watchOS 11

Apple has pulled the watchOS 11 beta 3 update, according to Aaron Perris on X. The update was initially released to developers yesterday, but some users are having problems after installing the latest beta.

It’s not just the Siri face that’s gone in watchOS 11. Apple has discontinued the analog Chronograph, Explorer, and Numerals watch faces as well.

There’s no Apple Watch Ultra 3 yet, with the gorgeous satin black finish the only hardware change to the Ultra 2. But Apple’s upgrading its Ultra line through software, with three new Apple Watch Ultra 2 features in watchOS 11. Here’s how the Ultra 2 just got better.

Apple radically redesigned watchOS last year, marking one of the biggest design shifts since the inception of Apple Watch. With watchOS 10, Apple made two key changes to how you navigate your Apple Watch that I never really loved, and there’s still no option to change them in watchOS 11.

With watchOS 11, Apple Watch users will get a bunch of new features, including health and fitness improvements, Live Activities, the Translate app, and new watch faces. But the watchOS 11 update also comes with another new feature that wasn’t explicitly mentioned by Apple, and that’s the ability to change the default ringtone.

We’re going into the third year of Apple Watch Ultra, and a free software update just made the product even better. watchOS 11 changes the way the Action button works, making it more functional in different scenarios.

watchOS 11 is now available for Apple Watch users. It is the latest major upgrade to the Watch’s software, and features a variety of brand new apps and watch faces, powerful health and fitness features, and more. Here’s everything that’s new.

During Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event on Monday, the company confirmed the release date of watchOS 11 to the public. The update, which adds many new features to the Apple Watch, will be available from September 16 for compatible models.

Apple has just released iOS 18 public beta 5 for iPhone, alongside beta 5 for iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and more. Earlier today, the companion developer betas dropped. These new updates are available for all users who are part of Apple’s public beta program. Existing beta users will see the releases in the Software Update section of Settings.

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 introduce the double tap gesture, and I’ve found that the upcoming watchOS 11 update makes the hands-free input method more useful.

Double tap lets you interact with the Apple Watch by doing a two-tap gesture with your thumb and finger with your watch-wearing hand. This gives you the ability to do things like reply to messages and scroll through lists without touching your watch.

While the gesture provides a practical way to interact with the Apple Watch when you’re carrying something in your other hand, double tap is also natural and reliable enough to mindlessly do it when checking your watch for updates, even if both hands are free.

A new feature coming in watchOS 11 has turned my Apple Watch double tap usage way up — don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t … to eleven.

Apple has released public beta 3 for macOS Sequoia, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, and watchOS 11. Today’s update brings with it a variety of improvements and new features, especially on the Mac and iPad. Here’s everything that’s new.

Today Apple has released new developer betas for its full lineup of software platforms. Joining the latest betas for macOS Sequoia and iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, Apple has released beta 5 for visionOS 2, tvOS 18, and watchOS 11.

The Apple Watch was supposed to get a small update this year. With much of Apple’s attention focused on Apple Intelligence and other iOS 18 upgrades, plus last year bringing us the big watchOS 10 update, expectations were for an underwhelming watchOS 11 release.

After a month of use, however, I’ve found that there are several watchOS 11 features that make a big difference to the Apple Watch experience—maybe even more than last year’s update did.

Here are the three key watchOS features making the biggest impact for me.

watchOS 11 comes with a new “Vitals” app that aims to help users make better health and fitness decisions. Now Apple Health VP Dr. Sumbul Desai has shared why sleeping with Apple Watch will be needed to deliver the best understanding of your overall health with the Vitals app.

Ever since the Apple Watch first debuted nearly a decade ago, its signature feature has been the three Activity rings: move, exercise, and stand. “Close your rings” has been the motivational mantra of the device.

But what about when you’re ill? Or on vacation? Previously, any ring streaks you’d racked up would be lost if you missed a single day. Now, that’s finally changing in watchOS 11 with the addition of rest days.

Today Apple has made watchOS 11 available in its first public beta. This beta provides the new software features coming this fall to Apple Watch without the lengthy wait.

Here are instructions for how to download the public beta, and an overview of the new features it includes.

In addition to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, Apple has also released new betas for the rest of its operating systems today. That includes watchOS 11 beta 3, visionOS 2 beta 3, and tvOS 18 beta 3.

The Apple Watch is getting upgraded with watchOS 11 this fall—but not all Apple Watch models. This year’s update drops support for several models that were compatible with watchOS 10, notably the Series 4 and 5 generations and the first-gen Apple Watch SE.

But that’s not even the full story. Even if your Watch is new enough to run watchOS 11, it may not get all of the update’s features. Here are the watchOS 11 features that are exclusive to select Watch hardware.

Sometimes you really have to hack around an Apple Watch face to make it feel like your own. For example, California. Using Shortcuts can also be helpful. In watchOS 11, my new fave is an off-label use of an updated face to create a watch face that otherwise wouldn’t exist.

Alongside new iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia betas, Apple has also released new betas for the rest of its operating systems today. That includes watchOS 11 beta 2, visionOS 2 beta 2, and tvOS 18 beta 2.

It was this month a year ago when I posed the question: Will the Siri face survive watchOS 10 and Apple Watch widgets?

To my knowledge, Apple has never retired a watch face. Some are hardware specific, others are redesigned, but watch faces don’t leave the Apple Watch. I think that’s why the Siri watch face still exists for now, but it will need some love to stay relevant.

As of watchOS 10, the Siri watch face is six versions old. It debuted with much potential and made steps toward realizing that potential before it stalled. Now there’s a new widget system on Apple Watch that turns the Siri watch face into an antique. It still has some uniqueness to it, but I’m not sure that will be the case this time next year.

Well, it’s “this time next year” now, and the Siri watch face on Apple Watch has not survived.