watchOS is the operating system of the Apple Watch, developed by Apple Inc. It is based on iOS, the operating system used by the iPhone and iPod Touch, and has many similar features.[7] 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.[8][9][10] 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[11] to add more third-party support and new workouts, along with the “Walkie-Talkie” feature.[12] The sixth version, watchOS 6, was released on September 19, 2019.[13] The seventh version, watchOS 7, was released on September 16, 2020 to support handwashing and sleep tracking.[14][15] The eighth version, watchOS 8, was announced on June 7, 2021 at WWDC, with updates in health monitoring, visuals, and apps.[16]
The home screen (rendered by and also known as "Carousel")[7] is composed of circular applicationicons, which can be zoomed in and out with the Digital Crown and dragged and launched by touching the display.
Prior to watchOS 3, Glances provided fast access to a summarized view of the most popular native or third-party applications used on Apple Watch.[17] The Glances view was opened with a swipe up gesture from the watch face screen. With watchOS 3, Glances was replaced by a redesigned Control Center – much like the one in iOS. The friends menu, invoked with the side button, now acts as a dedicated dock for apps.
Different actions and options appear depending on if the user taps or deep presses which an Apple Watch detects with its pressure-sensitive (Force Touch) Display.[18] 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.[19]
Supported health metrics[]
Since its inception, watchOS has supported an increasing number and variety of health metrics for measurement and/or tracking. These include:
heart rate
maximal aerobic capacity, otherwise known as VO2 max (added in watchOS 4,[20] enhanced in watchOS 7[21][22][23])
electrocardiogram, otherwise known as EKG or ECG (added in watchOS 5.1.2[24])
blood oxygen saturation, otherwise known as SpO2 (added in watchOS 7[21])
For several years, Apple has been developing its HealthKit product in a bid to change the way people interact with their devices. There is also a conscious attempt to penetrate the lucrative healthcare and wellness industry, which many observers believe to hold a huge growth opportunity for Apple.[28] 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.[29] 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.[29]
One of the most recent updates to the watchOS included applications that do not only keep users active but also diagnose illnesses. For example, there is the app called DeepHeart, a deep learning network that can detect atrial fibrillation, hypertension, sleep apnea, and diabetes.[30] It taps the HealthKit platform to collect data, particularly those collected by the Apple Watch's heart sensor.[31]
Version history[]
Legend:
Obsolete
Discontinued
Supported
Current
Beta
watchOS 1[]
WatchOS 1 was the first version of watchOS to be released. It came with iOS 8.2, instead of the initial release.
The first version of watchOS 1 was 1.0 and was based on iOS 8.2. The second version of watchOS 1 was 1.0.1 and was based on version 8.3.
Resolved: Siri music commands not working for some audio
4.3.1
11.4
15T567
May 29, 2018; 3 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; 3 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 San Jose WWDC developer conference held by Apple. It had an instant watch-to-watch Walkie-Talkie mode.[42] With this release, Apple dropped support for the first generation Apple Watch.
showTable of versions: watchOS 5.x – Apple Watch[43]
Drops support for the Apple Watch (1st generation)
Workout
Compete with Friends notifications
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; 2 years ago (2018-09-27)
Improvements and bug fixes
5.1
12.1
16R591
October 30, 2018; 2 years ago (2018-10-30)
Update withdrawn due to reports of Apple Watches no longer working after the update[44]
5.1.1
12.1
16R600
November 5, 2018; 2 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; 2 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; 2 years ago (2019-01-22)
This update includes improvements and bug fixes.
5.2
12.2
16T225
March 27, 2019; 2 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; 2 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; 2 years ago (2019-07-22)
ECG app extended to Canada and Singapore
Irregular rhythm notification extended to countries listed above
Resolved: Security fix for Walkie-Talkie app that could enable the owner's iPhone to be eavesdropped[45]
5.3.1
12.4.1
16U600
August 26, 2019; 2 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; 23 months ago (2019-09-26)
Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch Series 2 only
Security update for Series 1 and Series 2 watches[46]
5.3.3
12.4.3
16U620
October 29, 2019; 22 months 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.[52][53][54] It also enables special games that can only be played on the Watch interface. However, watchOS 6 has limited support on Apple Watch Series 1 and 2.
