watchOS 6

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on watchOS 6:

Developers get their mitts on first watchOS 6.2.8 beta

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watchOS 6.2.8 beta is out
watchOS 6.2.8 Developer Beta 1 starts the testing process for the next Apple Watch update.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple on Wednesday gave developers their very first look at watchOS 6.2.8. When it moves past the beta stage, this update squash some bugs. It’s not yet known if there will be any new features.

This beta version will not be released to the public. Average users will have the await for the final version.

How to set up noise alerts on your Apple Watch

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Noise alerts
Things might get loud.
Photo: Jonny Caspari/Unsplash

In watchOS 6, your Apple Watch can monitor the noise levels around you, and warn you when things get too loud. This is an essential tool to help people who work in noisy environments avoid hearing damage, but it’s also a handy safeguard against excessive noise for anyone.

Here’s how to set up Apple Watch noise alerts.

How to add an hourly taptic chime in watchOS 6

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bell
Ring my be-e-ell, ring my bell!
Photo: Luís Perdigão/Unsplash

One of the defining characteristics of digital watches in the 1980s was the hourly chime. Every morning during school assembly, 9 o’clock would arrive, and with it a chorus of chimes, like electronic tweety birds at dawn. The double beeps filled the school hall. The teachers had long since given up trying to make us turn them off.

Now, you can experience the same thing with your Apple Watch. You can even make the chime sound like a real little birdie!

Apple Watch owners plagued by bad battery life under watchOS 6

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Apple Watch Series 5 California Face
It could be one of many new faces.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple’s recent watchOS 6 upgrade brought a host of new features and faces to Apple Watch. But it has also had a nasty impact on battery life for lots of upgraders.

Apple Watch Series 5 owners are reporting that their new wearable isn’t lasting as long as Apple promised it would in between charges. However, they’re not the only ones who are suffering.

Apple Watch Series 5: Big little changes [Review]

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Apple Watch Series 5 info graph face with little alien
Apple Watch could soon help you get better sleep.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

During the past week with Apple Watch Series 5, I’ve been testing the device. Once again, I took a new watch on my family vacation to Disney World, using it whenever possible to make my life easier.

So does the Series 5, with its always-on display, live up to the hype? And is it worth the upgrade if you’re on an older version? Watch our video review, or read our full Apple Watch Series 5 review, to find out if the new watch is right for you.

Apple Watch gets tweaked by watchOS 6.0.1

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watchOS 6 new features
Grab the latest Apple Watch update now.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s wearable just received its first update since the debut on watchOS 6 earlier this month. This offers a handful of bug fixes for the most recent Apple Watch models, and unspecified performance improvements are also promised.

Hands-on with the new Apple Watch Series 5 compass

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Apple Watch compass
The Milanese Loop's magnet doesn't seem to trouble the compass.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

WatchOS 6 introduces a new Compass app (only for the Apple Watch Series 5), along with a couple of Compass complications. It works pretty much exactly like you’d expect, only with a few neat extras. You can access it from the All Apps screen, or by tapping the Compass complication on one of your Apple Watch faces. Let’s take a look.

Get those colorful Infograph complications back on your Apple Watch

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Want to restore colorful complications to Apple Watch monochromatic Infograph face? Here's how.
If your Infograph complications went a ghostly white, there's a quick fix.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Did your Apple Watch’s Infograph face go monochromatic for seemingly no reason at all? If upgrading to watchOS 6 sapped your Apple Watch Series 4 of all its multicolored complications, there’s an quick way to bring back the glory … mostly.

It’s easy, but it’s not as obvious as it could be. Plus, some people aren’t happy about the way Apple changed the Infograph face’s customization options.

Apple Watch Series 5’s screen never switches off

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Apple Watch Series 5
The display of the Apple Watch Series 5 is always on.
Screenshot: Apple

A new type of display allows the just-announced Apple Watch Series 5 to be on all the time. This is also the first version with a compass, and Apple is making its wearable in new materials.

