Apple final week launched watchOS 11, the newest main software program replace for suitable Apple Watch fashions, in addition to the brand new Apple Watch Sequence 10 and a black model of the second-generation Apple Watch Extremely, each of which include watchOS 11 pre-installed. New watchOS 11 options embody Exercise and Exercise Ring updates, a Vitals app, new watch faces, and extra.
On this article, we have listed 25 options and enhancements in Apple’s new smartwatch software program, a lot of which can have gone below your radar. Keep in mind that watchOS 11 requires Apple Watch Sequence 6 or later and an iPhone XS or later with iOS 18.
1. Digital Crown for Notifications
Beforehand in watchOS 10, you needed to swipe down in your Apple Watch watch face to view notifications, indicated by the purple dot on the high of the display. This methodology nonetheless works in watchOS 11, however now you possibly can alternatively flip the Digital Crown downwards to disclose them and shortly scroll by way of.
2. Examine In
Examine In enables you to routinely notify a pal or liked one once you’ve arrived at a vacation spot. Apple launched Examine In on iPhone in iOS 17, however it did not function in final yr’s watchOS 10 replace for Apple Watch. Fortunately, Apple has rectified the omission in watchOS 11, and now you can begin a Examine In from Messages by coming into your vacation spot or arrival time (by way of the + button). What’s extra, you can begin a Examine In when doing an outside exercise, which is useful in case you’re going for a run after darkish.
If you begin a exercise within the Exercise app, swipe proper to disclose the Begin/Pause, New, and Phase choices. Beneath these, you may discover the brand new Examine In possibility. When beginning a Examine In, you may be requested to outline when you need to be prompted to Examine In with somebody – once you arrive residence, after a timer, or when the exercise ends.
3. Pause Exercise Rings
Apple Watch now enables you to pause your exercise objectives if you could relaxation up. Faucet the primary Exercise Rings show in your Apple Watch, and you may see a brand new Pause Rings possibility that mutes teaching and purpose monitoring whereas sustaining your Transfer streak. So in case you’re aiming for a streak and one thing surprising upends your efforts (in case you fall sick, for instance) you possibly can pause monitoring with out shedding out and having to begin once more. Pause choices embody for at this time, for per week, till subsequent month, and customized (you possibly can pause your rings for as much as 90 days).
4. New Watch Faces
The Pictures watch face has been redesigned in watchOS 11, and may now search images in your library, analyze them utilizing machine studying, and choose the very best compositions, framing, and picture high quality to your watch. You can even customise the time measurement and format (together with issues), in addition to select your favourite font.
Elsewhere, there are two further watch faces in watchOS 11: Flux and Reflections. Flux adjustments coloration as a horizontal line representing the seconds dial travels up the display and switches up the quantity model with every new minute. In the meantime, Reflections might be switched between a round and fullscreen model. Neither watch face helps issues, however they do look neat.
5. Sync Maps to Watch
In iOS 18, the Maps app options detailed path networks and hikes, together with all 63 U.S. nationwide parks. For those who add a path, hike, or customized path to your maps Library and obtain it to your iPhone for offline use, you too can decide to sync it to your Apple Watch, the place you may get turn-by-turn instructions.
In Settings, you possibly can assign numerous capabilities to the Motion button, however in watchOS 11 you too can do that simply by lengthy urgent the Motion button.
It will deliver up a menu that features Exercise, Stopwatch, Waypoint, Backtrack, Dive, Flashlight, Shortcut, Voice Memo, Translate, Accessibility, and Acknowledge Music. Deciding on a perform will routinely assign it to the button in order that it really works subsequent time you press it.
7. Exercise Effort
After finishing most cardio-focused exercises within the Exercise app, you may obtain a immediate to price your effort or edit your estimated effort, indicating how onerous you exercised. Your tempo, elevation, coronary heart price, and private information like age, top, and weight are factored into every ranking. The trouble metric is used to calculate your coaching load over time (see beneath). For those who do not wish to price your effort, flip off the Effort Reminder swap, which might be present in Settings ➝ Exercise.
