Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of watchOS 5.1 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming watchOS 5.1 update to developers, one week after seeding the fourth watchOS 5.1 beta and more than a month after releasing the new watchOS 5 operating system.

Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.

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To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 5.1 includes support for the Group FaceTime feature that's also available in iOS 12.1 and macOS 10.14.1, with Group FaceTime calls able to be answered in an audio-only capacity on the Apple Watch. Group FaceTime allows you to chat with up to 32 people at one time.

The watchOS 5.1 update brings a full-screen new "Color" watch face option for the new Apple Watch Series 4 models, with users able to choose between dozens of shades. There's also a filled-in circular color option for older Apple Watch models that joins the standard Color clock face.

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Alongside macOS 10.14.1 and iOS 12.1, watchOS 5.1 introduces support for more than 70 new emoji characters like face with hearts, red hair, gray hair, curly hair, super heroes, kangaroo, peacock, parrot, lobster, cupcake, mango, and more.

For additional details on watchOS 5 and what was introduced in the new software, make sure to check out our watchOS 5 roundup.

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

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Top Rated Comments

hlfway2anywhere Avatar
82 months ago
But does it have a messages complication for the infograph face?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dingle19 Avatar
82 months ago
But does it have a messages complication for the infograph face?
SERIOUSLY! I've been baffled as to why that complication was omitted from the most overly "complicated" watch face ever.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Akrapovic Avatar
82 months ago
It'd be nice if the older watches could have a full screen color (like the S4 has) but just round the corners off so it's not a square. Software radius on them.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheOtherJFK Avatar
82 months ago
I was hoping WatchOS 5.1 would have the EKG app. Guess not..
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chfilm Avatar
82 months ago
Things that are urgently missing from watch OS at this point:
-AirPlay control support for Siri “play music in the living room”
-Some system complications on the new watchfaces like messages, maps or remote app. Why on earth did they forget to implement these BASIC complications on the new watch faces?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
markgpearse Avatar
82 months ago
What abou iCloud sync with Messages
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)