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Annual updates: big changes for watchOS, tvOS, macOS

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If you’ve been keeping track of the news this week, you’ll know that iOS 12 was recently released to the public for iPhone and iPad. But those aren’t the only Apple devices with new features and improvements to check out!

Annual software updates for Apple Watch and Apple TV are now live, too, with the Mac update due next week.

Apple Watch

watchOS 5 is here along with the new Apple Watch S4, but it’s compatible with older models, too – everything but the first-generation Apple Watch from 2015.

It’s a solid update that will provide a suite of improvements, including better workouts and running features, activity competitions so you can challenge your buddies, and a Walkie-Talkie mode for quick voice messaging between Apple Watch users. Like iOS 12, Siri is smarter than ever and will make more proactive suggestions, and there are now more ways to interact with incoming interactions.

To install watchOS 5, you’ll first need to get iOS 12 set up on your iPhone. Then, open the Watch app and choose General > Software Update. Bear in mind you’ll need to place the Apple Watch on its charger for the update process, and keep the iPhone in close proximity, so plan accordingly.

Apple TV

Though we’ve not had an update to the Apple TV recently, that hasn’t stopped Apple releasing tvOS 12 for the TV streaming box.

It’s a relatively light update that doesn’t bring any huge new features, but does make some key improvements that make it worth taking the time to update. The 4K models will get Dolby Atmos audio in addition to Dolby Vision, making it the first device certified with both. More exciting, perhaps, is that the gorgeous screensavers now show where they were filmed. There are also some new screensavers including one of the entire Earth as shot from space.

To update, go to Settings System Software Update on your Apple TV and follow the instructions.

Mac

The latest software update for iMac and MacBook owners is almost here, continuing the California landmark naming system with macOS Mojave.

There are a suite of new features that will please desktop users, most notably the addition of a full ‘dark mode’ and a new system of dynamic wallpapers that change your background to match the time of day. There are also a host of additional apps familiar to iOS users – News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos – while a new continuity feature allows you to snap a photo on your iPhone or iPad and have it appear immediately in a document on your computer.

macOS Mojave is released on September 24 as a free update. You’ll find it in the Updates tab of the Mac’s App Store app.