8. Coaching Load
The brand new Coaching load function compares the depth (calculated by the trouble metric) and period of your exercises over the past seven days to what you’ve got executed over the earlier 28 days. It then classifies your present coaching load on a scale from properly beneath to properly above — that will help you perceive the relative pressure in your physique and resolve if it is sustainable.
Coaching load can be matched together with your in a single day Vitals readings (see function quantity 19) to offer you a greater concept of whether or not you are under-training or overdoing it. You’ll be able to evaluation your coaching load within the Exercise app.
9. Music Recognition
Shazam now comes pre-installed in watchOS 11 below the moniker “Music Recognition,” the place you possibly can establish songs enjoying within the atmosphere and entry beforehand acknowledged songs, that are synced throughout your iPhone. There’s additionally an choice to allow Music Detection within the Good Stack, which can make Music Recognition a steered widget when music is enjoying in your neighborhood.
10. Tides App
The brand new Tides app enables you to test the situation of over 115,000 seashores all around the world for the following seven days. Slide your finger alongside the tide gauge to movement ahead into the long run. You’ll be able to test rising, falling, excessive, and low tides, in addition to climate, wind pace and path, dawn, sundown, swell top, and intervals between swells. There’s an choice to open the tide location in Maps and Climate, in addition to a Tides widget you could add to the Good Stack.
11. Exit Sleep Mode Quicker
In earlier variations of watchOS, you needed to lengthy press the Digital Crown for round three seconds to exit sleep mode. This delay felt like an age in the midst of the night time. Thankfully in watchOS 11, all you could do is press the Digital Crown and your common watch face will probably be displayed instantly.
12. Add Lacking Exercise Minutes
For those who pause a exercise after which proceed understanding however overlook to renew in your watch, the Exercise app will now ask you if you wish to resume – and can even supply so as to add on the minutes that you simply missed.
13. Customized Pool Swim Exercises
watchOS 11 consists of new customized exercises for Pool swims. So now you possibly can customise 100 yard particular person medley, 800 meter freestyle, 1200 yard pyramid, 800 yard swim and kick, 800 yard time cycles, and 1200 yard pace work. Your Apple Watch will then information you thru timed intervals of labor and restoration within the pool, with haptics to let you realize when it’s time to maneuver to the following interval.
Moreover, a brand new Up Subsequent exercise view for all sorts of Customized Exercises can present what stays within the present interval and supply a snapshot of the upcoming interval. Due to enhancements in GPS positioning, the Exercise app additionally presents much more exercise sorts that may observe distance. These embody Soccer, American Soccer, Australian Soccer, Out of doors Hockey, Lacrosse, Downhill Snowboarding, Cross Nation Snowboarding, Snowboarding, Golf, Out of doors Rowing, and extra. Additionally, you will see your route maps for extra exercises than earlier than.
14. Change Exercise Targets
The Exercise app for Apple Watch now enables you to schedule customized exercise objectives for various days of the week. For those who faucet the +/- button when viewing your Transfer, Train, or Stand objectives within the app, a brand new Change Targets possibility enables you to schedule objectives for particular person days of the week, or simply for at this time.
This implies you possibly can, for instance, set customized exercise objectives from Monday to Friday, with decrease objectives through the weekend. This schedule can be managed by way of the Health app in iOS 18. The Transfer, Train, and Stand exercise summaries embody the identical +/- button that allows you to alter the purpose for simply at this time, or alter your schedule for every day of the week.
15. Pin Timers
The Timers app now enables you to pin timers that you simply use frequently to the highest of the app interface. Merely scroll all the way down to the underside of the timers, faucet Edit, after which faucet the pin icon on any timer to pin it to the highest.
