Apple has given a sneak peek of watchOS 10, which will provide Apple Watch users with a fresh way to quickly view information with redesigned apps, a new Smart Stack that displays relevant widgets when needed, and new watch faces that are delightful. New metrics, Workout Views, and Bluetooth connectivity for power meters, speed sensors, and cadence sensors arrive for cyclists, while new Compass Waypoints and Maps capabilities further help hikers. Meanwhile, the Mindfulness app offers additional tools to support mental health. You can get watchOS 10 as a developer beta today, and the free software update will be available this fall.
Kevin Lynch, Apple’s vice president of Technology, said:
“watchOS is the world’s most advanced wearable operating system, and it has redefined how people all over the world think of what a watch can do. watchOS 10 is a major milestone and an energizing new approach for Apple Watch, introducing a fresh new design for quickly viewing information, delightful new watch faces, new features for cyclists and hikers, and important tools for health.”
New Design and Navigation
The redesign of apps in watchOS 10 presents more information in a single view. Navigation has also improved, making it easier to access content quickly.
“With watchOS 10, we’ve redesigned the interface, allowing users to experience Apple Watch like never before. The update gives users the information that matters most to them at a glance, simplified navigation, and a new visual language that takes full advantage of the Apple Watch display. We’re also introducing the Smart Stack, offering quick access to proactive and relevant information, right from the watch face.”
Apple Watch apps, such as Weather, Stocks, Home, Maps, Messages, World Clock, and more, now show more information on the Apple Watch display. The Activity app on Apple Watch and the Fitness app on iPhone make tracking daily movement even easier with more details, improvements to sharing, a redesigned trophy case, and Apple Fitness+ trainer tips.
A new Smart Stack contains widgets that show timely information that adapts to the user’s context and can be accessed with a simple turn of the Digital Crown from any watch face. For example, in the morning, Weather will show the forecast, or, when traveling, the Smart Stack will show boarding passes from Wallet. Calendar and Reminders will move to the top to show upcoming meetings or tasks, and running apps, such as Podcasts, will also move up so they are easily accessible. Smart Stack also lets users enjoy a beautiful watch face, like Portraits, while still being able to access the information they care about quickly.
Developers can use the new design language to update their apps. For example, Streaks now uses the entire display to show progress and access tasks, the NBA app enhances team colors and game details, and with Waterllama’s redesign, users can quickly view their hydration from the last seven days with a turn of the Digital Crown.
Control Center is easily accessible using the side button and can be opened at any time over any app. A double-click of the Digital Crown returns to recently used apps.
New Watch Faces
watchOS 10 has two new watch faces: Palette and Snoopy. The Palette face shows the time in multiple colors using three distinct overlapping layers, and as the time changes, the colors on the display also change.
Moreover, the popular comic strip Peanuts comes to life on Apple Watch with the new watch face that features Snoopy and Woodstock. The characters interact and play with the watch hands, react to the weather conditions in the area, or even get active when the user does a workout.
Cycling
The Apple Watch is ideal for cyclists, offering features like automatic Workout reminders, calorimetry for e-biking, and Fall Detection. watchOS 10 enhances this activity even further with new metrics, views, and experiences.
Now, when a cycling workout is started from the Apple Watch, it will show up as a Live Activity on the iPhone. The iPhone can be mounted to a bike for easy viewing during a ride.
Workout Views, such as Heart Rate Zones, Elevation, Race Route, Custom Workouts, and the new Cycling Speed view are optimized for the display size of the iPhone, which can be mounted to a bike for convenient viewing during a ride.
The Apple Watch can now connect automatically to cycling accessories that have Bluetooth capability, like power meters, speed sensors, and cadence sensors. This connection allows for the display of new metrics, such as cycling power (watts) and cadence (RPM), and additional Workout Views, like Power Zones. Bluetooth connection is supported for Indoor and Outdoor cycling workouts, as well as GymKit.
New algorithms combine sensor data from Apple Watch and connected power meters to estimate Functional Threshold Power (FTP), which is the highest level of cycling intensity that a rider could theoretically maintain for an hour. Based on FTP, Apple Watch calculates personalized Power Zones, which can be used to easily see the current zone and track how long it’s been spent in each zone, an effective and popular way to improve performance.
Hiking
The Compass app on Apple Watch is a useful tool for exploring the great outdoors. With watchOS 10, Compass generates two new waypoints: A Last Cellular Connection Waypoint estimates the last place with cellular reception, which may be useful for checking messages or making a call. In case of emergencies, a Last Emergency Call Waypoint estimates where on the route their device had the last connection to any available carrier’s network so that an emergency call can be made.
When preparing routes, a new Elevation view uses altimeter data, offering a three-dimensional view of saved waypoints. Starting in the U.S., Apple Maps displays a new topographic map featuring contour lines, hill shading, elevation details, and points of interest. Users can also search for nearby trails and trailheads, with place cards that include detailed information like trail length, type, and difficulty.
