watchOS is the operating system of the Apple Watch, developed by Apple. It is based on iOS, the operating system used by the iPhone, and has many similar features.[4] It was released on April 24, 2015, along with the Apple Watch, the only device that runs watchOS. watchOS exposes an API called WatchKit for developer use.
The second version, watchOS 2, included support for native third-party apps and other improvements, and was released on September 21, 2015.[5][6][7] The third version, watchOS 3, was released on September 13, 2016, to emphasize better performance and include new watch faces and stock apps. The fourth version, watchOS 4, was released on September 19, 2017. The fifth version, watchOS 5, was released on September 17, 2018,[8] to add more third-party support and new workouts, along with the "Walkie-Talkie" feature.[9] The sixth version, watchOS 6, was released on September 19, 2019.[10] The seventh version, watchOS 7, was released on September 16, 2020, to support handwashing and sleep tracking.[11][12] The eighth version, watchOS 8, was released on September 20, 2021, with updates in health monitoring, visuals, and apps.[13] The ninth version, watchOS 9, was released on September 12, 2022. The tenth version, watchOS 10, was released on September 18, 2023. The 11th and the latest version, watchOS 11, was released on September 16, 2024.
Interface overview
The home screen, rendered by and also known as "Carousel",[4] consists of circular applicationicons that can be zoomed in and out with the Digital Crown and launched by touching the display, allowing users to access their favorite apps.
Prior to watchOS 3, "Glances" offered quick access to summaries of the most frequently used native and third-party applications.[14] The Glances view was opened with a swipe-up gesture from the watch face screen. In watchOS 3, Glances were replaced with a redesigned Control Center that mirrors the functionality seen in iOS, providing a more unified experience across Apple devices. The Control Center is accessed with a swipe-up gesture from the watch face screen. Additionally, the friends menu, previously activated with the side button, was repurposed as a dedicated dock for apps, enhancing multitasking and app management.
Prior to watchOS 7, different actions and options appeared depending on whether the user taps or deep-presses, which an Apple Watch detects with its pressure-sensitive (Force Touch) Display.[15] Force Touch was completely removed in watchOS 7, and all actions requiring the feature were moved to specific options in the Settings app or to long-press actions.[16] With the launch of watchOS 7, Force Touch technology was phased out. This feature was replaced by additional options in the Settings app and extended press gestures to accommodate all necessary interactions. This change streamlined the interaction model, making it more consistent with other Apple devices that do not support Force Touch.
As of watchOS 10, the interface has been further refined to enhance user accessibility and interaction. New customization features allow users to personalize their Carousel with greater ease, and improvements in app responsiveness and animation enrich the overall user experience. These updates demonstrate Apple's ongoing commitment to enhancing usability while maintaining the sleek, minimalist design that users appreciate.
Supported health metrics
Since its inception, watchOS has supported an increasing number and variety of health metrics for measurement and tracking. These include:
heart rate
maximal aerobic capacity, otherwise known as VO2 max (added in watchOS 4,[17] enhanced in watchOS 7[18][19][20])
electrocardiogram, otherwise known as EKG or ECG (added in watchOS 5.1.2[21])
blood oxygen saturation, otherwise known as SpO2 (added in watchOS 7,[18] unavailable on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 units sold after January 15, 2024 for legal reasons)
For several years, Apple has been developing its HealthKit product in an attempt to penetrate the lucrative healthcare and wellness industry, which CB Insights believe holds a huge growth opportunity for Apple.[25] This was confirmed by Jony Ive, Apple's former chief designer, in an interview. He said that health was a crucial element in the Apple Watch since the day of its inception and that the developmental trajectory of the hardware and the watchOS were geared towards health-based capabilities.[26] Ive pointed out that one of the primary apps that shipped with the first watchOS allowed users to track and communicate as well as encourage them to move, exercise, and stand. He said:
Many of us have our phones with us all the time, but they aren't connected to you. Imagine having something this powerful with you at all times, and what opportunities that might present to the user. The opportunity is phenomenal. Particularly when [you] don't understand just where we are today in terms of technology and capability, but where we are headed.[26]
Applications have been developed for watchOS that not only keep users active but also diagnose illnesses. For example, the app called DeepHeart, a deep-learning network that can detect atrial fibrillation, hypertension, sleep apnea, and diabetes.[27] It taps into the HealthKit platform to collect data, particularly those collected by the Apple Watch's heart sensor.[28]
Kaleidoscope face with static images turning into patterns
Siri, News, Heart Rate, Now Playing, Messages Complications
Activity
Personalized notifications
Monthly challenges
Full Screen animations for achievements and rings closed
Workout metrics included in replies for Activity Sharing notifications
Workout
App completely redesigned
High Intensity Interval Training workout support
