WatchOS 11 Beta Thread

[goldmac2006]

Ultra, has all the wrist temps and everything.

🔥. If you had the first generation Apple Watch Ultra you also still get blood oxygen in addition to monitoring your body temperature and even the temperature of the water if you swim or deep sea diving in it.

The S6 and Apple Watch Series 7 is still worth it as it is still quite fast in watchOS 11, while retaining most modern Apple Watch features like ECG, blood oxygen, heart rate and other things with the exception of temperature. Still, the temperature sensor in Apple Watch Series 8/9 and all of Apple Watch Ultra is useful, it can also tell in case you have fever 🤒 too.

 

[TheBMacAttack]

. If you had the first generation Apple Watch Ultra you also still get blood oxygen in addition to monitoring your body temperature and even the temperature of the water if you swim or deep sea diving in it.

The S6 and Apple Watch Series 7 is still worth it as it is still quite fast in watchOS 11, while retaining most modern Apple Watch features like ECG, blood oxygen, heart rate and other things with the exception of temperature. Still, the temperature sensor in Apple Watch Series 8/9 and all of Apple Watch Ultra is useful, it can also tell in case you have fever 🤒 too.

Oh yeah I have Blood Oxygen sensor and get the water temp measurement. I actually think that’s really useful. Honestly I wouldn’t consider getting another Ultra unless it has the blood oxygen back. I think that’s a big deal not to have. Apple charges the same price without it. Now that watchOS 11 has the nighttime vitals, the more measurements the better.

 

[xDKP]

So no sign of any new watch faces?

Last year they added Modular Ultra when the new watch was launched, so fingers crossed for some new stuff this coming weeks.

 

[goldmac2006]

Oh yeah I have Blood Oxygen sensor and get the water temp measurement. I actually think that’s really useful. Honestly I wouldn’t consider getting another Ultra unless it has the blood oxygen back. I think that’s a big deal not to have. Apple charges the same price without it. Now that watchOS 11 has the nighttime vitals, the more measurements the better.

Yep, if I had to upgrade to a S9 or later if my SS Apple Watch Series 6 breaks down, I would wait until the blood oxygen sensor returns.

The Vitals app nowadays in watchOS 11 we really need all these advanced health sensors on these Apple Watch models. Every one of them compatible with the update has it, as the Apple Watch SE 1, and Apple Watch Series 5 and earlier models only have ECG, heart rate sensor and fall detection and would not work well with the Vitals app.

 

[TheBMacAttack]

Yep, if I had to upgrade to a S9 or later if my SS Apple Watch Series 6 breaks down, I would wait until the blood oxygen sensor returns.

The Vitals app nowadays in watchOS 11 we really need all these advanced health sensors on these Apple Watch models. Every one of them compatible with the update has it, as the Apple Watch SE 1, and Apple Watch Series 5 and earlier models only have ECG, heart rate sensor and fall detection and would not work well with the Vitals app.

Totally agree! I want the full picture from all the seniors, the more the merrier. I have sleep apnea, so blood oxygen, respiratory rate, and HR are very important to me. I wear a CPAP, but I want to make sure each night everything is working as it's suppose to. The Vitals addition to watchOS 11 is huge to me. All in one place that I can see clearly.

Only way I see upgrading to another watch is if they add blood oxygen back, and add some new sensors that help even more with the big picture of my health.

 

[goldmac2006]

Totally agree! I want the full picture from all the seniors, the more the merrier. I have sleep apnea, so blood oxygen, respiratory rate, and HR are very important to me. I wear a CPAP, but I want to make sure each night everything is working as it's suppose to. The Vitals addition to watchOS 11 is huge to me. All in one place that I can see clearly.

Only way I see upgrading to another watch is if they add blood oxygen back, and add some new sensors that help even more with the big picture of my health.

Exactly. This is why I had to upgrade to a slightly older model of Apple Watch because I still wanted this feature, and it is a great upgrade after seven years with my SG S1 aluminum. My old Apple Watch Series 1 had its screen separated and scratches all over the screen and back heart rate sensor which means it is time to replace it.

I even had episodes of fainting a few times before so the fall detection, ECG and blood oxygen is a huge help from my Apple Watch. ⌚️ I saw the new Google Pixel Watch 3 will have a more advanced low heart rate and no pulse detection, so I hope Apple adds this advanced feature as well.

