watchOS 8 New Features, Release Notes, Bugs And More
Last updated on October 12th, 2021 at 11:30 am
Posted in News by Mike on September 20, 2021
watchOS 8 update
Apple has released watchOS 8 build number 19R346 to all compatible Apple Watch models! The update focuses on new ways to keep you healthy, active and connected thanks to the new Mindfulness app, Tai Chi and Pilates workouts and a redesigned Photos app!
watchOS 8 Download
This software update is available as usual, over-the-air via the Watch app on the paired iPhone! For the update to show up, Apple’s smartphone has to run iOS 15, which was released alongside watchOS 8!
How to update:
- Open the Watch app navigate to the My Watch tab.
Browse for General -> Software Update. If automatic downloads are disabled you have to tap - Download and Install.
- Be patient until watchOS 8 is downloaded and installed on your Apple Watch.
- The device will automatically reboot to mark the end of the update process. Provide your passcode and start exploring watchOS 8!
watchOS 8 Update Facts
- The Apple Watch won’t update if it’s not connected to the MagSafe charger.
- It also need to be near the paired iPhone and both devices have to be connected to Wi-Fi.
- The watchOS 8 installation starts only if the watch’s battery is charged to at least 50%.
Important: Don’t remove Apple Watch from its charger until the watchOS 8 installation ends! Don’t restart it either, while the process is ongoing!
watchOS 8 Release Notes
Check the screenshots provided nearby for the full update log:
Fact: For the security content of this update you can check Apple’s document!
watchOS 8 Features
Some of the most important enhancements are:
- Portraits face uses portrait photos shot with your iPhone to create an immersive, multi-layered face.
- World time face allows you to track time in 24 different time zones.
- New Pilates and Tai Chi workout types.
- Automatic Outdoor Cycling workout detection feature is able to send reminder in the Workout app. Retroactive credit is awarded for the exercise that was already performed. More, the Outdoor Cycling workouts are auto paused and resumed!
- Voice feedback in workouts provides info about milestones with the help of the built-in speaker or paired Bluetooth headphones.
- Keys and ID cards can be added to the Wallet app.
- Always-on display is available for more apps
- Apple Watch is able to measure the Respiratory Rate during sleep!
- New ways to compose messages with Scribble, dictation, and emoji, all from the same screen!
- Find My allows you to find Items, Devices and triggers separation alerts on Apple Watch!
- Mindfulness app incorporates the Breathe sessions and add a new Reflect option.
- Multiple timers are now available for your Apple Watch.
- Apple Watch automatically aligns with the Focus set in iOS 15, iPadOS 15 or macOS. Monterey, so you can efficiently filter notifications!
- Real-time headphone audio level measurement available in Control Center!
watchOS 8 Bugs
Common problems encountered in this release 8 will be listed below. We will try to replicate all issues and provide workarounds. In the worst case scenario we will only be able to submit Feedback to Apple and hope for a fix in an upcoming software update.
- Mickey Mouse watch face turns black, while Mickey or Minnie are announcing time.
Workaround: Reboot Apple Watch.
Reported by: Cynthia - Apple Watch time not updating when Always On mode is enabled. Time updates again after the wrist is raised.
Workaround: not available yet.
Reported by: Bob - Activity Rings disappear from Watch Face!
Workaround: Reboot Apple Watch. It’s a temporary fix.
Reported by: Anita - Digital crown can’t scroll time in the set Custom Timer interface
Workaround: Swipe the interface with your fingers instead. You can also attempt to reboot Apple Watch.
Reported by: Darren - Dismiss Messages not working. False tap is registered instead that triggers a reply with a suggested answer, that’s available right below the Dismiss button!
Workaround: Use the Digital Crown as shown here.
Reported by: David
watchOS 8 Timeline
Here is the public release schedule of the 8th watchOS generation:
- September 20: watchOS 8 (19R346)
- October 11: watchOS 8.0.1 (19R354)
Have you updated your Apple Watch to watchOS 8? What’s your favorite new feature? How about bugs. Did experience any annoying issues? Use the comments section to share your feedback.
