Updated
Updated · MacRumors · Jun 22
Apple Cuts 4 Watch Apps in watchOS 27 Beta as Find My Absorbs 3
Updated
Updated · MacRumors · Jun 22

Apple Cuts 4 Watch Apps in watchOS 27 Beta as Find My Absorbs 3

1 articles · Updated · MacRumors · Jun 22

Summary

  • watchOS 27 developer beta 1 removes four built-in Apple Watch apps, merging Find Devices, Find People and Find Items into a single map-centric Find My app while eliminating Walkie-Talkie.
  • The new Find My app adds one-screen access to directions, nearby-item searches and Precision Finding for a paired iPhone, AirPods Pro 3 or AirTag 2, alongside broader sharing controls.
  • Walkie-Talkie has vanished from both the app list and Control Center, and Apple has not explained the cut; the push-to-talk app debuted with watchOS 5 in 2018.
  • That feature was briefly disabled in 2018 after an eavesdropping bug, and Apple had made few changes since; because watchOS 27 is still in early beta, the removals could change before a likely September release.

Insights

Is watchOS 27’s AI push a genuine leap forward or a strategy to force expensive hardware upgrades?
Does unifying 'Find My' apps for convenience create a single point of failure for user privacy?