Apple Watch Movie Theater Mode Coming In New Update

It has been rumored, that the next Apple iPhone will introduce a new feature called Movie Theater Mode which hopes to make phone use less of a distraction in movie cinemas. I'm actually hopeful about this new mode as I just don't believe we can change people's behaviors and the bright screens are what distracts me, but it seems like a lot of people disagree.

And this week we have learned that the next update for the Apple Watch operating system will introduce a movie theater mode. Learn the details about the new Apple Watch movie theater mode, after the jump.

According to Apple's developer guide, Apple will be adding a new Theater Mode to the Apple Watch in the upcoming watchOS 3.2 update. The new feature called "Theater Mode" easily allows users to mute sound and disable waking the screen when raising your wrist, making it ideal for those looking to avoid interrupting fellow theatergoers at a movie or play. Notifications will still arrive on the Watch with haptic feedback, which can be viewed by pressing the digital crown or tapping the screen when they arrive.

I have owned the Apple Watch since the first day it went on sale, and it has become a part of my daily life. The other day at Sundance I left my condo without the watch, and I felt naked all day without it. I mainly use the advice for a quick look at notifications and have always found it to be annoying that there wasn't a way to disable to watch during movie screenings. I usually turn on the "do not disturb" function which means my watch does not light up with alerts and I don't receive the haptic feedback buzz, but still a significant movement of my hand could turn the face of my watch on. Luckily, I wear long sleeved hoodies most of the time, so it's covered up and not a distraction to anyone.

I could just turn the device completely off, which I have done in instances I don't wear long sleeves, but I always seem to forget to turn it back on when leaving the theater. One of the other big uses of my Apple Watch is to track my activity, and it does not do that while it's off, so if I forget to turn it back on for a half hour or hour, I have lost that data. I know, not a huge deal, but I try to capture it all.

I can understand why someone would want to have the haptic feedback enabled because you would be alerted of an important phone call or text (say from the babysitter or from the hospital for an on-call doctor). Turning off the phone or putting it on do no disturb mode is not an option for these type of people.

I like that the new watch update will bring the ability to turn the watch face off completely until you press the digital crown. If people enable this mode in the movie theater, this should prevent the watch from being a distraction from the people around the wearer of the device. Of course, this still requires the watch wearer to be considerate and turn the mode on. If only there were a way to alert the watch to its location in a movie theater and auto enable the feature.