Apple is finally fixing one of the Apple Watch's most annoying problems
Most of us know well enough not to check our smartphones in a movie theater, but what do you do when your smart watch lights up when you raise your hand to scratch your nose.
You can do the panicked wrist grab, covering your Apple Watch before anyone notices the tiny beacon of light beaming from your seat.
Android smart watch owners already have a solution: It's called Theatre Mode and it basically turns off the screen and notifications (including haptics).
As an Apple Watch owner and movie lover, I have often wished for this tiny, but smart feature. Now, just in time for my Oscar movie marathon, Apple is prepping a watchOS update, version 3.2, that will include Apple's own version of Theater Mode (note the spelling difference).
Theater Mode will let Apple Watch owners keep the screen and sounds off for the duration of the movie -- even if you raise your hand, the watch screen won't wake. You will still, however, feel notifications through haptics. If you want to view one, you can tap the screen or press the watch's digital crown.
WatchOS 3.2 will offer some other updates including access to SiriKit. Introduced last year, SiriKit will give developers direct access to key Siri functions like calling, messaging and photo search. App developers will be able to tap into these calls through their apps, which means Apple Watch users can, when in these apps, utilize Siri for voice-activated functions.
While Apple is not saying when watchOS 3.2 will come to Apple Watch users, I just hope it's before the Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 26.
Topics Apple Apple Watch Smartwatches
Lance Ulanoff was Chief Correspondent and Editor-at-Large of Mashable. Lance acted as a senior member of the editing team, with a focus on defining internal and curated opinion content. He also helped develop staff-wide alternative story-telling skills and implementation of social media tools during live events. Prior to joining Mashable in September 2011 Lance Ulanoff served as Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for the Ziff Davis, Inc. While there, he guided the brand to a 100% digital existence and oversaw content strategy for all of Ziff Davis’ Web sites. His long-running column on PCMag.com earned him a Bronze award from the ASBPE. Winmag.com, HomePC.com and PCMag.com were all been honored under Lance’s guidance.He makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Fox News, the Today Show, Good Morning America, Kelly and Michael, CNBC, CNN and the BBC.He has also offered commentary on National Public Radio and been interviewed by newspapers and radio stations around the country. Lance has been an invited guest speaker at numerous technology conferences including SXSW, Think Mobile, CEA Line Shows, Digital Life, RoboBusiness, RoboNexus, Business Foresight and Digital Media Wire’s Games and Mobile Forum.
