Skip to main content

watchOS

206 'watchOS' stories June 2015 - July 2018
See All Stories

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

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

Avatar for Zac Hall Jul 2 2018 - 9:16 am PT
0 Comments

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

Avatar for Zac Hall Jun 12 2018 - 9:48 am PT
0 Comments

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

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

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo May 14 2018 - 8:22 am PT
0 Comments

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

How to change your Apple Watch orientation

Avatar for Peter Cao Apr 5 2018 - 1:00 pm PT
0 Comments

The default Apple Watch layout is the Digital Crown on the top right, and this is how many users wear their Apple Watch if they wear it on your left wrist. However, this can be changed and there are valid reasons to do so.

While the default configuration is aesthetically pleasing, and falls in line with most other watches, changing your Apple Watch orientation could boost your Apple Watch efficiency.


Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 5 Wish List: Apple Watch Podcasts, open Siri face, rethought Control Center, more

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 4 2018 - 11:47 am PT
0 Comments

We’re just two months away from WWDC 2018 where Apple will unveil the next major versions of its operating systems, and watchOS is arguably the platform with the most low hanging fruit left to be picked. Apple Watch Series 3 is the most capable version yet with cellular connectivity and an even faster chip, and watchOS 5 can unlock even more potential with that hardware. Read on for what I’d love to see in watchOS 5:


Expand
Expanding
Close

watchOS 4.3 for Apple Watch coming today with iPhone Music control, smarter Siri watch face, more (U: Now available)

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 29 2018 - 9:17 am PT
0 Comments

Apple is officially releasing watchOS 4.3 for all Apple Watches today. The latest software update includes several new features and changes including restored Music control for iPhone libraries from Apple Watch, more data points on the Siri watch face, portrait orientation for Nightstand Mode, updated alerts when unlocking Macs, and several animation changes including charging and loading apps.


Expand
Expanding
Close

From iOS 12 to watchOS 5: All the new Apple software we expect this year

Avatar for Chance Miller Mar 3 2018 - 11:57 am PT
0 Comments

Earlier this week, Zac outlined all of the hardware products Apple is likely to release as this year progresses. Just as important as those hardware releases, however, are the software updates that will accompany them.

We already know that Apple has iOS 11.3 planned for this month, but beyond that are major releases like iOS 12 and watchOS 5…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Opinion: iOS 12 could finally fix systemic frame rate issues and interface inconsistencies

Avatar for Peter Cao Jan 30 2018 - 11:25 am PT
0 Comments

Today’s news about Apple putting new features on the back burner for iOS 12 means that the company will finally be focusing on polishing up its mobile operating system. After years of interface inconsistencies and frame rate issues, iOS may be getting some much-needed attention on the finer details.

While frame rate issues have gone unnoticed by many, prominent YouTuber and entrepreneur Chris Pirillo has been documenting his findings over the years with a public list of issues. The most jarring and obvious frame rate issue is when invoking Siri and trying to access Control Center. This is an example of an “unlikely situation, so Apple didn’t check,” which some feel has been Apple’s software mantra with iOS 7 and beyond.

While it’s good to hear about Apple shifting focus to zero in on refinements, I would argue these sort of issues should have never should have shipped to begin with.


Expand
Expanding
Close