Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of watchOS 7.4 to Developers

by

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming watchOS 7.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming one week release of the fourth beta and over a month after the launch of watchOS 7.3 with "Time to Walk" functionality, expanded ECG availability, and a new Unity watch face.

7
To install the ‌watchOS 7.4 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7.4 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated ‌Apple Watch‌ app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.

To update to the new software, the ‌Apple Watch‌ needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌‌.

Alongside iOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4 introduces a new "Unlock with Apple Watch" feature that lets an ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary authentication measure when you're wearing a mask, alleviating the need to enter a passcode to unlock the ‌iPhone‌.

iphone apple watch unlock
‌Face ID‌ does not work when wearing a mask, but this new Apple Watch feature provides an easy but still secure way to access the ‌iPhone‌ without the hassle of a passcode. It's similar to the Apple Watch unlocking on Mac and can be enabled in the Settings app under ‌Face ID‌ & Passcode.

An unlocked Apple Watch paired with ‌Face ID‌ can unlock the ‌iPhone‌ when a mask is worn, but it's only for mask usage. The Apple Watch cannot be used to authenticate Apple Pay or App Store purchases, nor can it be used to unlock apps that require a ‌Face ID‌ scan. In these situations, the mask will need to be removed or a passcode/password will need to be used instead.

iphone apple watch unlock 2
When the Apple Watch unlocks the ‌iPhone‌, you'll feel a haptic tap on the wrist and will receive a notification on the watch, similar to how it works when using the watch to unlock a Mac.

For those who use Apple Fitness+, the watchOS 7.4 update combined with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 enables AirPlay 2 for Apple Fitness+, so workouts can be streamed to an ‌AirPlay‌ 2-enabled TV or set-top box. Apple Watch metrics do not show up on the screen when AirPlayed, however, and that feature is limited to ‌iPhone‌/iPad/Apple TV.

Apple has said that watchOS 7.4 will be released in the early spring.

Related Roundup: watchOS 11
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Read Full Article • 242 comments
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Read Full Article • 51 comments
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Read Full Article • 119 comments
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Read Full Article • 116 comments
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
Read Full Article • 260 comments
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
Read Full Article • 195 comments
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Read Full Article • 6 comments
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Read Full Article • 42 comments
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
Read Full Article • 111 comments

Top Rated Comments

Johnny907 Avatar
Johnny907
53 months ago

Again hoping they fix the motion, activity and standing tracking issue that was broke starting in beta 3.
I'll let you know as soon as I finish the update and get back from my run. Fingers crossed.


They always add a new watch face with an update. I still like using Chronograph Pro.
Likewise. I've been using the same Explorer Watchface since Series 3, partially because I appreciate the simplicity but mostly because it is the only one that easily shows Cell Signal strength. It continues to baffle me that more faces don't offer this functionality.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Braderunner Avatar
Braderunner
53 months ago
I bet the installation will be buttery smooth! Probably better than the last beta! Thanks, Apple!!! ;) :D:p
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Johnny907 Avatar
Johnny907
53 months ago
Happy to report this Beta seems to solve a lot of issues with the last two. My last run was tracked accurately from start to finish, without the telltale grey dots that indicate when the watch failed to track my location. Furthermore the mile splits occurred exactly where they were supposed to within a few feet, indicating distance was properly tracked as well. Calories and active calories are still a little low but back within the range both should be.
Finally, battery drain is much diminished and back to non-beta levels. A five mile run with GPS active and streaming a podcast over connected AirPods resulted in only a 7% drain compared to the 20-25% I was getting with betas 3 and 4.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Johnny907 Avatar
Johnny907
53 months ago

I just got this installed on my Series 6 and am putting it through its paces. Still working on installing on my Series 5, that went a bit more slowly.

Overall, the release looks GREAT so far. The installation process was really quick for a beta, and the Infograph Modular and Astronomy faces seem to be working great! I also tried streaming music from Apple Music and that also seems perfect, rich sound quality and no stutter.

I'll keep testing this throughout the day and let you know, but it looks like watchOS 7.4 is going to be a HOT one. I think it's ready for release!
I'm guessing you either didn't install the previous betas, or don't pay attention to Activity Tracking, which has been a complete dumpster fire since Beta 3. 5 mile jog yesterday managed to track 3.4 miles of it, resulting in active calorie burn of 14 kcal. Yup. Dumpster fire.

Installing now on my Series 6. Will be leaving the house for another five miles as soon as it is finished to put it through it's *actual* paces and see if things are finally fixed after ten or so bug reports in the last month. Will report back in an hour or so.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mikman Avatar
Mikman
53 months ago
Will we ever get the “if I delete messages on iPhone it deletes them from watch as well” upgrade
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FishyFish Avatar
FishyFish
53 months ago
I just got this installed on my Series 6 and am putting it through its paces. Still working on installing on my Series 5, that went a bit more slowly.

Overall, the release looks GREAT so far. The installation process was really quick for a beta, and the Infograph Modular and Astronomy faces seem to be working great! I also tried streaming music from Apple Music and that also seems perfect, rich sound quality and no stutter.

I'll keep testing this throughout the day and let you know, but it looks like watchOS 7.4 is going to be a HOT one. I think it's ready for release!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments