Apple has quietly removed the Walkie Talkie feature from its Apple Watch, a decision that has left many owners highly disappointed.
In the first beta developer version of watchOS 27, the new update to the smartwatch’s operating system, the Walkie-Talkie feature was no longer in the app list or the control center, according to MacRumors.
Per the outlet, there was no option to reinstall the app, although Apple has not confirmed that it will be removed.
Stock image: Woman using smart watch and smart phone.
The Feature
The Walkie-Talkie feature was a handy way for users to instantly communicate with friends and family who also have an Apple Watch.
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Using a push-to-talk system much like traditional walkie-talkies, users could send and receive short voice messages in real time by simply tapping a button.
The feature worked over Wi-Fi or cellular connections and used FaceTime Audio technology to deliver the messages—a highly useful option for quick conversations when typing a message or making a phone call would be less convenient.
The feature was introduced with watchOS 5 in 2018. Although the feature was temporarily disabled in 2019 due to a security vulnerability, Apple quickly addressed the issue and restored the service.
‘It’s our intercom’
Commenters on Reddit’s r/Apple forum were, for the most part, disappointed by the news.
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“Damn, my wife and I use this all the time,” one user commented, to which another replied, “Same, it’s our intercom.”
“I’m personally gutted,” a third poster wrote. “I use it with my daughter and my sister all the time.”
“On behalf of many husbands, this seriously will impact trips to the grocery store,” a fourth joked.
‘Really neat’
Some users felt that while the feature was a fun idea, it had a limited use case.
“If I were a kid again, I would use it every day, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense for adults,” one user posted. “The kid inside me will miss it because I did have a walkie-talkie.”
“This is one of those features that I’ve never used, but think is really neat,” another added. “I’m sad that it’s being removed, but kind of in the same way I’m sad Blockbuster shut down.”
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Finally, one contributor said that while the app was a nice idea, “it didn’t work well.”
They added, “Well, it did when both parties were on cellular, but not so much when one or the other end was connected to an iPhone via Bluetooth.”
The public beta of watchOS 27 is slated to arrive next month. Along with iOS 27, watchOS 27 is expected in the fall.
Newsweek has reached out to Apple for comment via email.
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