Apple enthusiasts have another reason to be excited the release of watchOS 11. This latest update promises a host of new features and enhancements designed to make the Apple Watch even more integral to our daily lives.
From finely tuned health monitoring to highly customizable fitness metrics, watchOS 11 is tailored to provide a more personalized experience.
Health Enhancements
The Activity Rings feature on the Apple Watch has always been a core part of its fitness tracking capabilities, showing daily activity through Move, Exercise, and Stand rings.
With watchOS 11, users can now pause their rings for a day, week, month, or more without losing their award streaks. This new flexibility ensures that taking necessary breaks won’t interfere with maintaining motivation.
Users can adjust their Activity ring goals for each day of the week, allowing for tailored motivation based on individual schedules and needs.
The Fitness app on iPhone has become more user-centric with watchOS 11, allowing users to add, move, or remove metrics in the Summary tab.
This customization ensures that the most relevant information is always at hand. The update also introduces new metrics for various activities, including running, cycling, and swimming, providing a more comprehensive view of fitness progress.
To offer a better understanding of daily health status, watchOS 11 consolidates overnight health data into one convenient place. This feature establishes a typical range for each health metric collected during sleep so users can quickly see how their metrics compare to their usual ranges.
Suppose multiple metrics fall outside these typical ranges. In that case, users receive notifications along with context about possible influencing factors such as medications, elevation, alcohol consumption, or illness.
This proactive approach helps users pay closer attention to their health and make informed decisions.
A new addition to watchOS 11 is the Training Load feature, designed to help athletes achieve their goals by tracking workout intensity over time.
Training Load provides insights into how workouts impact the body, allowing for better-informed decisions about adjusting exercise routines, especially when preparing for major events.
By comparing the intensity and duration of workouts over the past seven days with the previous 28 days, Training Load helps users understand whether they are undertraining or overexerting themselves, promoting sustainable training practices.
After completing most cardio-focused workouts, users can now review a new effort metric in the summary, which indicates the intensity of the exercise session.
This metric factors in pace, elevation, heart rate, and personal data like age, height, and weight, offering a comprehensive view of workout performance.
watchOS 11 Features
Photos Face
The Photos face on the Apple Watch gets a significant upgrade with watchOS 11, utilizing machine learning to curate the best images from your library.
This intelligent feature can search through thousands of photos, analyze them for optimal composition, framing, and quality, and select the perfect images to display on your watch. Users can filter photos to focus on specific subjects such as people, pets, nature, or cities.
Customization options for the Photos face have been expanded, allowing users to adjust the time size, layout, and font, as well as to choose from a variety of bold colors and tricolor themes.
There’s even support for additional languages, making the watch face more versatile and personalized than ever.
Cycle Tracking
For those tracking their menstrual cycle, watchOS 11 introduces a new focus on pregnancy. When a pregnancy is added to the Health app on iPhone or iPad, the Cycle Tracking feature will now display the gestational age and track pregnancy progress across all health charts.
This integration provides a more comprehensive view of health during pregnancy. It makes it easier to monitor important changes over time.
Privacy remains a priority, with all health data staying on the device and being encrypted when the Apple Watch is locked with a passcode. Users can rest assured that their personal information is secure and shared only with their permission.
Smart Stack
The Smart Stack feature becomes more intelligent and capable with watchOS 11. Widgets now show up automatically based on time, location, and context, ensuring that the most relevant information is always accessible.
Live Activities are now supported on Apple Watch and integrated into the Smart Stack, allowing users to stay updated on live sports scores or know when their Uber is about to arrive.
Widgets have been added for severe weather alerts, such as Training Load, Photos, Distance, and Shazam. Users can also directly access the three most recently used items within an app, such as workout types or songs played, enhancing convenience and efficiency.
Check In
Providing peace of mind, the new Check-In feature allows users to automatically notify friends or loved ones when they arrive at a destination.
This feature can be started from the Messages app by entering the destination or expected arrival time. For added safety, especially when exercising alone, users can also start a Check-In from the Workout app, ensuring that someone is aware of their location during a run or other activity.