Related: Apple also released iPadOS 15, tvOS 15 and HomePod 15!
I have updated latest os 8 on Apple watch. I have noticed that as I click on heart rate app it starts detection without keeping watch on my hand I mean it’s take BPM just like that. Same is happening for ecg as well.
What is the solution
Thanks for reporting. Why would you click Heart Rate app or ECG without wearing the watch? I guess the solution is to wear the watch on the wrist, or simply exit the app if you’re not wearing it. Am I missing something?
My Mini Mouse face vanished. I can hear her talk, but the watch face is black.
Have you tried to reboot Apple Watch and see if starts working normally?
Repairing watch to phone fixes.
Thanks for the suggestion.
The dictate messges is not working properly. Most of the times can only use in english. Need portoguese, please!
From Apple’s watchOS 8 support page: “Some features may not be available in all regions or all languages, or on all devices”
Possibly Portuguese is not available yet.
I have the same issue, it presents a choice between English and Dutch, Alway has English as first option, does not allow me to change to Dutch first. It is not possible to change the menu so that I can directly dictate my reply measage, that’s the only function that I need. now I first have to change to duct, the hit reply and then the speak button. 3 taps for one task is a big turndown, pease bring back the os7 functionality
Yes, that sounds counterintuitive we will have to submit feedback for this. Could you please provide some screenshots, of the three steps. You can mail them to contact@iphonetricks.org please.
I have the same situation with mine but with Spanish.
So the watch language is Spanish, which works great, but whenever I need to dictate a message in English it simply seems like if it was picking up the language and writing it down incorrectly in English. I have done a soft reboot, I even had to repair the watch to my phone but this problem persists.
Thanks for confirming and for the detailed feedback Emilio. Let’s hope that a fix is on its way.
After updating to Watch OS8, the time on the Always On display is not updating until I raise my hand. I am using the California face and the minute hand will move a few minutes when I raise my hand, which makes the Always On display useless for reading the time.
Thanks for sharing this shortcoming Bob. We’ll definitely take a look at it!
I am experiencing exact the same thing.
Strange that this could pass the beta program!?
Thanks for confirming this. We will open a separate thread for this bug in an attempt to find a workaround.
Same. Watch face isn’t updating time until wrist is raised – which is probably ok for old watches but not since series 5 always in displays. I have gotten the time wrong for meetings etc on several occasions since the update a could of days ago. This not acceptable (in my opinion). Anyone know of work around or is it a case of waiting and hoping for a fix? I mean they must have deemed this acceptable to get through testing it’s so obvious.
Thanks for confirming Randy. Working now on a new thread focusing on this bug, to draw attention and potentially get a workaround from other readers.
When reading messages and trying to hit the dismiss button it doesn’t dismiss but sends a reply with the item under dismiss.
Excercise rings periodically disappear on watch face. The numbers remain. Have to shutdown and restart watch every time this happens. It just started since WatchOS 8 update
Thanks for reporting this Anita. Does this happen for Activity watch face? Looking into it and trying to replicate. Anyone else experiencing the same?
I have problems with gps during running. All workouts show approximately 10-15% less distance as before updating. Therefore not only the distance but also the pace isn’t the same like it was before updating. I run daily and usually the same courses so it is easy to compare.
Thanks for sharing your findings. Do you think that going for Settings -> Privacy -> Reset Fitness Calibration Data might help this?
This is happening to me as well. At first it seemed that the rings would disappear immediately after completing a workout. But they disappeared on me 3 times yesterday. Happens on both the Activity Analog and Digital. I submitted a problem report to Apple already about it.
Thank for confirming. What does it take to get them back, a reboot, or they reappear naturally?
I have both this issue with activity rings disappearing and the time not updating until the wrist is raised. The rings disappear from the Activity Analogue watch face. I found I can get the rings to come back if I swipe forwards and backwards between watch faces on my watch then eventually they randomly appear back on the watch face.
Thanks for the workaround David.
P.S.: Have you updated to watchOS 8.0.1? Does the issue persist?
