watchOS

Simple, minimalistic, small: The platform for the best smartwatch on the market

198 'watchOS' stories June 2015 - September 2018

See All Stories

watchOS only runs on the Apple Watch and launched alongside the product back in 2015. It has seen several major revisions since its launch, such as axing glances, the friends UI, and more.

The original version of the software was very slow and relied on your iPhone for its apps. Everything presumably ran over Bluetooth, and would be unable to open any apps if your connected iPhone was out of range.

Apple quickly moved away from interaction model and pushed native applications as of watchOS 2.0, where the majority of the app’s interface and information were installed on your Apple Watch, instead of your iPhone.

watchOS 3.0 added support for background app refresh, which allowed apps to run in the background, but also enabled complications to be updated without needing to completely launch an app.

With watchOS 4.0, and the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE, Apple took this interaction model a step further. The company introduced APIs to allow applications to run completely independently of the iPhone. This meant that users were allowed to stream Apple Music, get the latest News, or take a phone call without being in the range of your iPhone. However, an iPhone is still required to setup and manage your Apple Watch.

Learn more about watchOS by reading the articles below:

watchOS 5 for Apple Watch now available with Podcasts and Walkie-Talkie apps, much more

Zac Hall Sep 17 2018 - 10:06 am PT

The major watchOS 5 software update for Apple Watch is now available. watchOS 5 runs on Apple Watch Series 1 and later; the original Apple Watch is not supported. Read on to see what’s new in watchOS 5:

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple Watch and Bluetooth car audio — the last step before leaving my iPhone behind

Zac Hall Sep 4 2018 - 11:07 am PT

There are two things I do with my iPhone on-the-go that my Apple Watch hasn’t been able to do: play podcasts and take photos and video. The upcoming watchOS 5 software update solves the podcast problem, and I have a dedicated camera for shooting without my iPhone. But the inability to pair the Apple Watch with Bluetooth car audio remains a sticking point.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Using the new Apple Watch Podcasts app in watchOS 5

Zac Hall Aug 31 2018 - 10:31 am PT

Apple Watch has always been able to play music on its own — first by syncing with iPhone, then by standalone streaming — but podcast playback has been much harder to achieve. A few apps have helped reduce the friction, but official Apple Podcast support has been at the top of my wish list.

Starting with watchOS 5, currently in developer beta and likely released in September, Apple Watch Series 1 and higher will finally have its own Podcasts app. For podcast listeners, this update will make cellular connectivity even more compelling and make leaving your iPhone behind a bit easier.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 beta 10 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall Aug 31 2018 - 10:01 am PT

watchOS 5 beta 10 for Apple Watch is out today. As always, we’ll dig through the latest beta version and highlight all the changes between the previous beta and the latest beta below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 beta 9 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall Aug 24 2018 - 10:04 am PT

iOS 12 beta isn’t the only release getting two versions this week. watchOS 5 beta 9 is out today just four days after the previous build. As always, we’ll dig through the latest beta version and highlight all the changes between the previous beta and the latest beta below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple Watch: How to enable power saving mode for the Workouts app

Peter Cao Aug 24 2018 - 12:01 am PT

Naturally, the Workouts app burns a ton of battery life on Apple Watch. It constantly uses the heart rate sensor, GPS, and cellular (if you’re away from your iPhone). This could be an issue if your Apple Watch battery is running low but you need to fill in your Activity rings, still.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 developer beta 8 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall Aug 20 2018 - 10:06 am PT

watchOS 5 developer beta 8 for Apple Watch is now available for testing. As always, we’ll dig through the latest beta version and highlight all the changes between the previous beta and the latest beta below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Using Apple Watch running cadence and pace alerts in watchOS 5

Zac Hall Aug 13 2018 - 12:18 pm PT

Apple Watch is steadily evolving into a more capable sports watch, and the upcoming watchOS 5 software update continues that trend with yoga and hiking workouts, automatic workout detection, and new ways to see heart rate data. Specifically for runners is a new way to train with pace alerts and cadence — features coming to existing Apple Watches in a free software update expected in September.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 developer beta 7 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall Aug 13 2018 - 10:04 am PT

watchOS 5 developer beta 7 for Apple Watch is now available for testing. As always, we’ll dig through the latest beta version and highlight all the changes between the previous beta and the latest beta below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 developer beta 6 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall Aug 6 2018 - 10:04 am PT

watchOS 5 developer beta 6 for Apple Watch is now available for testing. As always, we’ll dig through the latest beta version and highlight all the changes between the previous beta and the latest beta below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

