Apple Releases First Beta of New watchOS 5 Operating System to Developers

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.

applewatchwalkietalkie
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.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Shares Full List of Over 250 New Features and Changes Coming With iOS 18

Wednesday September 11, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Following its iPhone 16 event on Monday, Apple shared a PDF on its website with a list of all new features and changes coming with iOS 18. The list includes many features that were already announced, including Apple Intelligence, new customization options for the Home Screen and Control Center, a redesigned Photos app, several enhancements to the Messages app, a Passwords app, and more....
iphone 16 pro pro max

First iPhone 16 Carrier Deals Include iPhone 16/16 Pro For Free, $1,000 Off iPhone 16 Pro Max

Monday September 9, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple today announced the latest lineup of iPhones, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Pre-orders for these devices begin September 13, and if you plan on ordering from a cellular carrier in the United States, there will be plenty of options for discounts from the major carriers. AT&T is offering the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro at no cost with...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Skipping the iPhone 16 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 17 Pro

Wednesday September 11, 2024 8:20 am PDT by
Will you be skipping the iPhone 16 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 17 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap key new features rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models so far: 24MP front camera for all iPhone 17 models: All four iPhone 17 models will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, according to Apple supply chain analysts Ming-Chi...
iphone 16 lineup colors

Apple Discontinues iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 13

Monday September 9, 2024 2:09 pm PDT by
With the launch of the new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple has discontinued some of its older iPhones. As of today, Apple is no longer selling the iPhone 13, and the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been replaced with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The iPhone SE remains as Apple's most affordable device, with the iPhone 14 and iPhone...
16 pro

Apple Announces iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with Larger Displays, New Camera Control, and More

Monday September 9, 2024 11:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max—its latest flagship smartphones—featuring larger displays, an all-new Camera Control button, and the A18 Pro chip. The iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch display—the biggest iPhone display ever. The borders around the display are the thinnest of any Apple device. The...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware With Support for iOS 18 Features

Tuesday September 10, 2024 11:40 am PDT by
Apple today released a new firmware update for the AirPods Pro 2, including both the Lightning and USB-C versions. The firmware has a build number of 7A294, up from 6F8, and it is available for all AirPods Pro 2 users. Apple has been beta testing this update, but it is launching ahead of when iOS 18 becomes available next Monday. There are multiple features that Apple is adding to the...
maxresdefault

Everything Apple Announced at Today's Event in 13 Minutes

Monday September 9, 2024 6:02 pm PDT by
Apple today held the "It's Glowtime" fall event to debut new iPhone 16 models, a new version of the Apple Watch, new AirPods, and more. It took Apple more than an hour and a half to introduce the new devices, but we've recapped everything in a quick 13 minute video for our readers who want a short but detailed overview of what's new. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. ...

Top Rated Comments

ErikGrim Avatar
82 months ago
No support for the first generation of the Apple Watch. Looks like early adopters get abandoned again.
That’s literally the accepted risk of being an early adopter.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcdj Avatar
82 months ago
Still no 3rd party faces. Wow. They would make a killing on a face store. Instead, they’re putting the screws to MacBook screw vendors.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gsmornot Avatar
82 months ago
No support for the first generation of the Apple Watch. Looks like early adopters get abandoned again.
Use it as motivation to update. I held out until a few months ago with the original and man, Series 3 is a huge difference. I assume Series 4 will be along in the fall and I hear it might have a bigger display but 3 is a big leap. I forget to charge so every other day roughly I get a reminder that I'm at 10%. It used to be a nightly charge at bedtime.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
82 months ago
No support for the first generation of the Apple Watch. Looks like early adopters get abandoned again.
Yeah, but us on Series 0 are also short on battery life and watchOS 4 is already running pretty slow. I've got my settings stripped down to a minimum and still struggle with battery life and performance. I'm looking forward to upgrading this autumn to the newer models which hopefully have a bigger display option or redesign of some sort.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RamGuy Avatar
82 months ago
The whole daily activity/exercise/calorie goal need a re-design. Its one of the few things I feel doesn't really work on my Apple Watch.

I love the Apple Watch. I have tried Fitbit, Garmin and Samsung and I find the Apple Watch to just be better in pretty much every possible way. And Apple keeps on improving the Activity and Workout-app at phase that no one else seems to be even close to match.

But I fully agree. The whole approach to daily goals feels somewhat awkward to me. Having this set amount of calories and exercise mirrored and identical for every single day doesn’t make much sense. I don’t plan exercises for every single day, and no one really should unless they count things like walking for 30 minutes as a exercise.. If I was going to do my exercises every single day it would not be good for my body..

What does this result into? Well, it makes it impossible for me to set activity goals on the watch. Either I have to set a low calorie goal so watchOS won’t be nagging me all day for the days I’m not exercising and completely demolish said goal every day I actually do exercise or I have to set a more realistic goal, something more close to my average daily calorie goal but then have watchOS counting all days without exercises as "fails"… Its rather annoying… And it doesn’t really help motivate or anything when its done in the way its currently working.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
123 Avatar
82 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/04/apple-releases-first-watchos-5-beta/')

watchOS 5 is a huge update that brings Activity Competitions...
Umm, huge update? More like a point release.

I don't know a single person who uses the Siri face and this is not going to change anytime soon. This stuff must blend in unobtrusively. Instead, it comes across as if it was the sole reason for the watch's existence. Bah

And when it comes to competitions, this is certainly a feature that 2 peope would like to use, if not 3. great.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)