Earlier this week, Apple released the watchOS 7.3 Release Candidate, which is usually the latest beta version of a software update. The release notes for the update feature a new “Time to Walk” feature for Apple Fitness + subscribers, described as “an audio experience in the Workout app where guests share inspiring stories while you walk.”
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Apple Fitness + subscribers can open the Workout app on an Apple Watch, select Time to Walk, and choose one of the audio stories to listen to on their walk. The feature is likely to apply to wheelchair users.
Based on a screenshot from an Apple Fitness + promotional video that has since been deleted shared by Twitter user OthmaneIt looks like Time to Walk will feature a 30-minute story by singer Shawn Mendes at launch. Othmane says the video also featured stories from singer Dolly Parton, NBA star Draymond Green and actress Uzo Aduba, known for her role as Suzanne Warren in the Netflix original series “Orange Is the New Black.”
While the Time to Walk settings started appearing weeks ago in previous betas of watchOS 7.3 and iOS 14.4, the stories aren’t accessible yet. The feature should start when the software updates are publicly released, probably next week.
A new setting on the Apple Watch can be enabled to ensure that new Time to Walk stories are added to the Workout app as they become available. The stories are downloaded when the Apple Watch is plugged into a power outlet and near a paired iPhone, and they are automatically deleted upon completion of the workout.
Launched last month, Apple Fitness + gives subscribers access to a library of workout videos about strength, yoga, dance, running, walking, cycling, rowing and more, with new content every week from a team of trainers hired by Apple. Fitness + integrates personal metrics such as Apple Watch heart rate to motivate users and animate them on screen during key moments in the workout. Time to Walk will be unique, as the workouts can be completed outdoors without having to watch a screen.
Apple Fitness + is currently available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Apple is offering all Apple Watch users a one-month free trial and an extended three-month trial for customers who purchased a new Apple Watch Series 3 or later after September 15, 2020. After the trial period, the service costs $ 9.99 per month or $ 79.99 per year in the United States.