 

[TheBMacAttack]

Exactly. This is why I had to upgrade to a slightly older model of Apple Watch because I still wanted this feature, and it is a great upgrade after seven years with my SG S1 aluminum. My old Apple Watch Series 1 had its screen separated and scratches all over the screen and back heart rate sensor which means it is time to replace it.

I even had episodes of fainting a few times before so the fall detection, ECG and blood oxygen is a huge help from my Apple Watch. ⌚️ I saw the new Google Pixel Watch 3 will have a more advanced low heart rate and no pulse detection, so I hope Apple adds this advanced feature as well.

Yes! I think people forget how important these things are. My brother got an alert that his HR was off and he should talk to a doctor (or whatever it tells you). He has a PE in his leg and could have died if not for the watch. I will sing the watch's praises forever.

Yes Apple needs to add that. There are some rumored new sensors in the Fenix 8 that I hope Apple adds. Rumors were some kind of blood pressure measurement, which would be huge. All that data added to the vitals and training will be great for the watch. I am loving watchOS 11 for that very reason. That and Live Activities are great.

 

[goldmac2006]

Yes! I think people forget how important these things are. My brother got an alert that his HR was off and he should talk to a doctor (or whatever it tells you). He has a PE in his leg and could have died if not for the watch. I will sing the watch's praises forever.

Yes Apple needs to add that. There are some rumored new sensors in the Fenix 8 that I hope Apple adds. Rumors were some kind of blood pressure measurement, which would be huge. All that data added to the vitals and training will be great for the watch. I am loving watchOS 11 for that very reason. That and Live Activities are great.

Indeed. Even the blood oxygen sensor is a big thing if you tend to go hiking or mountain climbing a lot, which involves high altitude climbing and running. Especially if you have to be on oxygen concentrators or tanks like you, the built in blood oxygen sensor is a must have. One thing that a fingertip sensor does not do is that the Apple Watch pulse oximetry sensor can also measure blood oxygen levels in the background similar to heart rate, when you are sitting, sleeping or even while you meditate. When I do the Fitness+ meditations my watch takes a blood oxygen test because I am centering myself and sitting in one spot. Same when I do the yoga and Mindful Cooldown’s at the end, depending on how it is done, the sitting or laying down meditations as well.

Every September (or October) Keynote opening since the Apple Watch came out in 2015, has a clip of various Apple Watch wearers around the world that wrote letters and emails to Tim Cook of how the Apple Watch helped them save their lives.

I believe if the next Apple Watch comes with more advanced low heart rate and pulse detection technology, it can be pushed in a watchOS 11 release as I read the official Google press release about the Pixel Watch 3’s advanced heart rate monitoring here. It just needs the accelerometer (which we already know that the Apple Watch is granted to have it for fall and crash detection), a spoonful of neural and AI processing and the ability of the heart rate sensor to detect sudden changes and drops to your heart rate.

 

[TheBMacAttack]

Indeed. Even the blood oxygen sensor is a big thing if you tend to go hiking or mountain climbing a lot, which involves high altitude climbing and running. Especially if you have to be on oxygen concentrators or tanks like you, the built in blood oxygen sensor is a must have. One thing that a fingertip sensor does not do is that the Apple Watch pulse oximetry sensor can also measure blood oxygen levels in the background similar to heart rate, when you are sitting, sleeping or even while you meditate. When I do the Fitness+ meditations my watch takes a blood oxygen test because I am centering myself and sitting in one spot. Same when I do the yoga and Mindful Cooldown’s at the end, depending on how it is done, the sitting or laying down meditations as well.

Every September (or October) Keynote opening since the Apple Watch came out in 2015, has a clip of various Apple Watch wearers around the world that wrote letters and emails to Tim Cook of how the Apple Watch helped them save their lives.

I believe if the next Apple Watch comes with more advanced low heart rate and pulse detection technology, it can be pushed in a watchOS 11 release as I read the official Google press release about the Pixel Watch 3’s advanced heart rate monitoring here. It just needs the accelerometer (which we already know that the Apple Watch is granted to have it for fall and crash detection), a spoonful of neural and AI processing and the ability of the heart rate sensor to detect sudden changes and drops to your heart rate.

100% agree! Really glad I have blood oxygen. I sit at a desk a lot for work, so always good to know its there.

Yes, I told my brother he needed to submit to that but he never did.

Just like with iOS 18.1 Apple could over an update to add support for and additional software needs for hardware sensor updates. We shall see what September brings. Can't get a new phone and watch, so I will to choose.