Drops support for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
Cycle Tracking
New Cycle Tracking app for tracking menstrual cycle and fertility metrics
Notifications predicting a person's next menstrual cycle and fertile window.
Noise(Series 4 or later only)
New Noise app for detecting decibel levels in your surroundings.
Notifications can be pushed when it detects that the noise in your surrounding is too high.
Voice Memos
New Voice Memos app for recording and listening to voice memos directly on Apple Watch
Synced across all your devices as well.
Audiobooks
Now you can sync up to 5 hours of audiobooks to your Apple Watch
Stream them when your Watch is connected via Wi-Fi or cellular
App store
New built-in App Store where you can find and download apps for your Watch.
Supports Sign in with Apple
Activity Trends
Activity Trends in Activity app which includes all three activity rings, stand minutes, walking distance, walking pace, running pace, and VO2 max.
These are compared with data averaged over the last 90 days to the wearer's performance over the last year.
Tips are given if a single trend is going down.
Workout
New elevation metrics for Outdoor Run, Outdoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, and Hiking workouts (Series 2 or later only)
Stopwatch app can now be viewed on your watch face during workouts
GymKit support for True and Woodway
Siri
Now you can identify songs directly on your Watch—with the ability to add identified songs to your Apple Music library
New Siri Web Search—shows up to 5 online results with the ability to view optimized Web content.
Siri integration into the redesigned Find People app
Watch Faces
New Faces
Numerals Mono and Numerals Duo (Available in Arabic, Arabic Indic, Roman numerals, and Devanagari)
Meridian—black or white dial which fills the screen and includes 4 complications (Series 4 or later only)
Gradient—Design dynamically changes as time passes. Available in full screen or circular with 5 complications (Series 4 or later only)
California—Supports multiple numeral styles in Roman, Arabic, and Devanagari in fullscreen or circular (Series 4 or later only)
Solar Dial—Depicts the Sun's path in circular form across a 24-hour dial (Series 4 or later only)
Modular Compact—With many complications and the option to choose between analog or digital time (Series 4 or later only)
Tap to speak on all watch faces, supports up to 30 languages
Receive and customize time-keeping chimes (An alert on the hour, every half hour or every 15 minutes, either with haptics or customizable chimes)
Now you can reorder your Watch faces directly on your Watch
New complications
Audiobooks
Calculator
Cellular connectivity
Cycle Tracking
Noise
Wind
Rain
Voice memos
New monochrome complications for Infograph and Infograph Modular faces
Miscellaneous
New Calculator app with the ability to calculate tips and split checks
Support for custom stations in the Podcasts app
Smart Guidance and spoken navigation in Maps
Redesigned Now Playing app with Apple TV Remote controls
Personalized music picks in the For You tab
Support for automatic software updates
Redesigned Walkie-Talkie app
Redesigned Find People app which allows you to add friends, set notifications, and change settings directly on your Watch
Redesigned Reminders app with shared lists, subtasks, and the ability to add new reminders
More settings for Accessibility, Workout, and Health
6.0.1
13.1
17R604/17R605
September 30, 2019; 23 months ago (2019-09-30)
Not released for Apple Watch Series 1 and 2
Improvements and bug fixes
Resolves an issue where the Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse watch faces do not speak time.
Addresses an issue where the calendar complication may not display events.
Fixes a bug that could result in a loss of display calibration data.
