5 Things to Know About the watchOS 6.2.5

Apple released watchOS 6.2.5 today as a free upgrade for the Apple Watch. This arrives ahead of iOS 13.5 and it includes new Pride watch faces as well as a collection of bug fixes. It also adds in ECG functionality for Saudi Arabia.

While this is mostly a series of fixes behind the scenes, it is an important update that could solve annoying Apple Watch problems. With ECG support coming to another country, it isn’t just all about bug fixes. You don’t need to install the iOS 13.5 update on your iPhone before you can install the watchOS update.

Our guide covers watchOS 6.2.5 performance, any known problems with watchOS 6.2.5, the compatibility of the update, any known changes or new features, and what’s next for the Apple Watch.

Let’s start with what’s new in watchOS 6.2.5, and the performance after a short period of testing with the update on the Apple Watch 5.

watchOS 6.2.5 Update: What’s New

What you need to know about the watchOS 6.2.5 update.

The watchOS 6.2.5 update includes one major feature and a number of bug fixes. This is still an important update, so you will want to look into the reasons to and not to install watchOS 6.2.5 before clicking update. Here’s what you get;

• Six new Pride Apple Watch faces
• ECG Support in Saudia Arabia
• Bug Fixes

We’ll update this list when we have more information to share about the update. In the coming hours and days, we may learn about specific fixes and changes.

watchOS 6.2.5 Reviews

How does watchOS 6.2.5 perform?

We just installed the watchOS 6.2.5 update on the Apple Watch 5 with GPS only. This is an early review after installing the update and testing it on one watch. We’ll be looking at the overall performance of other Apple Watch models.

Connectivity

• WiFi connected and working.
• Bluetooth connected immediately to my iPhone 11 Pro Max after reboot.
• AirPods Pro connected and streamed music.
• GPS and Compass are both working.

Apps

• Third-party apps launch and work as expected including Audible, Starbucks, Ecobee, and others.
• Apple’s apps like Apple Music, Messages, Calendar, and Podcasts are working.

Speed & Battery Life

• The update performance is good so far, but this is the latest Apple Watch.
• It is too early to offer any battery life performance.

watchOS 6.2.5 Compatibility

The watchOS 6.2.5 update is compatible with all Apple Watches that run watchOS 6. This includes the Series 1 through Series 5. This isn’t a typical release since you don’t need a new version of iOS installed to get the update.

watchOS 6.2.5 Problems

This is a small bug fix update that adds in support for a feature that is not new, just in a new location. That is a sign that we may not see a lot of issues. We are checking our Apple Watch devices for watchOS 6.2.5 problems and we are monitoring social media. The good news right now is that we did not experience any major issues and overall there are no widespread reports of watchOS 6.2.5 problems yet.

What’s Next for watchOS?

We will likely see at least one more watchOS 6 update this year that adds in new features and fixes issues. We should be learning about watchOS 7 at WWDC in June, which will allow us to understand what new Apple Watch features are coming in 2020 and which models will get the update.

WWDC is scheduled for June 22nd, which is when we will know a lot more about the future of watchOS updates.

Answer Calls on the Apple Watch

> 1 / 66

You can answer a call on your Apple Watch using it as a small Bluetooth speakerphone. You only want to use this for shorter calls because the audio quality isn't as good as when you are talking on speakerphone on your iPhone.  The Apple Watch only allows you to answer your calls on Speakerphone, so you won't want to use this all the time. It is very handy when you are working on a project or busy with your hands. Definitely be conscious of where you are taking calls. If you wouldn't talk on speakerphone, you shouldn't talk on your Apple Watch. If you buy the new Apple Watch with LTE, you can even make calls on the Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby. This requires adding the watch to your plan for $10 a month. You cannot answer a FaceTime video call on the Apple Watch.

> 1 / 66