watchOS

Latest Apple updates have fixed major Stagefright-like security hole in TIFF image handling

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 22, 2016

Apple's OSes suffer from a previously unknown exploit which could allow an attacker to compromise the security of a device by having the user open an unsuspecting TIFF image file. Thankfully, the vulnerability has been patched in the most recent releases of iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS.

Resembling the dangerous Stagefright exploit that plagued Google's Android platform for the better part of last year, the security hole could allow a nefarious user to gather sensitive data from your device as soon as you access a simple text message containing a malicious TIFF image file, Fortune said yesterday.

Read More

Video walkthrough: everything fixed in watchOS 3 beta 3

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 19, 2016

Our iOS 10 Preview series detailed more than two dozen new features and refinements spotted in iOS 10 beta 3, which was seeded to Apple's registered developers yesterday. Today, we take a closer look at a dozen or so fixes that were added in the third beta of watchOS 3 (build number “14S5290d”), resolving various issues with Apple Watch features that developers reported in prior betas. No new features have been found in watchOS 3 beta 3 yet.

Read More

Apple posts watchOS 2.2.2 bug-fix update for Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 18, 2016
A woman checking the Activity app on her Apple Watch while working out

In addition to treating developers to new betas of iOS 10, tvOS 10 and watchOS 3, the Cupertino company this morning also released a minor software update for Apple Watch owners. The watchOS 2.2.2 software update, a minor bug-fix release, is now available for download through the Watch companion app on an iPhone and includes more than a dozen bug fixes.

Read More

Facebook SDK for Swift beta now available to iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS developers

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 18, 2016

This past weekend, the social networking giant Facebook announced that a beta version of its brand new software development kit (SDK) for Apple's Swift programming language is available for download. The new SDK integrates Facebook buttons into iOS, watchOS, macOS and tvOS apps written in Swift, and integrates such features like Facebook Login, Analytics for Apps, Graph API and Share to Facebook sheets. The Facebook SDK source code is available via GitHub on an open-source basis.

Read More

Video walkthrough: Emergency SOS, Activity Sharing & more in watchOS 3 beta 2

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 25, 2023
A woman checking the Activity app on her Apple Watch while working out

A second beta of watchOS 3 released last week alongside iOS 10 beta 2, macOS Sierra beta 2 and tvOS 10 beta 2. Having posted our video walkthroughs and detailed overviews of what's new in iOS 10 beta 2 and macOS Sierra beta 2, my colleague Andrew and I now get to take a closer look at everything new in watchOS 3 beta 2.

watchOS 3 beta 2 is not as feature-packed a release as the second beta of iOS 10, but still includes some major new features not found in prior betas, like Auto Unlock, Emergency SOS and Activity Sharing. We also detail a few smaller, useful enhancements in the stock Activity and Workout apps and some related new options added to the companion Watch app on the iPhone.

Read More

Apple seeds watchOS 3 beta 2 to registered developers

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 5, 2016
A woman checking the Activity app on her Apple Watch while working out

In addition to the new iOS 10, tvOS 10 and macOS Sierra betas, Apple on Tuesday also pushed a second beta of watchOS 3 (build number “14S5278d”) for the Apple Watch to members of the Apple Developer Program. An over-the-air update is available via the companion Watch app on a paired iPhone running an iOS 10 beta.

Read More

watchOS 3 preview: new watch faces on your wrist & Face Gallery on iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 29, 2016

After telling you about the improved performance and more intuitive navigation in the Apple Watch software, our watchOS 3 Preview series continues with an overview of three new watch faces that have been added to watchOS 3 and a brand new Face Gallery feature found in the companion Watch app on iOS 10.

watchOS 3 also lets you launch more apps from faces like Workout, Music and Messages.

And as a cherry on top, you can now use complications on faces that previously didn't support them, like Photo, Motion and Timelapse.

Read More

Apple seeds beta 3 of iOS 9.3.3, OS X 10.11.6 and tvOS 9.2.2

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple on Tuesday seeded the third beta for iOS 9.3.3 to both developers and public testers. The beta can be installed via the over-the-air update mechanism in iOS, or it can be downloaded from either Apple's dev center or the Beta Software Program website.

The update comes two weeks after the second iOS 9.3.3 beta was released, and it’s mostly bug fixes. Apple is obviously trying to iron out a few remaining bugs in iOS 9.3 so it can turn its attention to iOS 10, which arrived in beta form last week during WWDC.

Read More

watchOS 3 will go live for everyone this fall

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

Apple has taken the wraps off watchOS 3 this morning during the keynote presentation at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. With features designed to advance the experience for Apple Watch owners, watchOS 3 will release this fall, Apple confirmed today. The major new version of the Apple Watch operating system will be released at no charge as an over-the-air update.

Read More