Multiple workouts in a single session support
Auto sets for Pool Swim workouts
Synced music playlist support when starting workouts (Apple Watch 1st gen not supported)
Music controls right inside the app
Do Not Disturb can be automatically turned on when starting workouts
Heart Rate
Graphs for all-day heart rate
New measurements including resting rate, walking average, workout average, workout high, recovery, and Breathe sessions
High Heart Rate notifications support (Apple Watch 1st gen not supported)
New Heart Rate data on iPhone including Heart Rate Variability and VO2 max
Music
App completely redesigned
Multiple playlists sync support for local playback with Bluetooth headphones
Apple Music curated playlists sync support, includes Heavy Rotation, My New Music Mix, and My Favorites Mix
Miscellaneous
News app added
Flashlight and Safety Light can be toggled through Control Center
Recent used apps in Dock
App home screen in alphabetical view
Gestures support in Mail
Dialer pad right inside Phone app
Conflicts for Calendar invites can now be displayed
New language for Scribble: German
New timers: sub-minute and repeating
Recent locations and suggestions in Maps
Contacts in Smart Reply, includes location
4.0.1
11.0
15R654
October 4, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-10-04)
Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) only
Bug fixes
4.1
11.1
15R846
October 31, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-10-31)
Music streaming support on Apple Music or iCloud Music Library (Apple Watch Series 3 only)
New Radio app: Beats 1 Live Radio, custom stations, and expert-curated stations (Apple Watch Series 3 only)
Find, discover, and play songs, albums, or albums using Siri
Fitness data syncing support for more accurate metrics on GymKit-enabled treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and indoor bikes
Ability to disconnect from a Wi-Fi network right in Control Center (Apple Watch Series 3 GPS + Cellular model only)
Mandarin Chinese now set as default dictation language in China
Bug fixes
4.2
11.2
15S102
December 5, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-12-05)
Apple Pay Cash support (US only)
HomeKit sprinklers and faucet support
3rd-party app Workouts: distance, average Speed, number of runs, elevation descended for downhill snow sports (Apple Watch Series 3 only)
Bug fixes
4.2.2
11.2
15S542
January 23, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-01-23)
This update includes improvements and bug fixes.
4.2.3
11.2
15S600b
February 19, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-02-19)
Fixes an issue where using certain character sequences could cause apps to crash.
4.3
11.3
15T212
March 29, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-03-29)
HomePod volume and playback control support
Regaining control of music on iPhone
Multiple orientation support on Nightstand mode
Activity rings progress and new songs to Apple Music mixes are now shown on the Siri watch face
Bug fixes
4.3.1
11.4
15T567
May 29, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-05-29)
Fixes an issue which caused Apple Watch to sometimes remain at the Apple Logo during startup for some users.
4.3.2
11.4.1
15U70
July 9, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-07-09)
Final release supported on Apple Watch (1st generation)
This update includes improvements and bug fixes.
watchOS 5
watchOS 5 was first shown to the public at the 2018 San Jose WWDC developer conference held on June 4, 2018 by Apple. It had an instant watch-to-watch Walkie-Talkie mode.[39] With this release, Apple dropped support for the first generation Apple Watch. watchOS 5 was the first version of watchOS to bring 64-bit support.
Auto detect workout and notification to turn off workout when done
New workouts: Yoga and Hiking
Pace Alerts and Cadence
Podcasts
New app for watchOS
Download episodes of podcasts for listening
Stream your favorite podcasts on the go (Series 3 and later only)
Walkie-Talkie
A new watchOS app that allows you to do FaceTime Audio calls similar to talking on a walkie-talkie
Siri
Watchface adds 3rd-party access to Siri
Raise to Speak. No longer need to say "Hey Siri" to activate (Series 3 and later only)
Integrate with shortcuts like "I am on my way home" and Siri will start playing your favorite playlist on the way home
Notifications
Grouped notifications
More actions you can do with Notifications
Can view webpages from iMessages
Do Not Disturb
Can schedule Do Not Disturb events when leaving a location or just for a specific time period
Student ID Cards
5.0.1
12.0
16R381/16R382
September 27, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-09-27)
Improvements and bug fixes
5.1
12.1
16R591
October 30, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-10-30)
Update withdrawn due to reports of Apple Watches no longer working after the update[41]
5.1.1
12.1
16R600
November 5, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-11-05)
Improvements and bug fixes
Addresses a problem in the WatchOS 5.1 update leading to non-functional Apple Watches.
Improvements to Series 4 automatic fall detection.
Resolves a problem with completing setup of Walkie-Talkie.
Resolves a problem with sending and receiving invitations for Walkie-Talkie.
Resolves missing earned Activity awards.
5.1.2
12.1.1
16S46
December 6, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-12-06)
New ECG app for Apple Watch Series 4 (US and US territories only)
Irregular rhythm notification (US and US territories only)
AFiB notification
Other improvements and bug fixes
5.1.3
12.1.3
16S535
January 22, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-01-22)
This update includes improvements and bug fixes.