 

[Diopter]

So... is the Explorer face still in the latest beta? (only for those with a cellular watch, of course) Or did it stay gone?

 

[TheBMacAttack]

So... is the Explorer face still in the latest beta? (only for those with a cellular watch, of course) Or did it stay gone?

It's gone.

 

[Diopter]

It's gone.

Thanks for checking 🥲

 

[goldmac2006]

Thanks for checking 🥲

Yea they took it away since the first beta update of watchOS 11. If you update it will get replaced with Infograph.

 

[tomtad]

Also Chronograph is gone!!? One of my favourite faces

 

[TheBMacAttack]

Kind of interesting they are taking these away, unless these are hints are new watch faces for the new watches

 

[goldmac2006]

Also Chronograph is gone!!? One of my favourite faces

⚔️ it is gone as well. It is an original Apple Watch face since 2015, and they dropped it alongside Numerals, Siri, Portrait and Explorer. A lot of classics and useful faces are gone.

100% agree! Really glad I have blood oxygen. I sit at a desk a lot for work, so always good to know its there.

Yes, I told my brother he needed to submit to that but he never did.

Just like with iOS 18.1 Apple could over an update to add support for and additional software needs for hardware sensor updates. We shall see what September brings. Can't get a new phone and watch, so I will to choose.

The background pulse oximetry feature in watchOS also measures blood oxygen when I also lay my wrist down on a table while I eat breakfast, lounge around and meditate. It’s also a great idea if you find out the email to the Apple CEO and praise the company for the Apple Watch from saving users lives throughout the breakthrough health sensors, which also get added more with other features every year with watchOS and newer series’s of Apple Watch.

The loss of pulse detection can be attributed to existing Apple Watch models that are capable of using the optical heart sensor and accelerometer that is already there since the Apple Watch Series 4. It just has to be incorporated and not mistaken for the low heart rate notification feature, which can be done if the low heart rate notifications are triggered and the user is not moving. Similar to fall and crash detection.

 

[oMc]

Can't wait for beta 7, battery life on my AWU1 has been quite random this past week, using up to 60-70% of battery in less than 24 hours. Last time it happened was on the very first watchOS 10 betas.
Although today it is really good, took it off the charger 12 hours ago and spent the night with it and still showing 84% left.

Other than that, everything seems smooth and I haven't encountered any major bugs.

 

[TheBMacAttack]

Anyone else having an issue with the Padometer++ complication not working?

 

[yukari]

Anyone else having an issue with the Padometer++ complication not working?

Since beta 1. Pedometer works, but the progress bar does not update.

I did report this bug to Apple since beta 1, but still has not been addressed.

 

[TheBMacAttack]

Since beta 1. Pedometer works, but the progress bar does not update.

I did report this bug to Apple since beta 1, but still has not been addressed.

The app Pedometer++ has a step counter with miles walked, and it’s not updated. Just says 912 steps always. This isn’t an Apple thing, this would be on Padometer++

 

[LarryJoe33]

Little bit of a bug to report, but could be a one-timer. I set my Ultra to go into low power mode when starting a workout. When the workout ends, low power mode goes off. I do this more as a reminder to end a workout. I have found my strength training workout running behind the scenes all day in the past and low power mode kills the always on display so the black screen works as a reminder for me to kill the workout.

Today my watch got stuck in low power mode even after I ended the workout. It would not let me out of it in the control panel. A soft power off didn't work and it took a hard power down to give me the ability to shut it off. On both restarts, it booted up in pow power mode.

 

[yukari]

The app Pedometer++ has a step counter with miles walked, and it’s not updated. Just says 912 steps always. This isn’t an Apple thing, this would be on Padometer++

That is weird. My Pedometer++ does count the steps accurately but the progress bar in the complication does not move at all. If I touch the Pedometer++ icon on the complication, it shows updated steps.

 

[TheBMacAttack]

That is weird. My Pedometer++ does count the steps accurately but the progress bar in the complication does not move at all. If I touch the Pedometer++ icon on the complication, it shows updated steps.

Yeah, so I have the Pedometer++ complication on my modular ultra face and I just have the number of steps with miles below. Either of those number ever change. When I click on it, it shows the updated step count. So weird. Has yours been like this since the betas of watchOS 11 started? I didn't notice mine doing this until yesterday.

 

[TheBMacAttack]

Beta 7 is out.

 

[TheBMacAttack]

So Apple must have broken something with step counter apps because none of their complications or widgets are working. Hope this gets fixed by the developers.