Widgets and Notifications
Smart Stack
With watchOS 11, the Smart Stack feature has become more intelligent and versatile, enhancing the overall user experience. Widgets in the Smart Stack now appear automatically based on various factors like time, location, and user activity, ensuring that the most relevant information is always at your fingertips.
Live Activities are now supported on the Apple Watch and integrated into the Smart Stack. This means you can stay updated on live sports scores, track the progress of your Uber, or follow other real-time events directly from your wrist.
Enhanced Widgets
watchOS 11 introduces a range of new widgets designed to provide quick access to essential information and frequently used apps.
New widgets include severe weather alerts, Training Load, Photos, Distance, and Shazam, making it easier than ever to stay on top of your health, fitness, and daily activities.
The Smart Stack now allows you to directly access the three items you used most recently within an app. For example, you can quickly jump to your three most recent workout types or the last three songs played in your music app.
The new Check-In feature in watchOS 11 is designed to provide peace of mind by allowing you to automatically notify a friend or loved one when you arrive at a destination.
You can start a Check-In from the Messages app by entering your destination or expected arrival time. This feature ensures that someone is aware of your location and can check on you if needed.
For added safety during workouts, especially when running or exercising alone, you can also start a Check-In from the Workout app.
This integration means that you can keep your contacts informed about your whereabouts while focusing on your fitness routine. The Check-In feature adds a layer of security and reassurance, making it easier to stay connected with loved ones.
Enhanced Navigation
With watchOS 11, the GPS positioning capabilities of the Apple Watch have been enhanced to provide more detailed tracking for various types of workouts.
Users can now see precise distance and route maps for activities such as rowing, helping them better analyze their performance and progress over time.
This improvement ensures that outdoor workouts are tracked with greater accuracy, offering valuable insights into each session.
The update also brings new features to Custom Workouts, particularly for pool swimming. Apple Watch can now automatically guide users through timed intervals of work and recovery, using haptic feedback to signal when it’s time to switch to the next interval.
This functionality makes it easier to follow structured swim workouts without constantly checking the watch, allowing swimmers to focus on their performance.
The “Up Next” view for Custom Workouts is a new feature that provides a clear overview of the current workout interval and what’s coming next.
This view helps users stay organized and motivated by showing the remaining time in the current interval and the details of the upcoming segment.
Whether you’re in the middle of a high-intensity workout or a steady-state exercise session, this feature keeps you informed and on track.
The Apple Watch’s GPS functionality has received significant upgrades in watchOS 11, providing more accurate and detailed tracking for a variety of outdoor activities.
Users can now see comprehensive distance and route maps for workouts like rowing, offering a better understanding of their exercise patterns and improvements.
This enhancement ensures that every workout is logged with precision, allowing for more accurate performance analysis and goal-setting.
For swimmers, watchOS 11 introduces the ability to create and follow Custom Workouts specifically tailored for pool swimming.
The Apple Watch can now guide users through timed intervals of work and recovery, using haptic feedback to signal transitions.
This feature helps swimmers maintain focus and intensity during their workouts without needing to constantly check their watch, making swim training more effective and enjoyable.
The “Up Next” view in Custom Workouts provides an at-a-glance overview of the current workout interval and what’s coming next.
This view is particularly useful for structured workouts, as it helps users stay organized and motivated by clearly showing the remaining time in the current interval and the details of the upcoming segment.
Whether you’re training for a competition or just aiming to improve your fitness, this feature ensures you stay on track and make the most of your workout.
Global and Convenient Features
The Translate app on Apple Watch sees significant improvements with watchOS 11, enhancing its utility for global travelers and multilingual users.
The app now supports 20 languages, allowing users to see translations by simply typing or dictating a phrase. One standout feature is the ability to play translations out loud and even slow them down if needed, ensuring clear communication in various situations.
Translate app can now be used independently of your iPhone, provided you download the necessary languages to your watch.