5.2
12.2
16T225
March 27, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-03-27)
ECG app extended to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK
Irregular rhythm notification extended to countries listed above
2nd gen AirPods support
Real-time text support for phone calls
5.2.1
12.3
16U113
May 13, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-05-13)
ECG app extended to Croatia, Czech, Iceland, Poland, and Slovakia
Irregular rhythm notification extended to countries listed above
New Pride watch face
Other bug fixes
5.3
12.4
16U569
July 22, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-07-22)
ECG app extended to Canada and Singapore
Irregular rhythm notification extended to countries listed above
Security fix for Walkie-Talkie app that could enable the owner's iPhone to be eavesdropped[42]
5.3.1
12.4.1
16U600
August 26, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-08-26)
Re-patches a security vulnerability that was accidentally unpatched in the previous update
Post-watchOS 6 Updates for watches paired with an iOS 12.x iPhone (to support iPhone 5S and iPhone 6/6 Plus)
5.3.2
12.4.2
16U611
September 26, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-09-26)
Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch Series 2 only
Security update for Series 1 and Series 2 watches[43]
5.3.3
12.4.3
16U620
October 29, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-10-29)
Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch Series 2 only[citation needed]
Apple announced a new version of watchOS that would contain features such as the App Store, a calculator with tip tools, an audiobooks app, noise level monitoring, and Apple's Voice Memos app, at WWDC 2019 held on 3 June 2019.[49][50][51] It also enables special games that can only be played on the Watch interface. With this release, Apple dropped support for iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus. However, watchOS 6 has limited support on Apple Watch Series 1 and 2. watchOS 6.3 is the final release supported on the Apple Watch Series 1 and 2.
Fixes an issue that prevented FaceTime audio calls with devices running iOS 9.3.6 and earlier or Macs running OS X El Captain 10.11.6 and earlier from working
Chronograph Pro gains a tachymeter (Series 4 or later only)
X-Large adds support for one large complication
Photos face provides colour filters for pictures and more customization options
Updated colours for many watch faces
Complications
Apps may now include more than one complication
New and/or updated Sleep, Shortcuts, Camera Remote, Moon Phase and World Clock complications
Watch Face Sharing
Ability to share custom Watch Faces through Mail, Messages, or posting a link
Sleep Tracking
Apple Watch uses the accelerometer to measure sleep
See logged sleep, manage schedules and set alarms in the new Sleep app
New alarm sounds and haptics
Wind Down mode
Sleep Mode automatically enables Do Not Disturb and disables Raise to Wake
Reminders to charge your Apple Watch in the evening if below 30% charge
Notifications on iPhone when Apple Watch is finished charging
Wake up screen displays after your alarm, showing the weather and your battery level
Activity
Workouts
New Dance, Functional Strength Training, Core Training and Cooldown workouts
Mobility Metrics
Support for low-range cardio fitness, walking speed, stair-descent speed, stair-ascent speed, six-minute walk distance, double support time, step length, and asymmetry metrics in the Health app on iPhone, tracked by Apple Watch
Exercise and Stand goals can now be modified in addition to the Move goal
Activity app renamed Fitness app on iPhone
Maps
Cycling Directions
Cycling specific directions in Maps in supported areas
Choose routes based on intensity and duration
Alerts about upcoming stairs and dismount locations
Handwashing (Series 4 or later only)
Automatic handwashing detection with a 20-second timer
Handwashing reminder when arriving home
Siri
Translation support for 10 languages
Support for Announce Messages with Siri
New Siri UI
New Apps
New Shortcuts app, and ability to choose visible shortcuts on Apple Watch from iPhone
New Memoji app with support for editing and creating new Memoji (Series 4 or later only)
Dictation
Dictation is processed on-device (Series 4 or later only)
Privacy
Microphone icon appears onscreen when in use
Headphones
Ability to set a decibel volume limit for headphones
Reminders to reduce volume if above World Health Organization's limits
Family Setup (Cellular Series 4 or later only, in supported countries)
Pair Apple Watches for family members that do not have their own iPhone, aimed at children and seniors
Activity metrics are more accurate for children, and Apple Watch now measures move minutes rather than active calories
Apple Cash Family allows children to receive money using Apple Cash
Enhanced parental controls, including approved contacts and apps, and Schooltime
Schooltime
Displays a standard yellow watch face and turns on Do Not Disturb to limit distractions
Can be manually enabled through the Control Centre, or scheduled and remotely enabled for child watches using Family Setup
Apple announced watchOS 8 at the 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7, 2021. Apple Watch models supporting watchOS 7 can also support watchOS 8. However, like watchOS 7, watchOS 8 has limited support on Apple Watch Series 3. It is also the last version of watchOS to be supported on Apple Watch models with 32-bit processors.
Apple announced watchOS 9 at the 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6, 2022. With this release, Apple dropped support for the Apple Watch Series 3, which was the last Apple Watch model with a 32-bit processor, making watchOS 9 the first version of watchOS to run exclusively on Apple Watch models with 64-bit processors.
Post-watchOS 10 update for watches paired with an iOS 16.x iPhone (to support phones that iOS 17 does not support like iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X)
Apple announced watchOS 10 at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5, 2023. With this release, Apple dropped support for iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X. All Apple Watch models supporting watchOS 9 also support watchOS 10.[58]
Drops support for the Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple Watch SE (1st generation), marking the first time 64-bit Apple Watch devices have been dropped.
