Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of watchOS 8 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of the upcoming watchOS 8 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the third watchOS 8 beta.

watchOS 8 on Apple Watch feature
To install ‌watchOS 8‌, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌watchOS 8‌ can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.

To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌iPhone‌‌. It's not recommended to install ‌watchOS 8‌ on a main Apple Watch as the software may be unstable at this early date.

watchOS 8 has several new features that are extensions of new features introduced in iOS 15. There are improvements to Wallet that allow it to hold keys for unlocking hotel, car, and home doors, plus Apple will let U.S. users add their IDs to Wallet later this year.

Apple overhauled the Home app, and for the Workout app, there are new Tai Chi and Pilates workout types, and the Breathe app has been renamed to Mindfulness thanks to a new Reflect session that invites users to get into a positive state of mind. When sleeping, the Apple Watch now measures respiratory rate.

Focus mode from iOS 15 syncs to the watch so users can stay on task, and in the Messages app, Scribble, dictation, and emojis can be combined within the same message, making it easier to communicate. Dictated text can be edited, and GIFs can be sent right from the watch.

There's a new Portrait watch face, and the Photos app has been updated with support for Memories and Featured ‌Photos‌. A new Find My app lets items be located right on the wrist, and there are also new updates for Music, Weather, Timers, and more, along with a new Contacts app.

Related Roundups: watchOS 11, watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

jettie1767 Avatar
52 months ago
Hopefully no severe battery drain with this one....
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Absolute Trainwreck Avatar
51 months ago

? You mean that giving voice orders to the apple watch , homekit responds?
Yeah I’ve been opening and closing my garage door all day and turning lights on and off no issues
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Markieamark Avatar
51 months ago

Wow - battery drain is huge now on this 4th watch beta - was 100% at 8am and 67% at 10:30am - Help!
From another post I did a un-sync with my watch and phone and let it sit then did a re-sync and it works great! have at least 2 days of charge with it and it's fast. Give it a try if you have issues!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)