watchOS 6

36 'watchOS 6' stories March 2019 - June 2019

watchOS 6 Release Date

watchOS 6 for Apple Watch is expected to be released in the fall of 2019. A developer beta was released in June at WWDC 2019. It’s not expected that a public beta will be available.

watchOS 6 Features

The next version of software for Apple Watch will include new watch faces and complications, new first-party apps like Audiobooks, Voice Memos, and Calculator, as well as a dedicated watchOS App Store. It will also include a new Hearing Health feature. If your watch detects ambient noise, it will notify you if the levels may harm your hearing. Apple has said all audio is stored locally on the device.

It was announced that there will be a streaming audio API available to developers. This feature would allow apps like Spotify or Overcast to stream over a LTE connection when users are away from their iPhone.

There are also new health and fitness features such as new “Trends,” “Highlights,” and “Favorites” views to compare your activity over time. One more new app called “Cycles” allows users to track their menstrual cycles on both Apple Watch as well as iPhone and log important information.

watchOS 6 Compatibility

When Apple released watchOS 5 last year, support was dropped for the original Apple Watch (1st generation, aka Series 0). This time around, watchOS 6 will be supporting all of the same Apple Watch hardware as watchOS 5, meaning even Apple Watch Series 1 users will get to update to the latest software when it’s publicly released.

Apple does note that not all features will be available on all Apple Watches that can run the software, however, it doesn’t specify details on that for now.

watchOS 6 will be compatible with Series 1, 2, 3, and 4 and will require an iPhone 6s or later. The iPhone hardware requirement moves up from 5s and later for watchOS 5.

Comment: With watchOS 6’s new audio features, it’s time for Spotify to ship or shut up

Bradley Chambers Jun 9 2019 - 6:00 am PT

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During the WWDC 2019 Keynote, Apple announced watchOS 6 for Apple Watch. While watchOS 6 didn’t get as much stage time as other new software releases, it still looks like a great release. One of the features that is most interesting to me is the API for streaming audio. In watchOS 5, Apple offered streaming on Apple Podcasts and Apple Music, but it left out the ability for third-party developers to access it. Spotify used Apple Watch as one of the reasons Apple isn’t play fair with how it treats its own products vs how it interacts with competitors. I argued that Spotify wants all the benefits of Apple’s platform, but without giving Apple any revenue. With the new streaming API for watchOS 6, it’s time for Spotify to ship or shut up.
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Apple Watch Limited Grant Program for ResearchKit & CareKit launching this fall

Jordan Kahn Jun 7 2019 - 11:56 am PT

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Announced during its WWDC developer conference this week, Apple plans to launch a new “Apple Watch Limited Grant” program later this year for researchers using its ResearchKit and CareKit platforms.
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watchOS 6

watchOS 6 includes a sleek new charging animation [Video]

Chance Miller Jun 4 2019 - 10:57 am PT

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In addition to the new collection of watch faces, Health and Activity improvements, and more, watchOS 6 also includes a sleek new charging animation. Catch it in action below.

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Hands-on: These are all of the new watch faces in watchOS 6 [Gallery]

Chance Miller Jun 4 2019 - 7:48 am PT

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With all of the announcements Apple made yesterday, it’s easy to overlook some of the updates coming to watchOS 6. Headlining the Apple Watch update are a handful of new watch face designs. Read on as we round them all up.

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watchOS 6

Here are all the Apple Watch models compatible with watchOS 6

Michael Potuck Jun 3 2019 - 1:48 pm PT

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After Apple announced watchOS 6 today at its WWDC keynote, the company has shared what Apple Watch models will be compatible with the newest software. Read on below for the full list.

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Apple releases first developer betas of iOS 13, iPadOS 13, watchOS 6, macOS 10.15, and tvOS 13

Guilherme Rambo Jun 3 2019 - 12:24 pm PT

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Apple has just released the first developers betas of iOS 13, iPadOS 13, watchOS 6, macOS 10.15 and tvOS 13. The updates are available through the developer portal, for members of the Apple Developer Program. Currently, the iOS 13 beta must be installed using an IPSW through iTunes, we’ll update the post if a profile is made available.

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Apple officially announces watchOS 6 for Apple Watch with dedicated App Store, new watch faces and complications, apps, more

Michael Potuck Jun 3 2019 - 10:15 am PT

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During the WWDC keynote today Apple officially announced watchOS 6. The next operating system for Apple Watch will come with new features including new apps, watch faces and complications, a dedicated App Store, and more.

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Feature Request: How the Siri watch face could be the ultimate complication

Bradley Chambers May 19 2019 - 6:00 am PT

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Watch faces for Apple Watch have been a point of discussion since watchOS 1 and the Series 0 Apple Watch. Apple has expanded the options over the years, and the Siri watch face is one of the most unique ones. With that being said, I still end up using the Infographic Modular face on the Series 4 Apple Watch. When swapping back and forth between watch faces recently, I had the idea for a Siri complication inside the Modular Apple Watch face for watchOS 6.

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What to expect from watchOS 6: New watch faces and apps, deeper macOS integration, more

Chance Miller May 15 2019 - 12:06 pm PT

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Last week, we broke down all of the new features you can expect to see in iOS 13 at WWDC next month. iOS 13 won’t be the only major update unveiled at the event, however. Read on as we roundup some of the new features coming to Apple Watch with watchOS 6.

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watchOS 6

watchOS 6 concept envisions expanded Activity Rings, new watch face controls, more [Gallery]

Chance Miller Apr 27 2019 - 8:02 am PT

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This week, we’ve seen concepts imagining macOS 10.15 and iOS 13 features. Now, we round things out with a new – albeit hopeful – concept of watchOS 6. The concept envisions things like Shortcuts support, new Health features, a dedicated Apple Books app, and more.

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watchOS 6 Wish List: Bedtime mode, Activity Sharing upgrades, watch face design, more

Zac Hall Apr 5 2019 - 11:11 am PT

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watchOS 6, the next major version of Apple Watch software, will be an interesting operating system update. In recent years, the Apple Watch OS has focused on health and fitness features matched with software that uses new hardware like streaming Apple Music and Podcasts over LTE and the ECG app.

Apple Watch Series 5 hardware rumors are already extremely light, limited to the return of the ceramic Edition casing, and watchOS 6 rumors are even more sparse. With several Apple Watch features complete and built-in sleep tracking not expected until late 2020, what should we expect to see in watchOS 6?

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watchOS 6 concept envisions redesigned Siri face, wellbeing + sleep rings, more

Chance Miller Mar 3 2019 - 9:17 am PT

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Matt Birchler is out today with his annual watchOS concept, this time imagining watchOS 6. Birchler envisions some of the features he’d most like to see, including a redesigned Siri face, new sleep tracking rings, and more.

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watchOS 6

watchOS 6 Release Date

watchOS 6 Features

watchOS 6 Compatibility

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