the accelerometer for the first time.

With the new tools for developers, Apple Watch apps will be more complex and full-featured. Other features in watchOS 2 include new watch faces (photo albums and time-lapse), third-party Complications, Time Travel, and a Nightstand mode that's activated when the watch is charging, displaying the time.

watchOS 2 is currently only available to registered developers who have also installed iOS 9 on their iPhones. Apple plans to release the software to the public in the fall.

What's new in beta 5:

Previous watchOS 2 betas haven't added many new features, but there are several new additions in watchOS 2 beta 5, as listed below.

Timelapse - There's a new Timelapse watch face that displays the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Sleep settings - There's a Settings option that will keep the Apple Watch's screen active and turned on for 70 seconds. Currently the watch face only stays on for 15 seconds.

watchos270seconds
Music - In the Music app, there's a new "Quick Play" button to access music on the iPhone more quickly. The Music app interface has also been tweaked and will display the app that's playing music.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 8
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Top Rated Comments

fzfpff Avatar
fzfpff
98 months ago
please send the watch profile
here you go:
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
utsava Avatar
utsava
98 months ago
I don't get it, Why is it called "complication" instead of "compilation"? I think we can distinguish between a Watch compilation and a Music compilation; not only is "compilation" more precise, "complication" has a negative connotation.
"Complication" is the term used in horology to describe a secondary function on a watch face. It has a long history that Apple is just continuing.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
liuping Avatar
liuping
98 months ago
Keep the screen active for 15 seconds or.... 70 seconds? What an odd second option.

15, 30 and 60 would be a better set of choices, IMHO.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JeffyTheQuik Avatar
JeffyTheQuik
98 months ago
Oh, thank ye gods!!!!
The last beta DESTROYED my battery life & I'd get random occasional reboots.
Thank you for beta testing this. I know a lot of people that don't appreciate beta testers, but I do. Without your testing, one could only imagine the bugs that'd get into the wild...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Douglas B Avatar
Douglas B
98 months ago
Keep the screen active for 15 seconds or.... 70 seconds? What an odd second option.

15, 30 and 60 would be a better set of choices, IMHO.
No, they've been pretty smart about this. The nurses and paramedics who have asked for this need to be able to watch the second hand for 60 seconds. But they still need a few seconds after they have tapped the screen to get their hand on their patient's wrist for the pulse. 60 seconds wouldn't have been enough.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
andybno1 Avatar
andybno1
98 months ago
Is multi-color modular face new in watchOS? As far as I can tell, my watchOS 1 Watch's modular face is all the same color, except the large center module, which is grey. So, I have it set to white, so it all pretty much looks white, to match the white Sport band. Don't know how I feel about the battery module being colored. Kind of ruins the white motif for me. More options would be nice.
this is how the multi-colour looks

Attachment Image
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.3 Now Available for Your iPhone With These 4 New Features

Friday February 3, 2023 1:13 pm PST by
Apple released iOS 16.3 in late January following nearly six weeks of beta testing. The software update is available for the iPhone 8 and newer, and while it is a relatively minor update, it still includes a handful of new features, changes, and bug fixes. Below, we've recapped new features in iOS 16.3, including support for physical security keys as a two-factor authentication option for...
Read Full Article
iPhone 14 Pro Purple Side Perspective Feature Purple

Gurman: Apple Considering New High-End iPhone Alongside Pro and Pro Max

Sunday February 5, 2023 6:07 am PST by
Apple has discussed selling a new top-of-the-line iPhone alongside the Pro and Pro Max models in 2024 at the earliest, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this timeframe, the device would be part of the iPhone 16 lineup or later. In a September 2022 edition of his weekly "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said there was "potential" for an iPhone 15 Ultra to replace the iPhone 15 Pro...
Read Full Article • 486 comments
ipad air purple

Deals: M1 iPad Air Hits Record-Low Prices at TigerDirect, Starting at $313.99 (48% Off) [Updated]

Saturday February 4, 2023 10:05 am PST by
Online retailer TigerDirect has slashed pricing on the M1 iPad Air in several colors, offering the base 64GB configuration for just $313.99 in Purple and Pink. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with TigerDirect. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. That's a savings of 48% compared to Apple's normal $599.00...
Read Full Article • 600 comments
mac studio pink

Apple May Not Launch Updated Mac Studio With M2 Ultra Chip Due to Similarity With Upcoming Mac Pro

Sunday February 5, 2023 6:06 am PST by
A new version of the Mac Studio with the "M2 Ultra" chip is unlikely to arrive in the near future, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that since the upcoming Apple silicon Mac Pro is "very similar in functionality to the Mac Studio," Apple may wait until the release of M3- or M4-series chips to update the machine, or...
Read Full Article • 536 comments
HomePod 2 White and Midnight Feature Purple Orange

Apple Releases tvOS 16.3.1 and HomePod 16.3.1 Software Updates

Monday February 6, 2023 10:13 am PST by
Apple today released new tvOS 16.3.1 and HomePod 16.3.1 software updates, with the software coming two weeks after the tvOS 16.3 and HomePod 16.3 updates were released. According to Apple's release notes for HomePod software 16.3.1, the update includes general performance and stability improvements. Notes for tvOS 16.3.1 are unavailable as of yet, but are probably similar to the HomePod...
Read Full Article • 144 comments
iPhone 15 Pro Blue Feature

iPhone 15 Pro 'Buttonless Design' Rumors: Everything We Know

Monday February 6, 2023 7:44 am PST by
The iPhone 15 Pro models will feature a "buttonless design" thanks to additional Taptic Engines, according to multiple corroborated reports, so what do we know about the change so far? Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to report that the volume and power buttons on this year's two high-end iPhone models will adopt a solid-state design, similar to the iPhone 7's home button, replacing a...
Read Full Article • 118 comments
iphone ultra concept daehnert

'iPhone Ultra' Concept Envisions Apple's Rumored Future Top-Tier Smartphone

Tuesday February 7, 2023 5:38 am PST by
Apple has reportedly considered releasing a new top-of-the-line iPhone alongside future Pro and Pro Max models, tentatively referred to as "iPhone Ultra," and one designer has taken it upon himself to envision what such a device could potentially look like. German industrial designer Jonas Daehnert came up with this impressive-looking concept (pictured) by marrying design elements of the...
Read Full Article • 160 comments
webkit vs chromium feature

Google Working on Browser for iOS That Would Break Apple's App Store Rules

Saturday February 4, 2023 1:30 am PST by
Google's Chromium developers are working on an experimental web browser for iOS that would break Apple's browser engine restrictions, The Register reports. The experimental browser, which is being actively pursued by developers, uses Google's Blink engine. Yet if Google attempted to release it on the App Store, it would not pass Apple's App Review process. Apple's App Store rules dictate...
Read Full Article • 305 comments