16. New Double Faucet Actions
The Double Faucet function can now be used to scroll by way of navigable content material in any Apple app, together with the Climate and Messages. You’ll be able to even use a double faucet to dismiss a timer that has ended. Apple has additionally opened up Double Faucet to builders with a brand new API, so anticipate to see third-party assist coming quickly.
17. Customise Health Abstract
Within the Health app on iOS 18, in case you faucet and maintain any card (excluding Exercise Rings) within the redesigned Abstract view, an Edit possibility will seem. Faucet that, and jiggle mode will probably be enabled. This lets you select from a collection of obtainable sizes and information presentation sorts for the tapped card – much like how widgets work on the Residence Display.
You can even prepare the playing cards below Exercise Rings in the way in which that most closely fits you, in addition to add playing cards utilizing the Add button. The identical customization display might be accessed by way of the Edit Abstract possibility on the backside of the interface, the place additionally, you will discover a See All Classes choice to straight entry the info you need.
watchOS 11 brings a number of new clever widgets to the Good Stack, together with Vitals, Tides, Music Recognition, Examine In, Translate, and Pictures.
19. Vitals
Apple has enhanced the sleep monitoring capabilities of Apple Watch with the introduction of the Vitals app. The app shows essential in a single day well being information together with coronary heart price, respiratory price, wrist temperature, blood oxygen ranges (the place obtainable), and sleep period. One of many app’s key options is its skill to determine personalised typical ranges for every well being metric collected throughout sleep, permitting you to shortly assess how your present metrics examine to your common patterns.
The app sends notifications if a number of metrics fall exterior your typical vary. These alerts are accompanied by contextual info, highlighting potential elements that may affect these readings, equivalent to medicines, adjustments in elevation, alcohol consumption, or sickness.
20. Translate Phrases
Due to the Translate app in watchOS 11, now you can see a translation in your wrist by typing or dictating a phrase. You’ll be able to play the interpretation out loud and even gradual it down. And you should utilize the Translate app in your watch with out your iPhone when you’ve got a Wi-Fi or mobile connection, or by downloading a language for offline use. Based on Apple, the Translate widget can even routinely floor in your Good Stack in case you’re touring in a location the place a special language is spoken.
21. Redesigned Now Enjoying View
In earlier variations of watchOS, the Now Enjoying View would take up the entire display, stopping you from shortly checking your watch face. In watchOS 11, it has been moved to the highest of the Good Stack, which is accessed with a scroll of the Digital Crown, retaining the time and your issues entrance and middle. To revert to the fullscreen media playback controls, merely faucet the widget.
22. Play Audio By means of Apple Watch Speaker
In case you have an Apple Watch Sequence 10 or an Apple Watch Extremely 2, now you can select your watch’s audio system by way of which to play audio. In case you have music or podcasts downloaded to your watch, even when you do not have AirPods or your iPhone, you possibly can nonetheless hearken to them out of your wrist. To modify playback from iPhone to Apple Watch, within the audio output menu (accessed by way of the top-right icon within the Now Enjoying display), merely faucet Management Different Audio system & TVs, then faucet Apple Watch.
23. New Modular Extremely Bezel
The Modular Extremely watch face has picked up a brand new bezel possibility that shows your coaching load and vitals readings. Vitals should gather information for seven sleeps earlier than displaying something (you want sleep mode on for it to gather the total set of knowledge). Coaching load relies on the trouble of your exercises over the past 4 weeks.
24. Change Alert Tones
In Settings ➝ Sounds & Haptics, you may discover new choices to decide on the Ringtone and Textual content Tone that your Apple Watch emits, in addition to the power to customise particular person alerts for brand new Mail, Calendar, Reminders, and Default.
25. Reside Actions in Good Stack
Final however not least, watchOS 11 brings Reside Actions assist to Apple Watch. So when you’ve got an ongoing Reside Exercise in your iPhone, it can additionally conveniently seem on the high of your Good Stack, permitting you to maintain tabs on how the exercise is progressing proper out of your wrist.
