watchOS 5 Web Browser Not Working

[Husky29]

Hello, I have a 42mm Apple Watch Series 2 with watchOS 5.0 (GM) installed.

I remember in the betas there was a mini Safari web browser that could load simple web pages. There was also an option on the Watch itself in Settings > General called "Website Data" which allowed you to clear all website data.

I have just noticed now that the web browser does not work (I sent myself a link to macrumors.com in Messages and it just said that I have to use my iPhone) and that the "Website Data" setting is gone in Settings.

Does anyone else here have a working web browser with the clear data option in Settings on their Apple Watch? Did Apple decide that the Series 2 was too slow to handle the browser so they decided to just remove it for the Series 2? Did Apple just remove the feature on all Watches altogether?

 

[tromboneaholic]

Works on my Series 1.

 

[Husky29]

Works on my Series 1.

Strange, let me try restart my Watch, hopefully that will magically fix it.

 

[musicpenguy]

You are able to load links from iMessage - there is no stand alone web browser yet.

 

[Husky29]

You are able to load links from iMessage - there is no stand alone web browser yet.

I know that there is no stand-alone web browser, but I do know that if you click on a link in iMessage or Mail it should open a mini website preview type of thing (new feature in watchOS 5 that they advertised as "preview web content") but it doesn't work at all on my Apple Watch. It just says that I need to use my iPhone - no matter what link or website. There is also no option to clear the Website Data in Settings, even after restarting all of my devices.

The last thing to try is a complete Reset of my iPhone and Apple Watch and then Set Up As New - but I'll do that another day.

 

[Broken Hope]

Webkit support is supposed to be Series 3 and above, so I'd love to see a series 1 showing a html email.

 

[tromboneaholic]

Webkit support is supposed to be Series 3 and above, so I'd love to see a series 1 showing a html email.

Oops. You are right. I was using it on my wife's Series 4.

 

[Husky29]

Webkit support is supposed to be Series 3 and above, so I'd love to see a series 1 showing a html email.

Oh no - they must have removed it on the Series 1 and 2 then, because it definitely WAS there on the early betas and it worked very well! I can't believe that they removed it, it was perfectly fast and worked fine.

Maybe they might bring it back in a future update, like watchOS 5.1 or 5.2 or something. Hopefully.

 

[musicpenguy]

Yea it is a great feature - especially love having HTML emails on the watch, so useful and will be using the Mail app once again thanks to that feature. Hope we do get a web browser one day on the watch - can be useful for quick things when out and about