watchOS 10 is available today

September 18, 2023

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watchOS 10 is available today

Apple today released watchOS 10, a significant update that introduces a new visual language for apps to see more information at a glance, a new Smart Stack to show relevant widgets when you need them, and delightful new watch faces. Bluetooth connectivity for power meters, speed sensors, and cadence sensors arrives for cyclists, opening up new metrics and workout views. Cycling workouts will automatically appear as live activity on your iPhone and take advantage of the full screen. Additionally, new compass, waypoints, and map capabilities can further assist during outdoor adventures. The Mindness app offers new tools to support mental health by recording mental state, and Apple Watch also offers the ability to measure time spent in daylight using the ambient light sensor.

New design and navigation language

Apple Watch apps, including Weather, Stocks, Home, Maps, Messages, World Clock, and more, now use more of your Apple Watch screen for easier information. The Activity app on Apple Watch and the Fitness app on iPhone make tracking daily movement easier with more details, sharing improvements, a redesigned Cup Holder, and Apple Fitness+ coach tips.

The new Smart Stack contains widgets that display timely information that adapts to the user’s context and can be revealed with a simple rotation of the Digital Crown from any watch face. For example, at the beginning of the day, the weather will display the forecast, or when traveling, the Smart Stack will display boarding passes from Wallet. Calendar and Reminders will pan to the top to show upcoming meetings or tasks, and running apps, like Podcasts, will move to the top so they’re easily available. Smart Stack also allows users to enjoy a beautiful watch face, such as selfies, while still offering a way to quickly access information that matters to them.

Control Center can now be accessed using the side button, making it easy to quickly open it at any time via any app. Double-tapping the Digital Crown returns you to any 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.

• Beloved comedian Peanuts Come to life on your Apple Watch with Parasitical Clock face featuring Snoopy and Woodstock. Characters interact and play with the clock, react to weather conditions in the area, or even activate when the user exercises.

• the painting The face depicts time in a variety of colors using three distinct overlapping layers, and as time changes, so do the colors on the screen.

• Solar analogue The time is depicted on a luminous dial while using light and shadow to reflect the position of the sun throughout the day.

• the Nike Globe The face illuminates the lines on the globe with each passing second.

• Ultra units It takes advantage of the Apple Watch Ultra’s large display, using the outer bezel to present real-time data, including seconds, altitude, or depth. It offers most of the complications of any Apple Watch interface to customize it for sports, outdoor adventures, and ocean and water activities. The Apple Watch Ultra’s ambient light sensor now automatically activates Night mode on that watch face and the Wayfinder face in the dark.

Cycling

The Apple Watch is a great device for cyclists, with features including automatic workout reminders, e-cycling calorie counting, and fall detection. watchOS 10 takes this popular activity further with advanced new metrics, views, and experiences.

When you start a cycling workout from your Apple Watch in watchOS 10, it will automatically appear as a live activity on your iPhone and, when tapped, will use the full screen. Workout views, such as heart rate zones, elevation, race track, custom workouts, and a new cycling speed display, are optimized to match the iPhone screen size, which can be mounted on the handlebar for convenient and easy viewing while riding.

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

New algorithms that combine sensor data from Apple Watch and connected power meters can estimate functional threshold power (FTP), the highest level of cycling intensity a rider can theoretically sustain for an hour. Using FTP, Apple Watch calculates custom power zones, which are used to easily see the current zone and track how long has been spent in each, which is an effective and popular way to improve performance.

Compass and maps

The Compass app on Apple Watch is a useful tool for exploring the great outdoors. With watchOS 10, Compass automatically creates two new points when available: Last Cellular Waypoint will estimate the last location with cellular reception, which can be useful for checking messages or making a call. In emergency situations, the last emergency call waypoint will estimate where their device was on the route last connected to any available carrier network so that an emergency call can be made.

When you set up routes, the new elevation view uses altimeter data, providing a 3D view of the saved waypoints. Starting in the United States, Apple Maps displays a new topographic map featuring contour lines, ridge shading, elevation details, and points of interest. Users can also search for nearby trails and trailheads, using place cards that include detailed information, such as trail length, type, and difficulty.

Psychological health

With the Mindness app in watchOS 10, users can discreetly and easily record their daily emotions and moods. Users can turn on the Digital Crown to scroll through eye-catching, multi-dimensional shapes to choose how they feel, identify what has the greatest impact on them, and further describe their feelings.

In the Health app in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, users can see valuable insights to identify what might be contributing to their state of mind, whether it’s associations or lifestyle factors, like 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 in daylight using an ambient light sensor. Users can view this information in the Health app on iPhone or iPad.

The time we spend in daylight can provide additional physical and mental health benefits for all ages. Kids who don’t have an iPhone of their own can use Family Setup to pair their Apple Watch with their parents’ iPhone, allowing parents to see how much time their kids spend in daylight through Health Sharing.

Additional updates to watchOS 10

• Ultra wideband brings Deeper integration between Apple Watch and HomePod. When an Apple Watch user gets within 4 meters of a HomePod playing audio, Apple Watch will turn on Now Playing for media control.