But hardware is only half the story. watchOS 6 brings dramatic improvements, including making Apple’s wrist computer much less tied to an iPhone.

Apple Watch’s new Noise app is unbelievably accurate

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Apple Watch Noise app
The new Noise app helps you maintain healthy hearing.
Photo: Apple

One of the new health features baked into watchOS 6 is a Noise app that will tell you when the environment around you is too loud. But just how accurately can a wearable device with a tiny microphone measure noise?

You’ll be surprised. A comparison with an actual decibel meter proves Apple Watch does an unbelievably good job.

Nailed it! Why WWDC 2019 was one for the ages [Cult of Mac Magazine No. 300]

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Cult of Mac Magazine No. 300 cover
That was one awesome WWDC!
Cover: Marty Cortinas/Cult of Mac

The warp-speed WWDC 2019 keynote truly delivered the goods. Tim Cook and his lieutenants took the wraps off tons of exciting new features coming in iOS 13, iPadOS, macOS Catalina, watchOS 6 and tvOS 13.

And then, in a hardware shocker, Apple even showed off an insanely powerful new Mac Pro.

Relive Apple’s epic presentation — and get our take on what it all means — in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine for iOS. Or read on to get the rest of the week’s best Apple news, reviews and how-tos in your browser.

Everything Apple showed off at WWDC 2019 in under 8 minutes [Video]

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Exploding neon robot head with Apple OSes flying out
Every major OS from Apple is getting updated this year!
Graphic: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

WWDC Apple’s WWDC 2019 keynote introduced tons of new features and changes coming this fall. From a new tvOS design and Apple Watch faces to Dark Mode on iOS and a reimagined iPad home screen, there’s so much to keep track of.

If you missed the keynote, or just want the highlights, have no fear. We wrapped up all the headlining features of the epic 2 hour, 20-minute presentation into less than 8 minutes.

You can now watch the WWDC 2019 keynote all over again

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Tim-Cook-WWDC-2019
Missing Tim already?
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2019 bug Apple has published its full WWDC 2019 keynote video for those who didn’t get a chance to watch the epic event live — and those who want to watch it all over again.

The video includes previews of everything Apple announced Monday, including iOS 13, macOS 10.15, iPadOS, watchOS 6 and more. It also lets you relive the new Mac Pro’s spectacular unveiling.

Sketchnotes breeze through WWDC 2019’s biggest surprises

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WWDC 2019 Keynote sketchnotes, part 1 of 4
A quick visual highlight of the WWDC 2019 keynote through sketchnotes.
Photo:

WWDC 2019 bug The WWDC 2019 keynote came packed with exciting announcements.  As in past years, I ended up with four pages of drawings in my notebook. I sketched out the biggest new features coming to tvOS 13, iOS 13, macOS Catalina and watchOS 6. And then there’s the new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR.

As seen in my first sketchnote, above, tvOS 13 adds multi-user support and support for Xbox One and PlayStation DualShock 4  game controllers for Apple Arcade. Meanwhile, watchOS 6 will bring an App Store directly to the Apple Watch, a new Noise app, and a new Cycle tracking app for women.

For a quick visual recap of the highlights  of the WWDC 2019 keynote, check out the rest of my sketchnotes below.

WWDC 2019 changed everything: Here’s what you need to know

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Tim Cook
Tim Cook had a lot of news to share at WWDC 2019.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2019 bug Apple unleashed a mountain of software updates (and even some smokin’ new hardware) Monday, during what was arguably one of the best WWDC keynotes we’ve ever seen.

The entire event ran for more than two hours but it felt like there was hardly enough time to get to all the new stuff. iOS 13 got the most attention, for good reason, but Apple also surprised us with better gaming features on Apple TV, the ability to completely control your Mac with your voice, a new Mac Pro and so much more.

If you didn’t have time to watch the entire WWDC 2019 keynote, we’ve rounded up the highlights so you don’t miss a thing.