Apple WatchOS 2.0 available for download today (Update: Delayed)

Apple WatchOS 2.0Apple unveiled WatchOS 2.0 back at WWDC 2015 in early June. After a few beta releases, today is the day that the general release version will be available as a free download to all Apple Watch owners.

As befits a major upgrade, WatchOS 2.0 brings a raft of new features, enhancements and bug fixes. The highlight is probably the fact that apps will now run natively on the Apple Watch. Here is a reminder of what else is new:

  • The ability to turn photos into watch faces or view pictures from photo albums with the new Photo and Photo Album watch faces
  • Time-Lapse watch face that offers a selection of time-lapse videos shot in iconic locations including New York City, London or Shanghai
  • Time Travel feature which lets you use the Digital Crown to scroll forward or backward through meetings, temperature forecasts and information from third-party apps
  • Multiple Friends screens, each supporting up to 12 friends
  • Colour support added to Digital Touch
  • Nightstand Mode with sideways-oriented alarm clock (and Digital Crown working as the snooze)
  • Support for merchant rewards and store-issued credit and debit cards with Apple Pay
  • Support for transit in Maps, including walking directions to the nearest stations with entrances and exits (Toronto is the only Canadian city initially included)
  • Ability to use Siri to start specific workouts, launch Glances and reply to email
  • Activation Lock to secure Apple Watch with Apple ID
  • New developer tools:
    • Access to Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, heart rate sensor, accelerometer and microphone
    • New software APIs to enable audio and video playback
    • Support for third party complications with ClockKit framework

Apple Watch

Installing WatchOS 2.0 on your Apple Watch is straightforward:

  1. Before you upgrade to WatchOS 2.0, you may want to upgrade your iPhone to iOS 9 to ensure you can use all of the new features.
  2. Make sure your Apple Watch is charged. You don’t want it to run out of power mid-way through the upgrade.
  3. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  4. Select General and check software update.
  5. Download any outstanding updates (the latest is WatchOS 1.0.1). If the WatchOS 2.0 update is not available to you yet, try Step 4 again a few hours from now (Patience may be required).
  6. To install WatchOS 2.0, you will need your password. Needless to say, you will also need to agree to the Terms and Conditions.
  7. All done! You’re all set to enjoy the new features of WatchOS 2.0.

Let us know below how your Apple Watch upgrade to WatchOS 2.0 went.

Update: Apple has delayed the release of watchOS 2.0 due to an unspecified bug that it has not been able to fix yet. According to a short statement: “We have discovered a bug in development of watchOS 2 that is taking a bit longer to fix than we expected. We will not release watchOS 2 today but will shortly.”

Today’s iOS 9 release is not affected and remains on track for today.