watchOS 10 is available today

September 18, 2023

Update

watchOS 10 is available today.

Apple today released watchOS 10, which brings a new visual language for apps to see more information at a glance, a new Smart Stack that displays related widgets on demand, and exciting new watch faces. Bluetooth connectivity for power meters, speed sensors and cadence sensors are available to cyclists, opening up new metrics and workout views, and cycling workouts are displayed live on the iPhone as live activity and use full screen. Additionally, new compass waypoints and maps capabilities can help even more during outdoor adventures. The Reminder app offers new tools to support mental health in the form of a mental log, and the Apple Watch has also introduced the ability to measure time spent in daylight using an ambient light sensor.

New design language and navigation

Apple Watch apps, including Weather, Stocks, Home, Maps, Messages, World Clock and more, now use the additional Apple Watch display for more visual information. The Activity app on Apple Watch and the Fitness app on iPhone make it even easier to track your daily activity with more details, sharing improvements, an improved cup holder and Apple Fitness+ trainer recommendations.

A new smart stack contains widgets that display up-to-date information tailored to the user’s context and can be displayed on any watch face with a simple digital crown. For example, it displays the weather forecast at the start of the day, or when you travel, Smart Stack displays boarding passes from Wallet. Calendar and reminders flip up to show upcoming meetings or tasks, and running apps, like podcasts, are also available at the ready. The Smart Stack allows users to enjoy a stylish watch face like a serious one, while still providing a way to quickly access the information they care about.

Control Center is now accessible using the side button, making it easy to quickly open any app at any time. A double click of the Digital Crown returns to recently used apps.

New watch faces

watchOS 10 introduces five new watch faces: Snoopy, Palette, Solar Analog, Nike Globe and Modular Ultra for Apple Watch Ultra.

• Favorite joke line Peanut It comes to life on the Apple Watch Snoop A watch featuring Snoopy and Woodstock. The characters interact and play with the viewer’s hands, react to the surrounding weather, or become active when the user exercises.

• of A palette The face displays the time in different colors using three different overlapping layers, and when the time changes, the colors on the display change as well.

• Solar analogue It displays time on a luminous dial while using light and shadow to reflect the sun’s position throughout the day.

• of Nike Globe A face illuminates the lines in the world with each passing second.

• Modular Ultra Seconds, it uses the larger Apple Watch Ultra display using the outer edge to provide real-time information, including altitude or depth. It offers the most sophistication of any Apple Watch face to customize it for sports, outdoor adventures, and ocean and water activities. The ambient light sensor on the Apple Watch Ultra now automatically activates night mode on this watch face and the Wayfinder face in the dark.

ride a bike

Apple Watch is a great tool for cyclists, including automatic exercise reminders, calorimetry for e-bikes, and fall detection. watchOS 10 takes this popular activity even further with advanced new metrics, views and experiences.

In watchOS 10, when you start a cycling workout from Apple Watch, it appears as a live activity on your iPhone and takes up full screen when tapped. Workout views such as heart rate zones, elevation, race lane, custom workouts and a new bike speed view are optimized for iPhone display size, which can be mounted on the handlebars of the bike for a convenient and easy view while riding. .

Apple Watch can now automatically connect to Bluetooth-enabled cycling accessories, such as power meters, speed sensors and cadence sensors. This enables new metrics including cycling power (Watts) and cadence (RPM) and additional workout views including power zones. Bluetooth connectivity is supported for indoor and outdoor cycling workouts as well as gym kit.

New algorithms combine sensor data from the Apple Watch and connected power meters to estimate Functional Threshold Power (FTP), the maximum cycling intensity a rider can theoretically sustain for an hour. Using FTP, the Apple Watch calculates personalized power zones, making it easy to see the current zone and track how much time is spent in each, an efficient and popular performance feature.

Compass and maps

The Compass app on the Apple Watch is a useful tool for exploring the great outdoors. In watchOS 10, Compass automatically generates two new waypoints when detected: Last Cellular Connection Waypoint estimates the last location with cellular reception, which can be useful for checking messages or making calls. In case of emergencies, the last emergency call waypoint assumes that their device had the last connection to any carrier’s network so that an emergency call can be made.

When setting routes, a new elevation view uses altimeter data, providing a three-dimensional view of saved waypoints. And starting in the US, Apple Maps features a new topographical map that shows contour lines, hill shadows, elevation details and points of interest. Users can search for nearby trails and trails with location cards that include detailed information such as trail length, type, and difficulty.

Mental health

With the Consciousness app in watchOS 10, users can record their real-time emotions and daily moods strategically and conveniently. Users can rotate the digital crown to select their mood, choose the one that has the greatest impact on them, and scroll through engaging and multifaceted shapes to further express their feelings.

In the Health app in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, users can see useful insights to identify what contributes to their state of mind – associations or lifestyles such as sleep or exercise.

vision health

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is the leading cause of visual impairment worldwide. To reduce the risk of myopia, the International Myopia Institute recommends that children spend at least 80-120 minutes a day outdoors. With watchOS 10, Apple Watch introduces the ability to measure time spent using the daylight sensor. Users can view this information in the Health app on their iPhone or iPad.

Time spent in daylight provides additional benefits for physical and mental health for people of all ages. And kids who don’t have their own iPhones can use Family Setup to pair their Apple Watch with their parent’s iPhone, allowing parents to see what time their kids spend in daylight sharing.

More watchOS 10 updates

• It brings Ultra Wideband Deep integration between Apple Watch and HomePod. When an Apple Watch user comes within 4 meters of a HomePod playing audio, the Apple Watch will launch Now Playing to control the media.