As the first major testing cycle of watchOS 10 is about to end, Apple is releasing watchOS 10 RC to Apple Watch registered developers. For the tenth watchOS update, Apple says that “virtually every app has been rethought,” and there’s even more coming. This update will power the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, just announced by Apple.
With beta 5, X user Aaronp613 discovered references to NameDrop on the system, meaning this feature could be available to Apple Watch users when the official watchOS 10 update is made available to users. That said, it doesn’t seem to be working at this moment.
With watchOS 10 RC, Apple Watch apps use the entire display to create new places for content, so you can see and do more, which is especially useful for larger displays – and developers are already experimenting with this change. In addition, Apple added two new Watch Faces, Pallet and Snoopy. With beta 4, the Snoopy watch face got new animations.
With Smart Stack, you get the information you need below any Watch Face. You just need to turn the Digital Crown to reveal widgets in the Smart Stack. It includes multiple timers, your next meeting, music playing, and more. Lastly, the Control Center is now available when pressing the side button.
watchOS 10 beta revamps Cycling and Hiking workouts. Here are the highlights for each of the exercises:
Cycling
- Automatically connect to Bluetooth-enabled accessories to add cadence, speed, and power to your Workout View
- When a power meter is detected, Apple Watch will automatically estimate your Functional Threshold Power
- When starting a cycling workout from your Watch, it will automatically show up as a Live Activity on your iPhone
Hiking
- See a three-dimensional view of where you’ve been using Elevation Views. Get estimates of where you last had reception with Cellular Connectivity Waypoints
- Search for and discover important details of nearby trails, including name, length, time, elevation, gain, and more
- Topographic maps (first available in the US) let you explore mountains, valleys, lakes, and rivers in detail
- Elevation alerts: get notified when you’ve passed a particular elevation threshold.
For mental health awareness, watchOS 10 RC lets you log your state of mind by scrolling through engaging visuals to help you select how you’re feeling at that moment and during the day overall. Apple wants you to stay consistent with notifications and complications on watch faces. In addition, your Apple Watch Series 6 (and later), SE 2, or Ultra can identify how much time you spend in daylight thanks to its ambient light sensor.
What to do if the new watchOS 10 RC doesn’t appear?
With watchOS 10 beta 2, many developers couldn’t download the latest beta update because it wasn’t showing up. In case this happens to you, follow these steps:
- On your iPhone’s Watch app, turn off Automatic Updates;
- Turn it back on and then do the same with beta updates;
- After turning the developer beta on once again, the update will show
Besides the new watchOS 10 RC build, Apple has also released the RC versions of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and tvOS 17.
