New features out with the watchOS update
After what seems like a million betas, Apple has finally released watchOS 3.2 for the public. And with it comes two big new features.
First is Theater Mode, which will mute the sound of the Apple Watch and disable the raise-to-wake function, making it less of a distraction when you’re catching a film (also good if you sleep with the Watch on). You will, however, still get haptic vibrations to alert you of notifications when it’s in film-friendly mode.
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To start Theater Mode, all you have to do is slide up the quick settings pane while on a watch face, scroll down and click the Greek theater masks. It should be right under the Pinging iPhone icon. Simple! To turn it off, do the same.
The second addition is SiriKit, which is already available on iOS and lets developers build Siri support into their apps, much like Google has done with Assistant. This means you’ll be able to use Siri to do things like book Ubers, send WhatsApp messages, start workouts and search for photos without having to pick up your phone.
Baking Siri into the Watch is a pretty big deal, and could pave the way for a much richer experience. 2017 is going to be the year of smart assistants, and with Alexa making her way into wearables, Apple needs to be keeping pace.
The remaining 3.2 treats are fairly minor. Scribble, which lets you scribble a note to a friend at the bottom of a message thread, is now available in French, Italian and Spanish. And you can now see your playlist syncing progress on your iPhone – handy if you’re about to set out on a run.
Apple has also released iOS 10.3, which brings Find my AirPods to the Find iPhone app. You can play a sound when you’ve misplaced your AirPods, or AirPod. It also saves the last known location when connected to your iPhone. However, it cannot keep track of your charging case.
We’ve updated this story to reflect that the update is now available for everyone. All you have to do is head to General in the Watch companion app and then click “Software Update.” Keep in mind you’ll need your Watch to be at least 50% of battery while charging and within range of your iPhone to update.