Missing rings and time not updating apply to the activity watch faces, analogue and digital. Started using Meridian watch face, shows activity rings correctly
Thanks for the feedback David. I will update this over here: https://www.iphonetricks.org/apple-watch-activity-rings-disappeared/
I’ve found the crown doesn’t work to scroll through the timer app or to set custom timers. Have to use my fingers on the watch face.
It does on my Apple Watch 6, watchOS 8. Have you tried to reboot your device? Anyone else can confirm this bug?
If I leave my wrist still for a few minutes and then look at my watch, it jumps to the correct time. It’s not keeping the proper time if you don’t move your wrist.
Thanks for confirming this Scott. Does this happen on the California watch face, for you too, or another theme?
The quick reponse on messages (Whatsapp) is default English, I have to change it to Dutch every time I use it. So Dutch is available but I can’t make it default..
Have the same problem here
Have you been able to use Dutch as default in watchOS 7?
My photos will not sync to my watch now?!?!
Have you tried to reboot both devices?
Since the update, sleep mode doesn’t dim the screen and now when I roll over, the bright time display wakes me up.
Are you talking about Theater Mode or Do Not Disturb?
I don’t know. I have my sleep schedule set as 11pm-8am. During this time I don’t get notifications and my watch is dimmed. I have to tap my watch to see the time and it is displayed as very dim text on the right side of the screen.
Gotcha. The Sleep Mode. Do you have Sleep Screen enabled?
“Sleep Screen on Apple Watch: Sleep can turn off and lock the display so it doesn’t wake you up.”
How do I do that?
I do have it enabled. I just checked.
Fixed it. Had to set the watch to mirror the Focus on the iPhone.
Great. Glad that you sorted it out. Thanks for sharing.
My screen sometimes is very bright When I turn my wrist the display flickers for a moment and then turns to normal brightness and thereafter to dim again.
Thanks for reporting. Does it flicker every time you raise your wrist? What about dimming? It dims after you stop interacting with it, or while you’re actively using it?
Seems like the touch matrix on the watch has somehow changed or is buggy. When I get a text message and hit the “Dismiss” button it regularly sends the reply message that is sitting directly under the “Dismiss” button. Very annoying and never had this issue before the update to WatchOS 8
Thanks for reporting. What happens if you tap higher above Dismiss, like intentionally a bit higher above the button. Does it get triggered properly or it goes for the reply option that’s listed above?
Update: Tried to replicate this on Apple Watch Series 6 and I couldn’t. It works as it should. What Apple Watch model are you using?
Mine doing same. So annoying
Thanks for confirming Brad. Can you also share what Apple Watch are you encountering this for? Submitting feedback for this one too.
Updated to watchos 8 on my series 3. When I’m in my workout app I typically swipe left to view my music playing and skip songs or adjust the volume with my watch. Since updating to watchos 8 it won’t show my music playing. Just a screen with a play button, but nothing else. I know this is a bug. Also when using Apple Maps, my watch would vibrate for turns and show directions. Not anymore. So many bugs with watchOS and iOS 15 for my phone. Very disappointing updates. New features are cool, but I want the basic things to work more than new features.
Thanks for reporting this Rob. Tried to replicate the bugs you described, but failed on Apple Watch Series 6 running watchOS 8:
1. I am able to Play / Pause music and skip tracks in Workout app. Have you tried to reboot both devices? Or even unpair and repair Apple watch?
2. Apple Maps also works normal.
Can anyone else confirm these glitches? Perhaps it’s just a Series 3 shortcoming?
I’m seeing the same Maps issue (no longer being notified of turns… the first “direction” on the Apple Watch seems stuck/never updates with further directions)
This is on an Apple Watch 6 with the final release watchOS 8 (and iOS 15 final on my 12 Pro Max)
Thanks for confirming this Paul.
I’ve noticed that my messages app doesn’t update my message threads! I’ll get the notifications for new messages and when I go to the thread it hasn’t updated since I updated my watch!
Thanks for reporting Mariah. Taking a look at this. Anyone else experiencing this glitch?
Timers not going off until I raise my wrist – tested the function at 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes and 3:30 – only the first worked properly.
