New Apple Watch update could give your screen a horrible makeover
Ready to update? Maybe hold off, as some watchOS 9.5 users are reporting a weird screen bug
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If you’re looking to update yourApple Watchto the latest version of watchOS, watchOS 9.5, you might want to hold off, as some users are complaining about a bug that’s affecting the color tint on their devices’ screens.
Users of thebest Apple Watchmodels, as of five days ago, have been able to upgrade to watchOS 9.5 through the Watch app on their iPhone. The update promises some unspecified bug fixes and a smattering of new cosmetic features, such as a Pride Celebration watch face.
However, as spotted by several outlets includingwccftech, reports are trickling that once you upgrade, something happens to your screen once you open your notification and control center menus.
The screen takes on a tinted grey-green hue rather than the standard deep black, dulling the crispness of the screen. User reports on the/r/AppleWatchsubreddit andMacRumorsforum seems to indicate that it’s a watchOS 9.5 problem, and is model-agnostic – so whether you’ve got an older Apple Watch Series 5 or a top-of-the-rangeApple Watch Ultra, you might be affected by this change.
Some Apple Watch Users Complain of Odd Green Screen Tint Following watchOS 9.5 Update https://t.co/DnAwa8AM65 by @waxeditorial pic.twitter.com/49QbhxT5uRMay 22, 2023
It doesn’t appear to be happening to everyone. While some Reddit users on the discussion found they had been affected, others chimed in stating their notification menus were still jet-black. This indicates that, rather than a design choice, it could be a potential bug.
TechRadar has reached out to Apple for confirmation and comment, and we’ll update this article if and when we get a response.
Analysis: color us surprised
watchOS 9 offers a whole host of awesome new features for the Apple Watch, from advanced running metrics and new watch faces to medication logging. It’s not uncommon for subsequent versions of theoperating systemto fix bugs – and it’s not unheard of for new updates to cause them before being quickly fixed in future patches.
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If this is a bug or flaw, expect Apple to react quickly with a patch to fix it. In the meantime, this appears to be only a color-tint issue on a couple of menu screens, and doesn’t alter or affect performance elsewhere on the device. It seems to us that people are blowing this a little out of proportion, and we’re sure a fix will be on the way soon.
If not? Well, you probably won’t have long to wait untilwatchOS 10is announced at next month’sWWDC 2023.
Matt is TechRadar’s expert on all things fitness, wellness and wearable tech. A former staffer at Men’s Health, he holds a Master’s Degree in journalism from Cardiff and has written for brands like Runner’s World, Women’s Health, Men’s Fitness, LiveScience and Fit&Well on everything fitness tech, exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing.
Matt’s a keen runner, ex-kickboxer, not averse to the odd yoga flow, and insists everyone should stretch every morning. When he’s not training or writing about health and fitness, he can be found reading doorstop-thick fantasy books with lots of fictional maps in them.
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