Instagram nixes native Apple Watch app, citing death of watchOS 1 SDK

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Apple Watch
With its latest iOS update, Facebook's Instagram has also killed its native Apple Watch app, once used to showcase the first-generation Watch that launched in 2015.




The native Watch app was created using the watchOS 1 SDK, which Apple is no longer supporting as of Apr. 1, Instagram explained in a comment to French site iPhoneAddict. Rather than rebuild it for watchOS 4, Instagram appears to have decided to scrap development entirely.

Watch owners will instead have to rely on push notifications, losing the ability to browse feeds from their wrist. The watchOS app should disappear after installing version 39 of Instagram for the iPhone.

Instagram's presence on the Watch has always been controversial. The wearable doesn't have any cameras, and its small screen makes it impossible to see photos in much detail.

Many developers have abandoned native apps for the Watch, some of the bigger examples being Amazon, eBay, and the Google Maps team. As with Instagram, native Watch support can sometimes be redundant, offering few features that go beyond notifications.

Google has promised to bring back a native Maps app. That's more likely to be useful, offering an alternative to Apple Maps and possible sync with Google Maps on other platforms.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    How many people were actually using this?
    doozydozenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 12
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    Seems to me Apple pushed apps because that’s what it knows. Same with Apple TV when it came out. Tim Cook got up on stage and said the future of TV is apps. Now we rarely hear anyone from Apple talk about Apple TV apps. I’d love to know how many non-content streaming/video apps are downloaded and used on a regular basis. 
    doozydozen
  • Reply 3 of 12
    mavemufcmavemufc Posts: 326member
    racerhomie3 said:
    How many people were actually using this?
    was on my series 1 watch for over 2 years and think i used the app twice, was slow as hell.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 12
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Amazfit Bip for $59 shipped a month or two ago and I’ll never look back.  Sold my AWS3 and haven’t missed it one ounce.  Apps continue to disappear, price is way too high and the Fit has an always on screen that looks way better outside.  Admittedly it looks like crud when the back light is on but so what.  Vibrating notifications and has a heart sensor.  Works with Health App.  Sorry Apple, your watch is one product I don’t miss or need.  
  • Reply 5 of 12
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    wemclaughlins said:
    Amazfit Bip for $59 shipped a month or two ago and I’ll never look back.  Sold my AWS3 and haven’t missed it one ounce.  Apps continue to disappear, price is way too high and the Fit has an always on screen that looks way better outside.  Admittedly it looks like crud when the back light is on but so what.  Vibrating notifications and has a heart sensor.  Works with Health App.  Sorry Apple, your watch is one product I don’t miss or need.  
    Goodbye.
    Its the Swiss watches Apple is after .
    Not some cruddy junk nerds wear.
    doozydozenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 12
    lowededwookielowededwookie Posts: 1,143member
    The Instagram app was a waste of watch space. I have much better apps that would stand to be better developed using WatchOS 4 development but are still great apps. Instagram offered nothing better over the iPhone app.

    Who cares if it's gone.
    XanderPlooychiamavemufcwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 12
    sirozhasirozha Posts: 801member
    Running on the beach without having to bring an iPhone - that's the benefit of Apple Watch 3 with LTE. Same goes for my wife going for a run. I can see where she is and that she is safe, and she doesn't need to bring her phone.

    When I go roller blading on a concrete trail in a forest for a 15 mile skate I don't have to bring my iPhone with me anymore. My watch tracks my workout, streams my podcast, and gives me phone connectivity to stay connected with my family. I leave my iPhone in the car. 