Thanks for reporting. Wasn’t able to replicate this. Timers start ringing when they’re due. No need to raise wrist. Tried with 3 minutes and 15 seconds and 4 minutes and 30 seconds time intervals. Can anyone else confirm this issue?
This has been a persistent issue for me as well. I tried everything from restarting the watch to outright resetting it but nothing worked unfortunately.
Thanks for confirming. When you say resetting you mean unpairing it from the iPhone and pairing it back?
Series 5 Wifi here. After update timer (I use the 3 min one a lot) often (half the time?) hangs when wrist down. When I look at it (past when it should have gone off) it’s at 24 seconds, then immediately rings (it’s always 24 seconds)
Thanks for reporting this. This might be related to the Always On bug, that causes current time to lag, the issue described here: https://www.iphonetricks.org/apple-watch-time-not-updating-in-always-on/
What do you think? Can you disable Always On in Settings -> Display & Brightness and check if this timer issue continues to play out?
Thanks for the quick reply, and good call! I’ve done a bunch of tests and so far it’s always fine if Always On is disabled. Hopefully when that bug is fixed my issue will be resolved. Until then I’ll turn off the screen if the timer is important (as opposed to just leading to slightly oversteeped tea)
Glad I could help Steve. Thanks for the follow up and for confirming the link. The Always On bug might be fixed in watchOS 8.1 which is due, most likely, next week alongside the Apple Watch Series 7. Keep in touch.
Anyone know what happened to “usage” under “general” for watch os8. I found this very useful for seeing how many hours my Apple Watch went between full charges. It seems to have been removed in watch is 8.
Can’t see it either.
The “Do Not Disturb Until Event Ends” option is no longer available on the watch. It is now an option on the phone, where I don’t think it ever appears before.
One of my favorite Watch features, I hope this is a bug and not a design change. It’s so much easier to set the DND on the watch without having to fish the phone out of my pocket.
Do Not Disturb has been embedded in Focus in iOS 15 and watchOS 8. On the Apple Watch I can find it in Settings -> Focus -> Do Not Disturb.
Yes, I can’t see the ‘Do Not Disturb Until Event Ends’ option.
I upgraded to OS 8… when I received a text message, the microphone button is no longer there, as the option to dictate your reply. I’ve unpaired and repaired but didn’t fix the issue. I’ve looked feverishly but cannot find any option to turn on the microphone in messaging. Any ideas?
I failed to mention I have iWatch 6, OS8 and iPhone 13 IOS 15
Tap on the text input field, where it says ‘iMessge’, right next to the scribble icon. The microphone icon shows up below the canvas, in the bottom-right corner.
Perfect Thank you
You’re welcome. Glad I could help.
Yes but then it always stay’s in default English mode, nog way to change it to Dutch default, this is now presented as second option, so needs extra work just to simply reply to a app
Thanks for sharing this. Have you been able to use Dutch as default in watchOS 7?
No matter what I do my messages will not sync with my iPhone. Every message I read on my phone still shows unread on my watch.
Thanks for reporting this Tim. Could not replicate yet, but we’ve also got another email report about it. Will start a dedicated page for this issue and provide some troubleshooting tips. I will update it here soon.
I saw the above post about the microphone button being available under imessage. Is there a way to move the microphone back to the spot where it was before the update?
No, unfortunately there is no way to change it. This is the new watchOS 8 interface.
Is there a way to go back to OS7
This is one of my most used functions and now apple ruined it.
Need mic in preferred language to swiftly reply, with out this, my expensive watch is almost useless.
No, unfortunately it’s not possible to downgrade to watchOS 7.
I agree with you. This was one of my most used features. I wish they would put it back the way it was.
Thanks for confirming. We will submit feedback about it soon.
it doesn’t work on watchOS 8 do not disturb until i go away from this gps location
Thanks for reporting this Giorgio. That’s true. We’ve submitted feedback about it.
it still doesn’t work with watchOS 8.1
Thanks for confirming. Is the same behavior valid for the paired iPhone?
no, if Watch replicates the full immersion setting of the iPhone, the problem is not there. the problem is if you divide settings between Watch and iPhone, then Watch does not work do not disturb until I move away from the place
Ok. Thanks for clarifying this.
