Apple has quietly removed the Walkie-Talkie app from the Apple Watch in the first developer beta of watchOS 27. This push-to-talk feature, introduced in 2018 with watchOS 5, allowed users to send short voice messages over Wi-Fi or cellular networks using FaceTime infrastructure. Unlike traditional walkie-talkies, it functioned over any distance, offering a novel communication method without the need for an iPhone.
Despite its initial promise, the Walkie-Talkie app received minimal updates over the years. Shortly after its debut, Apple temporarily disabled the feature due to a security vulnerability that could allow unauthorized access to another user’s microphone. Although the issue was resolved with a subsequent watchOS update, the app did not see significant enhancements in the following releases.
In the watchOS 27 developer beta, the Walkie-Talkie app is absent from both the app list and Control Center, with no option to reinstall it. Apple has not officially commented on the removal, leaving users to speculate whether this is a permanent decision or a temporary measure during the beta phase.
Alongside the removal of Walkie-Talkie, watchOS 27 introduces other changes. Notably, the separate Find Devices, Find People, and Find Items apps have been consolidated into a single, map-centric Find My app. This redesign aims to streamline the process of locating people, devices, and items from a unified interface.
While the Walkie-Talkie app’s removal may disappoint some users who found it useful for quick voice communication, its limited adoption and lack of updates suggest that Apple is focusing on refining and enhancing other features within the Apple Watch ecosystem. As watchOS 27 progresses through its beta stages, it remains to be seen if the Walkie-Talkie app will make a return or if Apple will introduce alternative communication tools to fill the void.