Mental Health
Mental health is just as important as physical health. Research shows that reflecting on your state of mind can help you become more emotionally aware and resilient. With the Mindfulness app in watchOS 10, you can discreetly and conveniently log your momentary emotions and daily moods. To do this, simply turn the Digital Crown to scroll through engaging, multidimensional shapes to choose how you’re feeling. Then, select what is having the biggest impact on you and describe your feelings.
In iOS 17 and iPadOS 17’s Health app, you can see valuable insights to identify what might be contributing to your state of mind. This could include associations or lifestyle factors such as sleep or exercise. Additionally, the Health app provides easy access to depression and anxiety assessments often used in clinics. These assessments can help you determine your risk level and connect you to resources available in your region. You can even create a PDF to share with your doctor.
Vision Health
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is the primary cause of vision problems worldwide. To reduce the risk of myopia, the International Myopia Institute recommends that children spend at least 80-120 minutes a day outside. With watchOS 10, Apple Watch now has the capability to measure the amount of time spent in daylight using the ambient light sensor. This information can be viewed in the Health app on an iPhone or iPad.
Spending time outdoors during the day can provide additional benefits to both physical and mental health for people of all ages. Even children who do not have an iPhone can use Family Setup to connect their Apple Watch to their parent’s iPhone, allowing parents to see how much time their children are spending outside with Health Sharing.
Apple Watch has introduced a new feature that measures the amount of time spent in daylight using the ambient light sensor.
Viewing a device or a book too closely has been identified as a risk factor for myopia. The new Screen Distance feature uses the same TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID in iPad and iPhone to help users maintain a safe distance from their device. It will encourage users to move their device farther away after holding it closer than 12 inches for an extended period of time.
When a device is locked with a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID, all Health app data, including mental and vision health information, is encrypted.
Additional watchOS 10 updates include:
- NameDrop allows users to easily share contact information by bringing Apple Watch close to someone else’s iPhone. Apple Watch users can also use NameDrop by tapping the Share button in My Card in the Contacts app, or by tapping the My Card watch face complication, and then bringing Apple Watch face to face with someone else’s Apple Watch.2
- Offline maps on iPhone provide access to turn-by-turn navigation, estimated time of arrival, places in Maps, and more while away from Wi-Fi or cellular services. These features can also be used on a paired Apple Watch that is in range of its companion iPhone.
- Users can now initiate playback of a FaceTime video message and view it directly on Apple Watch. Additionally, Group FaceTime audio is now supported on Apple Watch.
- The Medications app can send follow-up reminders if a medication hasn’t been logged 30 minutes after the scheduled time.
- Apple Fitness+ introduces Custom Plans, a new way to receive a custom workout or meditation schedule based on day, duration, workout type, and more; Stacks, which allows users to select multiple workouts and meditations to do seamlessly back to back; and Audio Focus, which gives users the ability to prioritize the volume of the music or the trainers’ voices.
NameDrop allows users to easily share contact information by bringing Apple Watch close to someone else’s iPhone.
Enterprise
The Apple Watch has features that can help increase productivity and safety for enterprise customers, such as hands-free communication and responding to notifications while on the go. It also has Fall Detection for job sites. In watchOS 10, there is support for Mobile Device Management (MDM), which allows enterprise customers to remotely and centrally install apps and configure accounts on a group of devices. It also includes features like passcode enforcement, and configuring Wi-Fi and VPN settings. With this update, the Apple Watch can help improve employee wellness, productivity, health, and safety in the workplace.
APIs for Workout App Developers
The new APIs in watchOS 10 provide workout app developers with the ability to create better user experiences. Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra’s motion sensors are powerful and can detect rapid changes in velocity and acceleration, such as when you swing a golf club or tennis racket. Developers can now access this high-frequency motion data, enabling apps such as SwingVision to analyze serve pronation and Golfshot to detect small wrist movements to refine a golf swing.
TrainingPeaks, a popular coaching platform, can use a new API to create a Custom Workout that can be directly imported into the Workout app. Developers using HealthKit for workouts can provide validated calories for golf workouts, as the variation between using a golf cart or walking on the green is now identified. Developers can also access speed, cadence, and power metrics for cycling and mirror workouts from Apple Watch to iPhone.
Coaching platforms such as TrainingPeaks can create a Custom Workout to be imported directly into the Workout app.
The developer beta of watchOS 10 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today. A public beta will be available to watchOS users next month at beta.apple.com. watchOS 10 will be available this fall as a free software update for Apple Watch Series 4 or later paired with iPhone Xs or later, running iOS 17. Some features may not be available in all regions or all languages, or on all devices. Features are subject to change. For more information, visit apple.com/watchos/watchos-preview.
