Apple on Monday seeded the fourth beta of watchOS 7.4, the upcoming version of the watchOS software designed to run on the Apple Watch. The new beta, seeded to both developers and public beta testers, comes two weeks after Apple released the third beta.
The watchOS 7.4 beta can be installed on an Apple Watch with the proper configuration profile installed, via the Watch app on the device’s attached iPhone. Go to “General” -> “Software Update” to install the new software. The Watch should have at least 50% battery life, be connected to a charger, and be in the range of the iPhone.
watchOS 7.4 is compatible with Apple Watch Series 3, Apple Watch Series 4, or Apple Watch Series 5 paired with iPhone 6s or later running iOS 14 or later.
A new “Unlock with Apple Watch” feature that allows an iPhone running iOS 14.5 (which saw its first beta release today) to use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch running watchOS 7.4 as a secondary authentication method. This will come in handy for users who need to authenticate while in public and wearing a mask. This feature must be enabled in the Settings app on the iPhone by going to Face ID & Passcode and toggling on “Unlock with Apple Watch.”
The watchOS 7.4 update, when combined with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, enables AirPlay 2 for Apple Fitness+, allowing workouts to be streamed to an AirPlay 2-enabled TV or set-top box.
As usual, MacTrast and Apple both warn users to not install any betas on their daily driver Apple Watch, instead only install betas on a device set aside for testing purposes.
