What’s new in Apple Watch and watchOS 10
Introducing Apple Watch Series 9. The latest Apple Watch boasts the new S9 SiP chip, which enables brighter displays and makes it easier than ever to locate your lost iPhone with Precision Finding for iPhone.
Updated interface. Apple Watch is even easier to use thanks to an updated interface that takes full advantage of the Apple Watch display and provides more information at a glance. watchOS 10 offers redesigned apps, the Smart Stack, and new ways to navigate.
Introducing the Smart Stack. Get the information you need, right when you need it, from any watch face. Simply turn the Digital Crown to reveal widgets in the Smart Stack. See Use the Smart Stack to show timely widgets on Apple Watch.
New ways to open Control Center and show your most recently used apps. Just press the side button to open Control Center from the watch face or any app. Double-click the Digital Crown to reveal the App Switcher. See Use Control Center on Apple Watch and Open an app from the App Switcher.
Use double tap to control Apple Watch Series 9. On your watch hand, tap your index finder and thumb together twice to play and pause music, answer a phone call, stop a timer, and more. See Use double tap to perform common actions.
Explore new watch faces. Switch things up with new watch faces for Apple Watch. Snoopy, the beloved Peanuts character, interacts with his feathered friend Woodstock, and the hands of the watch; Solar Analog lights up in the nighttime to enhance legibility and to create a dramatic effect; and Palette displays the time as a range of beautiful colors that shift throughout the day. See Apple Watch faces and their features.
Hit the trail. In Maps, search for and discover important details of nearby trails in the U.S., including name, length, time, photos, and more. Download offline maps, including topographic maps. See Find hiking trails and Use offline maps on Apple Watch with iPhone.
New Compass elevation and waypoint features. On Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 6 and later, you can see waypoints estimating when you were last able to establish a cellular connection or make an Emergency SOS call, see waypoint elevations relative to your current location, and be alerted when you’ve exceeded a particular elevation. See Create and display Compass Waypoints and Retrace your steps.
What’s walkable? The Maps app in watchOS 10 includes a new Walking Radius feature that shows you points of interest around you. See Use Walking Radius to explore your surroundings.
Enhanced Cycling workouts. There’s never been a better time to pedal with Apple Watch. Automatically connect to Bluetooth-enabled accessories to add cadence and power metrics to your workout view. View estimates of your functional threshold power—the highest level of intensity you can maintain for an hour. Start a cycling workout from your watch and it automatically shows up as a Live Activity on your iPhone. Tap it, and it will take over the entire display, making it easier to see your metrics while on a ride. See Go cycling with Apple Watch.
Fitness improvements. Apple Fitness subscribers can work out more consistently with the help of Custom Plans. Select your personal workout preferences, including the days, workout durations and types, trainers, and music, and Fitness will create a Custom Plan to keep you on track. Also, you can now stack multiple workouts and meditations to quickly and seamlessly move to your next activity. Build your Custom Plan and Use Stacks to combine activities.
Find friends with live location. Is a friend running late for your lunch date? Check in and see where they are and when they might arrive. When you share your location in a Messages conversation, it can update in real time, right in the conversation. See Share your location in Messages on Apple Watch.
Find your iPhone (Apple Watch Series 9 only). Misplaced your iPhone 15? You can get directions to it just by opening Control Center and tapping . See Get directions to your iPhone.
Share contact information with NameDrop. Bring your Apple Watch face to face with a friend’s Apple Watch or iPhone to share contact information. See Use NameDrop to share your contact information with new people.
Play suggested music and podcasts on nearby HomePods. When you’re near your HomePod, media suggestions appear at the top of the Smart Stack if nothing is playing on your HomePod or on your Apple Watch. See See music and podcast suggestions when near your HomePod.
Group FaceTime audio calls. Receive and start audio calls with multiple participants from the Phone and Messages apps on Apple Watch. See Make a call.
Log your state of mind. Scroll through engaging visuals and select how you’re feeling to log your momentary emotion and daily mood. Stay consistent with notifications and complications on your watch face. Log your state of mind on Apple Watch.
See time spent in daylight. Myopia, or nearsightedness, typically starts in childhood. One way you can help reduce the risk is by encouraging your child to spend more time outdoors in daylight. The ambient light sensor in Apple Watch can now measure time in daylight. With Family Setup, parents can keep track of it even if their child doesn’t have an iPhone. See time spent in daylight and See a family member’s health information.
Plan your energy use with Grid Forecast. In the Home app, you can see a forecast for when cleaner and less clean energy is available in your area. Use Grid Forecast to plan energy use (available in contiguous U.S. only).
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