6.1
13.2
17S84
October 29, 2019; 22 months ago (2019-10-29)
First version of watchOS 6.x to support Apple Watch Series 1 and 2
Support for AirPods Pro
Other improvements and bug fixes
Brings watchOS 6 to Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2
6.1.1
13.3
17S449
December 10, 2019; 21 months ago (2019-12-10)
Important security updates
6.1.2
13.3.1
17S796
January 28, 2020; 19 months ago (2020-01-28)
Important security updates
6.1.3
17S811
February 18, 2020; 18 months ago (2020-02-18)
Heart rhythm notification bug fix
6.2
13.4
17T529
March 24, 2020; 17 months ago (2020-03-24)
Brings ECG app and irregular heart rhythm notifications to Chile, Turkey, and New Zealand
Brings in-app purchases to Apple Watch apps
Fixes music playback issues when switching from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth
6.2.1
13.4.1
17T530
April 8, 2020; 17 months ago (2020-04-08)
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
6.2.5
13.5
17T608
May 18, 2020; 15 months ago (2020-05-18)
ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later now available in Saudi Arabia
Irregular heart rhythm notifications now available in Saudi Arabia
6.2.6
13.5.1
17T620
June 1, 2020; 15 months ago (2020-06-01)
Important security updates
6.2.8
13.6
17U63
July 15, 2020; 14 months ago (2020-07-15)
ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later now available in Bahrain, Brazil, and South Africa
Irregular heart rhythm notifications now available in Bahrain, Brazil, and South Africa
Digital car keys support for Apple Watch Series 5
13.6.1
August 12, 2020; 13 months ago (2020-08-12)
13.7
September 1, 2020; 12 months ago (2020-09-01)
6.2.9
17U203
November 5, 2020; 10 months ago (2020-11-05)
6.3
17U208
December 14, 2020; 9 months ago (2020-12-14)
Final release supported on Apple Watch Series 1 and 2
watchOS 7[]
Apple announced watchOS 7 at the 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference on June 22, 2020. With watchOS 7, Apple dropped support for Apple Watch Series 1 and 2. However, watchOS 7 has limited support on Apple Watch Series 3.
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
Fixes an issue where some payment cards in Wallet were disabled for some users
7.0.2
18R402
October 12, 2020; 11 months ago (2020-10-12)
Fixes an issue where the battery drained too quickly
Fixes an issue that blocked access to the ECG app
7.0.3
18R410
October 19, 2020; 10 months ago (2020-10-19)
Fixes an issue that causes unexpected restarts with Series 3 watches
7.1
iOS 14.2
18R590
November 5, 2020; 10 months ago (2020-11-05)
Headphone audio level notifications
Adds ECG and irregular heart rhythm notifications support in South Korea and Russia
Fixed: Unlocking Mac with Apple Watch fails
Fixed: Always-on display failure on Apple Watch Series 6
7.2
18S564
December 14, 2020; 9 months ago (2020-12-14)
Adds support for Apple Fitness+ (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, and US only)
Cardio fitness notifications
AFiB notifications now available at heart rates above 100 BPM
Adds ECG support in Taiwan
Adds braille displays with VoiceOver support
Family Setup now available in Bahrain, Canada, Norway, and Spain
7.3
18S801
January 26, 2021; 7 months ago (2021-01-26)
7.3.1
18S811
February 15, 2021; 7 months ago (2021-02-15)
7.3.2
18S821
March 8, 2021; 6 months ago (2021-03-08)
7.3.3
18S830
March 26, 2021; 5 months ago (2021-03-26)
7.4
iOS 14.5
18T195
April 26, 2021; 4 months ago (2021-04-26)
7.4.1
iOS 14.5.1
18T201
May 3, 2021; 4 months ago (2021-05-03)
7.5
iOS 14.6
18T567
May 24, 2021; 3 months ago (2021-05-24)
Subscription content in Podcasts app
Apple Card with a Family Sharing
Support for ECG app on Series 4 or later in Malaysia and Peru
Support for irregular heart rhythm notifications in Malaysia and Peru
7.6
iOS 14.7
18U63
July 19, 2021; 59 days ago (2021-07-19)
7.6.1
iOS 14.7.1
18U70
July 29, 2021; 49 days ago (2021-07-29)
7.6.2
iOS 14.8
18U80
September 13, 2021; 3 days ago (2021-09-13)
This release fixes FORCEDENTRY (CVE-2021-30860), an integer overflow bug that allows a malicious PDF to perform remote code execution.[55]
watchOS 8[]
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.