This offline functionality is particularly useful when traveling in areas with limited internet connectivity. The Translate app can also be added to the Smart Stack, offering easy access whenever needed.
When traveling to a location where a different language is spoken, the watch intelligently adds the widget to the Smart Stack, making language translation more accessible and convenient.
The double tap gesture in watchOS 11 enhances the hands-free experience on the Apple Watch. This gesture allows users to scroll through any app without needing to touch the screen, making it especially useful in situations where hands are occupied or when a touch-free interface is preferred.
The double tap API is also available for third-party app developers, enabling them to integrate this gesture into their apps, thus expanding the functionality and accessibility of the feature.
With watchOS 11, Apple Watch introduces Ultra Wideband home keys, allowing users to unlock their doors as they approach without needing to hold their watch to the lock.
This hands-free convenience adds a new level of ease and security to smart home management, making it simple to access your home without fumbling for keys or tapping your watch.
The enhanced ticketing feature in the Wallet app provides more detailed information on tickets, such as directions to the parking lot, show times, and more.
Events will also appear as Live Activities in the Smart Stack, keeping users informed about upcoming events and essential details at a glance.
This feature ensures that users have all the necessary information for their events right on their wrist, streamlining the ticketing experience.
The Tap to Cash feature allows users to exchange Apple Cash with others by simply presenting their Apple Watch to the recipient’s iPhone or Apple Watch.
This quick and easy method of transferring money makes transactions more convenient, whether you’re splitting a bill or sending money to a friend.
Maps in watchOS 11 offer new features tailored for outdoor enthusiasts, including hikes for all 63 U.S. national parks. Users can save these maps to their watch for offline use, complete with turn-by-turn voice guidance.
This offline functionality ensures that even in remote areas with no internet access, users can navigate confidently and safely.
The ability to download maps and receive voice guidance enhances the Apple Watch’s utility for hiking and outdoor activities, making it a valuable companion for adventurers.
Additional Functionalities
The introduction of Ultra Wideband home keys in watchOS 11 allows for seamless and secure home access. Users can now unlock their doors automatically as they approach without needing to hold their watch to the lock.
This hands-free functionality simplifies smart home management, making entering your home more convenient and efficient.
The Wallet app in watchOS 11 now offers enhanced ticketing features. Users can access detailed information about their tickets, such as directions to the parking lot, show times, and additional event details.
These enhancements ensure that all relevant information is readily available, streamlining the experience of attending events. Events will appear as Live Activities in the Smart Stack, providing timely updates and essential information at a glance.
With the new Tap to Cash feature, users can easily exchange Apple Cash with others. By presenting their Apple Watch to the recipient’s iPhone or Apple Watch, users can quickly and securely transfer money.
This feature simplifies financial transactions, making it convenient to split bills, pay friends, or send money on the go.
watchOS 11 brings improved Maps functionality, particularly for outdoor enthusiasts. The Apple Watch now offers detailed hiking maps for all 63 U.S. national parks.
These maps can be saved to the watch for offline use, complete with turn-by-turn voice guidance. This offline capability ensures that users can navigate even in areas without internet access, making the Apple Watch a valuable tool for adventurers and hikers.
Compatibility
watchOS 11 requires an iPhone Xs or later running iOS 18 and is compatible with the following Apple Watch models.
- Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Apple Watch Series 7
- Apple Watch Series 8
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Ultra
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
It’s important to note that not all features of watchOS 11 will be available on all devices. Compatibility may vary based on the specific hardware capabilities of each Apple Watch model.
watchOS 11 introduces significant enhancements that make the Apple Watch more personalized and useful.
Key updates include improved health and fitness tracking, smarter widgets, and convenient features like Ultra Wideband home keys and enhanced ticketing.
With detailed GPS tracking, new workout features, and offline navigation, this update ensures the Apple Watch remains an essential tool for daily use and outdoor adventures.
Compatible with iPhone Xs or later running iOS 18, watchOS 11 is set to elevate the Apple Watch experience this fall.
