Earlier this week, Apple released the watchOS 7.3 Release Candidate, which is usually the final beta version of a software update. The release notes for the update include a new “Time to Walk” feature for Apple Fitness + subscribers, described as a sound experience in the Workout app where guests share inspiring stories as you walk.
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Apple Fitness + subscribers can open the Workout app on an Apple Watch, select Time to Walk, and select one of the audio stories to listen to during their walk. The feature will probably also apply to wheelchair users.
Based on a screenshot of an Apple Fitness + promotional video that has since been removed shared by Twitter user Othmane, it appears that Time to Walk will include a thirty-minute story by singer Shawn Mendes at the launch. Othmane says the video also featured stories of singer Dolly Parton, NBA star Draymond Green and actress Uzo Aduba, known for her role as Suzanne Warren in the original Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black”.
While settings for Time to Walk started appearing in earlier betas of watchOS 7.3 and iOS 14.4 weeks ago, the stories are not yet accessible. The feature should start when the software updates are released to the public, probably next week.
A new setting on the Apple Watch can be turned on to ensure new Time to Walk stories are added to the Workout app as soon as it becomes available. The stories will be downloaded when the Apple Watch is connected to the stream and close to a paired iPhone, and it will be automatically removed after the workout.
Launched last month, Apple Fitness + offers subscribers access to a library of exercise videos featuring strength, yoga, dance, running, walking, cycling, rowing and more, with new content being presented to a team of trainers each week . Fitness + integrates custom metrics like the heart rate of the Apple Watch to motivate users and animate them during key moments during the workout on the screen. Time to Walk is unique in that the workouts can be completed outdoors without looking at a screen.
Apple Fitness + is currently available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Apple is offering a free one-month trial to all Apple Watch users and a three-month extended trial to customers who have purchased a new Apple Watch Series 3 or later after September 15, 2020. After the trial, the service will be priced at $ Priced at 9.99. per month or $ 79.99 per year in the United States.