watchOS 11 is the newest version of watchOS, the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. As with every new watchOS update, watchOS 11 introduces a range of new health, fitness, and communication features.
The Smart Stack gains new widgets in watchOS 11, including Shazam, Photos, and Distance. The Smart Stack can suggest widgets based on time, date, location, and daily routines, presenting the content that is needed most at any given time. Interactive widgets let users access app features directly from the Smart Stack, and the Smart Stack also now supports Live Activities.
Check In is available on the Apple Watch, including during workouts. Users who are going to the gym or heading out on a run can start the Check In process from the Workout app so a friend or family member can keep an eye out for their workout to end. Check In on Apple Watch works from the Messages app, too.
A Vitals app lets users view and get context about key health metrics that are measured during sleep, including heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen. The Apple Watch analyzes these metrics for the Vitals app and provides a daily report on whether the metrics are out of a typical range for each wearer. When two or more metrics are out of their standard range, the Vitals app can provide a notification and insight into how the change might be linked to alcohol consumption, illness, and other factors like elevation changes.
Cycle tracking has been updated to provide additional support to pregnant users. When users log a pregnancy in the Health app, the Cycle Tracking app shows gestational age and supports the logging of symptoms.
watchOS 11 adds support for training load, a new way of measuring how the intensity and duration of workouts impact the body over time. Training load gives users insight into the strain of workouts on the body from the last seven days compared to the last 28 days, which Apple says can be used to make decisions about training when preparing for an event like a 5K or bike race.
After each workout, users get an effort rating to track how difficult it was, with cardio-based workout types using an algorithm to generate the rating. Data like age, height, weight, and workout data like GPS, heart rate, and elevation are taken into account. Effort rating can be manually adjusted to factor in stress, soreness, and other issues, and it can also be added manually for workout types like strength training that don’t automatically include the effort estimate. Additional information is available in the Fitness app to let users see the possible impact if they continue to train at a certain level, such as changes in fitness or a risk of injury.
The Workout app supports more workout types that can track distance, including Soccer, American Football, Australian Football, Outdoor Hockey, Lacrosse, Downhill Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Snowboarding, Golf, and Outdoor Rowing, and Custom Workouts can be used for pool swims.
The Fitness app supports more customizable Activity rings that support rest days. Taking a rest day or a day off due to illness or injury won’t ruin an Activity streak because there is an option to pause for a day, week, month, or more. Activity ring goals can be customized by day of the week, changing the activity needed to fill the ring each day. Users can also choose to customize the Summary tab to show the information most relevant to them.
Apple overhauled Apple Fitness+ with watchOS 11, adding a personalized For You space, along with Explore and Library spaces, new search features, and improved rewards.
The Photos watch face has been updated to help users select their best photo options by analyzing aesthetics, composition, and even facial expression. The algorithm optimizes the subject’s position in the frame and adds a sense of depth, and the watch face can be customized with time sizes, layouts, and fonts. There’s also a Dynamic mode that shows users a new image each time they lift their wrist.
Apple expanded the Translate app to the Apple Watch, so users can access translations directly on their wrist. When traveling, the Smart Stack can offer up a suggested Translate app widget. Apple Maps now offers hikes for all U.S. national parks, and users can create their own walking and hiking routes.
Double Tap, available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, can now be used for scrolling through any app, so it’s easier to interact with the Apple Watch with one hand. Summarized notifications can be forwarded from the iPhone 15 Pro models to Apple Watch, and the Wallet app supports enhanced ticketing to provide users with information on the venue and show they’re seeing.
Tap to Cash, a new Apple Pay feature, can be used to send and receive Apple Cash by holding the Apple Watch near another Apple Watch or iPhone, with no exchange of information like phone number required.
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