    These are the benefits of Apple Watch 3 with LTE. Those who don't work out outside don't need LTE connectivity. But those who do, really appreciate Apple Watch 3 with LTE. I also owned an Apple Watch 2, and I can say with certainty that the only place I found it useful was at a gym, since I could take phone calls on it via Wi-Fi while I left my iPhone in the locker. However, for outside workout, I always had to bring my iPhone with me. Series 2 was not nearly as useful for me as Series 3. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 12
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    racerhomie3 said:
    wemclaughlins said:
    Amazfit Bip for $59 shipped a month or two ago and I’ll never look back.  Sold my AWS3 and haven’t missed it one ounce.  Apps continue to disappear, price is way too high and the Fit has an always on screen that looks way better outside.  Admittedly it looks like crud when the back light is on but so what.  Vibrating notifications and has a heart sensor.  Works with Health App.  Sorry Apple, your watch is one product I don’t miss or need.  
    Goodbye.
    Its the Swiss watches Apple is after .
    Not some cruddy junk nerds wear.
    It's the Swiss watches Apple is after?  Do you really think a high end watch collector is putting his $15k Rolex aside for an Apple Watch?  Newsflash: all of these smart watches are cruddy junk - they are gimmicks, but if you want some data on your heart rate, step count, GPS mapping for exercise and some notifications, the point is, this is the only useful functionality of the Apple Watch and it can be had way cheaper.  ...but you keep insulting me while you try and give Dick Tracy a run for his money on your watch phone.  ...just remember that talking to your wrist looks about as ridiculous as those old school bluetooth headphones people would wear in grocery lines that looked like either an earring from the hood or a Star Trek episode.  Who's the nerd again?  
  • Reply 9 of 12
    lowededwookielowededwookie Posts: 1,143member
    wemclaughlins said:
    racerhomie3 said:
    wemclaughlins said:
    Amazfit Bip for $59 shipped a month or two ago and I’ll never look back.  Sold my AWS3 and haven’t missed it one ounce.  Apps continue to disappear, price is way too high and the Fit has an always on screen that looks way better outside.  Admittedly it looks like crud when the back light is on but so what.  Vibrating notifications and has a heart sensor.  Works with Health App.  Sorry Apple, your watch is one product I don’t miss or need.  
    Goodbye.
    Its the Swiss watches Apple is after .
    Not some cruddy junk nerds wear.
    It's the Swiss watches Apple is after?  Do you really think a high end watch collector is putting his $15k Rolex aside for an Apple Watch?  Newsflash: all of these smart watches are cruddy junk - they are gimmicks, but if you want some data on your heart rate, step count, GPS mapping for exercise and some notifications, the point is, this is the only useful functionality of the Apple Watch and it can be had way cheaper.  ...but you keep insulting me while you try and give Dick Tracy a run for his money on your watch phone.  ...just remember that talking to your wrist looks about as ridiculous as those old school bluetooth headphones people would wear in grocery lines that looked like either an earring from the hood or a Star Trek episode.  Who's the nerd again?  
    What's going to be nice is hearing on the news how you were murdered by someone who was able to get that data from your cheap watch. Meanwhile we Apple Watch users will be safe knowing that no one can access the data because Apple won't let them.

    Been nice knowing you. :wink: 
    watto_cobraapplepieguy
  • Reply 10 of 12
    etherealethereal Posts: 10member
    rogifan_new said:
    Seems to me Apple pushed apps because that’s what it knows. Same with Apple TV when it came out. Tim Cook got up on stage and said the future of TV is apps. Now we rarely hear anyone from Apple talk about Apple TV apps. I’d love to know how many non-content streaming/video apps are downloaded and used on a regular basis. 
    Interesting point regarding apps and you’re probably right to an extent, I rarely use third party apps on my watch. Not sure I agree on the Apple TV though - the majority of the content I consume thorough the Apple TV comes through the various apps installed on it, Netflix, Amazon Prime video, Plex connecting to my Mac etc.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 12
    kudukudu Posts: 44member
    sirozha said:
    Running on the beach without having to bring an iPhone - that's the benefit of Apple Watch 3 with LTE. Same goes for my wife going for a run. I can see where she is and that she is safe, and she doesn't need to bring her phone.

    When I go roller blading on a concrete trail in a forest for a 15 mile skate I don't have to bring my iPhone with me anymore. My watch tracks my workout, streams my podcast, and gives me phone connectivity to stay connected with my family. I leave my iPhone in the car. 

    These are the benefits of Apple Watch 3 with LTE. Those who don't work out outside don't need LTE connectivity. But those who do, really appreciate Apple Watch 3 with LTE. I also owned an Apple Watch 2, and I can say with certainty that the only place I found it useful was at a gym, since I could take phone calls on it via Wi-Fi while I left my iPhone in the locker. However, for outside workout, I always had to bring my iPhone with me. Series 2 was not nearly as useful for me as Series 3. 
    How do you listen to podcasts on your Watch??There’s no Apple Podcast app. Would love to know, its THE function ive been waiting for. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 12
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    lowededwookie said:
    wemclaughlins said:
    racerhomie3 said:
    wemclaughlins said:
    Amazfit Bip for $59 shipped a month or two ago and I’ll never look back.  Sold my AWS3 and haven’t missed it one ounce.  Apps continue to disappear, price is way too high and the Fit has an always on screen that looks way better outside.  Admittedly it looks like crud when the back light is on but so what.  Vibrating notifications and has a heart sensor.  Works with Health App.  Sorry Apple, your watch is one product I don’t miss or need.  
    Goodbye.
    Its the Swiss watches Apple is after .
    Not some cruddy junk nerds wear.
    It's the Swiss watches Apple is after?  Do you really think a high end watch collector is putting his $15k Rolex aside for an Apple Watch?  Newsflash: all of these smart watches are cruddy junk - they are gimmicks, but if you want some data on your heart rate, step count, GPS mapping for exercise and some notifications, the point is, this is the only useful functionality of the Apple Watch and it can be had way cheaper.  ...but you keep insulting me while you try and give Dick Tracy a run for his money on your watch phone.  ...just remember that talking to your wrist looks about as ridiculous as those old school bluetooth headphones people would wear in grocery lines that looked like either an earring from the hood or a Star Trek episode.  Who's the nerd again?  
    What's going to be nice is hearing on the news how you were murdered by someone who was able to get that data from your cheap watch. Meanwhile we Apple Watch users will be safe knowing that no one can access the data because Apple won't let them.

    Been nice knowing you. :wink: 
    Did you bother to think before you wrote?  You realize this is 2018 and everything you write online is there for good?
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