How to speed up the watchOS update process

Peter Cao Aug 1 2018 - 12:01 am PT

One thing Apple has yet to figure out with Apple Watch is timely watchOS updates. Anyone who’s ever owned an Apple Watch knows that watchOS updates can be painfully slow. Sometimes taking several hours to complete, depending on model.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 developer beta 5 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall Jul 30 2018 - 10:05 am PT

watchOS 5 developer beta 5 for Apple Watch is now available for testing. As always, we’ll dig through the latest beta version and highlight all the changes between the previous beta and the latest beta below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple updates Design Resources with new watchOS & AppKit elements for Photoshop & Sketch

Chance Miller Jul 26 2018 - 8:17 am PT

Last month, Apple updated its Design Resources to include new iOS 12 elements. Now, the company has released even more new resources, including AppKit UI elements, watchOS elements, and more.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 developer beta 4 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall Jul 17 2018 - 10:06 am PT

watchOS 5 developer beta 4 for Apple Watch is now available for testing. As always, we’ll dig through the latest beta version and highlight all the changes between the previous beta and the latest beta below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Outcast 2 adds podcast streaming and continuous playback playlists to Apple Watch

Zac Hall Jul 9 2018 - 6:46 am PT

Outcast for Apple Watch debuted in January and immediately became my favorite way to listen to podcasts without my iPhone. Fast-forward to June and Apple unveiled that watchOS 5 would add Apple’s Podcasts app to Apple Watch and support third-party apps much better. While it sounds like Outcast has plans for watchOS 5 (which is currently in developer beta), Outcast 2 has shipped for everyone and includes two major features: episode streaming and playlists for continuous playback.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 developer beta 3 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall Jul 3 2018 - 10:04 am PT

watchOS 5 developer beta 3 for Apple Watch is now available for testing. As always, we’ll dig through the latest beta version and highlight all the changes between the previous beta and the latest beta below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 beta now includes ‘Raise To Speak’ Siri on Apple Watch without ‘Hey Siri’

Zac Hall Jul 2 2018 - 9:16 am PT

‘Raise To Speak’ Siri is a new Apple Watch feature included in the watchOS 5 update that allows you to activate the voice assistant without saying ‘Hey Siri’ or pressing any buttons.

Raise to Speak was first announced at WWDC in early June, but the feature didn’t appear to work when watchOS 5 beta 1 and beta 2 were first released. That’s changed for several testers in the last few days however. Here’s how to double-check you have Raise to Speak enabled and how to try it:

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 developer beta 2 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall Jun 19 2018 - 10:33 am PT

watchOS 5 developer beta 2 for Apple Watch is now available for testing. As always, we’ll dig through the latest beta version and highlight all the changes between the first beta and the latest beta below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5: Competitions, Workout detection and Siri face heart data push fitness tracking

Zac Hall Jun 12 2018 - 9:48 am PT

Apple Watch already excels as an advanced fitness tracker, and watchOS 5 will further push the watch into that space later this fall. Apple is adding Competition to Activity Sharing, automatic workout detection, and presenting useful heart rate data on the Siri watch face for the first time. Check out our experience so far…

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5: Podcasts, Siri face, custom Control Center, more

Zac Hall Jun 5 2018 - 10:58 am PT

watchOS 5 is packed with lots of welcome changes and new features on Apple Watch — many that check off boxes from my wish list this year. Not everything works in the first developer beta version, but there’s a lot to try now and more coming this fall:

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 4.3.2 beta 1 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall May 30 2018 - 10:01 am PT

After releasing one bug fix update for Apple Watch yesterday, Apple is back with another today — at least for developers. watchOS 4.3.2 beta 1 is now available for developer testing on all Apple Watch models.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 4.3.1 beta 5 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall May 14 2018 - 10:02 am PT

watchOS 4.3.1 beta 5 for Apple Watch is now available for developer testing. While the new update is light on new features, it does include a new warning when launching older apps.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Feature Request: One new feature I’d like to see in iOS 12, macOS 10.14, watchOS 5 and tvOS 12

Benjamin Mayo May 14 2018 - 8:22 am PT

Ahead of WWDC, this is my top software wish-list, addressing the number one feature addition I’d like to see for each of Apple’s platforms; iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS.

These are just my personal picks, choosing just one thing per OS that I think I would appreciate the most for the iOS 12, macOS 10.14, watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 cycles.

Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 4.3.1 beta 4 for Apple Watch now available

Zac Hall May 7 2018 - 9:59 am PT

watchOS 4.3.1 beta 4 for Apple Watch is now available for developer testing. While the new update is light on new features, it does include a new warning when launching older apps.

Expand
Expanding
Close