It still doesn’t work with watchOS 8.3
That’s crazy. We’ve reported it since your initial feedback.
A few issues since upgrading on my Apple Watch 3. Move goal notifications are hit and miss, you get some and not others. For instance got notified of hitting exercise goal mid work out but then later when I hit move and stand goals got no notifications.
Watch face no longer dims and simplifies when sleep enabled, have read the messages above about mirroring, mine is set to do that but still isn’t working.
Time jumps forward when face is enabled rather than being smooth.
Notifications, you hear the ping for one and then a second later the screen catches up.
Hoping there will be a fix for all of these as it is getting annoying after only a couple of days!
Thanks for reporting these glitches. They do sound annoying especially because they are quite a few. I guess they are more prone on the AW3 as the device is at the watchOS 8 compatibility limit. watchOS 8.1 should be released next week alongside Apple Watch Series 7, hoping for the best!
Thanks for the reply. I suspected that was the case. The sleep one is the most annoying I think as in a dark room a watch face is pretty bright!
Yeah, I imagine that. Have you tried to hard reboot the watch? Does it make any difference?
I have, rebooted watch and phone. Seem to have got activity notifications back but the sleep element still not right. I shall wait for the further update and see if that sorts it.
Thanks for the follow up. Can you please try out watchOS 8.0.1 and let us know if it fixes it?
My SE watch swaps between bright face and dim face since the update. Both the watch and iphone app are set on the highest brightness setting. Watch is on lift to display.
Thanks for reporting. watchOS 8.0.1 might fix this. Can you please try it out?
Outdoor bike activity detection on AW6 is 8.0.1 : sends me a notification very late 10 or 15 min later GPS authorized.
My iPhone is in my bag. It rewards backwards activity as you mentioned with correct time and distance from the beginning of my ride but unfortunately the map starts only when I acknowledge the notification. When the activity is imported in Strava , the distance only accounts after the notification , not from the beginning .
Thanks for the detailed feedback Chris. watchOS 8.1 will be released in a couple of days. I recommend you to update when available and let us know if these issues have been addressed. Thanks
Having general touch input issues after the upgrade specifically while entering passcode, accessing the drop down notification page or control center. Reboot seems to fix this temporarily but it creeps back in after sometime. Using a series 5 WiFi watch running 8.0.1
Thanks for this extended feedback. Did not encounter these glitches on AW6. WatchOS 8.1 will be out next week. Keep us updated and let us know if it fixes them.
Cannot pair my SE watch to my iPhone XR since update. Tried resetting watch on and off WI-FI. Just unpairs straight away. Get the swirly screen. Even resetted the network. Any help please. I have a watch that is useless.
How did the watch unpair in the first place? Have you unpaired it yourself, or it just happened after the update?
I unpaired it myself. I’m pretty sure it was done during the installation of the update on the watch. Very frustrating. Keep getting the screen with the logo. And it then freezes. I haven’t seen anyone else with this issue. I tried with my partners phone to pair it. As hers is running fine. The same problem, says pairing, the jumps to unpairing.
Sorry, I am a bit confused. You mean the watchOS 8 update got stuck on the Apple logo and the watch is not booting ever since?
Yes my watch literally goes to pair, then unpairs straight away. I’ve had no problems before. The screen then goes to the made in California logo with the spiral pattern
You might have to bring it to an Apple Store and ask them to restore it for you.
Is this possible? It’s out of warranty on the 3rd October so I hope they will be able to help me out.
Yes, they should help. Keep us posted please.
Will do. I have searched YouTube and online forums. Just seems to have all started when I tried to update to the latest iOS update for my watch. Tried it again earlier, still the same… pairing then straight away unpairs. Very strange. I’ve gave up. Think the store will be the best option..
Where has the do not disturb function gone with the latest update?
It has been embedded into the Focus modes. Click the Digital Crown, tap on Settings and open Focus.