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How do I revert/downgrade from watchOS 10 to watchOS 9?

Without warning, watchos updated and broke the UI.


The issue for me is that I constantly swipe to change the face. A single face is not adequate (even Apple cannot fit a quart into a watch screen size!). By following Apple's own advice on face customisation I created multiple faces that I can swipe through several times an hour. It actually reflects what I do on my Mac and my iPhone.


As of today that functionality is broken (although no-one has yet to tell siri!).


How do I revert to watchOS9 until either the functionality is restored, or Apple deem to give us control over how the watch works?


As far as I can see, this change dedicates swipe to opening the main app in the screen … which tap kind of did at any rate … switching faces/spaces and apps (per rest of apple eco system) is no longer allowed!



[Re-Titled by Moderator]


iPhone 14

Posted on Sep 20, 2023 6:42 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Oct 16, 2023 1:59 AM

hmm right, so let me see if I understand the issue from your point of view


I paid almost $2K for my watch. it had limitations, many, like any other device work in progress. however, the dock and swiping faces were essential in the meantime and helped users to get around some of those limitations.


Apple released the OS 10. exciting! however...


(1) no warning, before the update which raises some concerns, particularly considering the type of dramatic changes affecting many many many users


(2) cannot be reversed, so sorry your $2K investment is gone if you don't like what we did with the OS it is your problem not ours. this one sounds like a nightmare from a movie


(3) Apple does not take any responsibility for rendering the device not useful according to the owners' expectations which were set upon seeing what the watch could do from Apple's advertisement about a product with features that Apple has now removed in their OS 10 without prior notice? are you serious?


(4) some of the features removed such as the essential dock - still with 10 limited favourites as the only way to manage dozens of apps quickly - and swiping faces simply, instead of a tedious press and swipe process dedicated to edit the faces instead, were 101 features for the watch. it almost sounds like someone made a mistake with the release or they run out of time and repatched the OS before releasing it?


(5) the features that Apple removed, were carried after each OS upgrade, hence building the core usability of the watch. and responding to the user's expectations


as an example if I buy a Tesla that has self driving capability and Tesla deletes that capability later in a new release while I am driving and without notice, it sounds to me that the car I purchased is not going to be the same car I purchased, right?

these are just some examples as the new limitations expand across the entire usability of the watch. one might thing Apple conducts some serious customer usability testing before doing something like this, right?


so what are we missing here? why would someone remove the self driving capability of a Tesla without prior notice?


and, is this fair and reasonable for customers supporting Apple? let's remember that some of us paid almost $2K for an Apple watch. this is an expensive price tag for a watch. even if we wanted to sell that watch now, the word is already out. potential buyers would not buy this watch because without the self driving capability, not many would buy a second hand Tesla,


right?


does anyone know how to reset the watch to its default OS, please?

77 replies

Oct 25, 2023 9:47 AM in response to justacustomer

justacustomer wrote:

Looks like Apple trashed this feature at the behest of a small minority of users. Additionally, I’ve never seen nor heard a complaint about annoying accidental watch face swipe changes from any (many) Apple Watch users I know, many who have been using Apple Watch since it came out.

What you may not realize is that Apple has access to huge amounts of user data. They don't rely solely on self-selected feedback. They know, far better than any of us ever will, what features are used frequently by most users and what ones aren't. It's easy to fall victim to the logical fallacy that, because we like (or don't like) something, most other people feel the same.

I have other nice watches that I’m using again—until Apple fixes this unacceptable situation with watchOS 10.

You should always use the tool that best meets your needs. No one here minds if you use a different brand of watch.

Nov 2, 2023 8:37 AM in response to Folbo

I'm having Apple Watch almost since the beginning. At this time, switching Watch faces where exactly as it is now with WatchOS 10. Apple seemed quite fast to realize that this is cumbersome and a gives bad user experience and introduced the feature to switch between Watch faces by a simple swipe. That was in my opinion one of the greatest improvements in the WatchOS they made.

And now we are back at square one? Really?

To be even a bit more sarcastic: Next to come is that Watch applications are running on the iPhone instead of on the Watch as it was at the beginning?...


I'm really disappointed!

Furthermore, a simple feature like enable / disable Retina display always on in the control center still didn't make it to WatchOS 10.

Nov 21, 2023 10:31 AM in response to Dah•veed

"It's a simple tap & hold, swipe and tap. It takes a mere 2 seconds."


No it doesn't. I'm old. I can't see what is on the modular faces once they shrink that small, so now I have to find my glasses to figure out which face I want. I use(d) my watch for work, and now I can't because it's embarrassing in front of a client to be fiddling with my watch trying to figure out which face has the widget I want.

Dec 21, 2023 3:57 PM in response to Folbo

I am very disappointed in the last upgrade. As with others the previous ease of seeing the battery condition by simply swiping up has gone and is now a frustrating multi-step task.

In my experience the side button is very vulnerable and mine no longer functions. Despite that, in the previous OS I could not only easily access the battery charge level, but by swiping up also turn on the watch light which I frequently found very useful. I can no longer access this which is very annoying.

I see we cannot go back to a previous OS and there is a further revision waiting to be installed. I fear what further kiss of functionality this will bring about!

I respectfully ask that the ability to swipe up and see the simple functions be reinstated, please!

Dec 27, 2023 7:08 AM in response to Dah•veed

I bought the less expensive SE model watch a few years ago. I planned to upgrade to a model that does more cardiac monitoring. But I find that I use my watch less and less since the latest update. Also, my watch battery isn’t lasting the whole day as it used to. I find that I never switch the clock face to use the complications I used to use. I am ready for a phone upgrade from my cellular service and I am seriously considering switching back to android.

Dec 27, 2023 10:39 AM in response to Pkjri

Pkjri wrote:

I bought the less expensive SE model watch a few years ago. I planned to upgrade to a model that does more cardiac monitoring. But I find that I use my watch less and less since the latest update. Also, my watch battery isn’t lasting the whole day as it used to. I find that I never switch the clock face to use the complications I used to use. I am ready for a phone upgrade from my cellular service and I am seriously considering switching back to android.

Whatever tech makes you happy is perfectly acceptable.


Now, do you have a question for this user-to-user technical support forum?

Oct 19, 2023 9:47 AM in response to justacustomer

justacustomer wrote:

Totally agree. We switched to Apple ten years ago. Now with the update to watchOS 10 it feels like the whole Apple walled garden approach is not the best nor most secure cost-benefit option. The five Apple Watch users in my family are preparing to get rid of their watches and are looking at alternatives such as Garmin, FitBit, Amazfit, and Samsung. I literally hate my Apple Watch with watchOS 10 that I will NOT buy another unless I can get watchOS 9.X organization, ease of use, and battery performance back. This watchOS 10 casts a dark shadow and the whole Apple infrastructure of products and services for my family.

Tell Apple:


Product Feedback - Apple

Oct 24, 2023 2:09 PM in response to beastlet

beastlet wrote:

Not being able to easily swipe between watch faces is a deal breaker for me. As others have said it makes the watch useless. I spent years building up my modular faces with the apps I need (mainly for my job) and now accessing them is a pain. If I'm going to have to go back to my phone for everything I might as well ditch this watch and just buy a digital one that doesn't need to be charged all the time.

Tell Apple:


Product Feedback - Apple


Also, although it's not as robust as it may become, the Smart Stack has some potentional. You may find exploring it worthwhile.

How do I revert/downgrade from watchOS 10 to watchOS 9?

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