Apple Watch gets smarter with watchOS 11

Apple today previewed watchOS 11, unveiling features for Apple Watch that leverage advanced sensor technology, algorithms, and a science-based approach to offer new health and fitness insights along with more personalization. The new Vitals app surfaces key health metrics to help users make informed decisions. The ability to measure training load offers a new experience for improved fitness.

Activity rings are now more customizable, and the Smart Stack and Photos face use intelligence for greater individualization. The Health app on iPhone and iPad offers additional support for pregnant users. New connectivity features include Check In, the Translate app, and double tap gesture capabilities.

David Clark, Apple’s senior director of watchOS Engineering, stated, “watchOS is the world’s most advanced wearable operating system, supporting Apple Watch users throughout their day to stay healthy, active, and connected. This fall, watchOS 11 makes Apple Watch an even more essential companion by offering users additional actionable insights into their health and fitness, more personalization to fit their unique needs, and new ways to stay connected while on the go.”

The new Vitals app allows users to quickly view important health metrics such as heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen levels. It provides context for these metrics and notifies users when multiple metrics are out of their typical range. This app uses an algorithm developed from the Apple Heart and Movement Study to inform out-of-range classifications.

With watchOS 11, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18, pregnant users can log their pregnancy in the Health app and view gestational age, log symptoms, and receive notifications to adjust their high heart rate threshold. They can also be reminded to take a mental health assessment and receive walking steadiness alerts.

Training load is a new feature in watchOS 11, measuring the intensity and duration of workouts to understand their impact over time. Users can view their training load for the last seven days compared to the last 28 days. This helps users make informed decisions about their training, with effort ratings available for cardio workouts and manual entries for strength training. The Activity app on Apple Watch and the Fitness app on iPhone allow users to view training load and daily health status together.

Activity rings can now be paused without affecting award streaks, and goals can be customized by the day of the week. The Fitness app offers new metrics for various workouts and a redesigned Apple Fitness+ for better user engagement.

The Smart Stack in watchOS 11 is more intelligent, with new widgets and interactive capabilities. The Photos watch face uses machine learning to recommend the best photos and offers customization options.

Connectivity and convenience are enhanced with Check In, which allows users to share their workout status with friends or family. The Translate app provides translations for 20 languages directly on Apple Watch. The double tap gesture can now be used to scroll through apps, making it easier to interact with Apple Watch.

watchOS 11 includes updates for the Workout app, Apple Maps, summarized notifications, enhanced ticketing, and Tap to Cash. New tools for developers include APIs for the Smart Stack and double tap gesture, allowing for more interactive and timely app features.

Privacy remains a core focus, with health and fitness data encrypted when the device is locked and end-to-end encryption for iCloud data.

The developer beta of watchOS 11 is available today, with a public beta next month. The official release will be this fall for Apple Watch Series 6 or later paired with iPhone Xs or later running iOS 18.