The new app lets users browse chats and send voice messages—a feature Wear OS users have had since 2023
After years of waiting, Apple Watch users finally have access to an official WhatsApp app.
The new integration is a massive upgrade over the previous experience, which limited users to replying only to incoming notifications. It finally brings Apple’s smartwatch to feature parity with its competitors.
The native watch app allows users to browse their chat list, read recent messages in a thread, and compose new messages directly from their wrist.
Users can reply using the QWERTY keyboard (on compatible models), emoji, dictation, or by sending voice messages—a key feature that was previously impossible.
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Late to the party
While this is a huge step forward for iPhone owners, it’s a feature that will be very familiar to Android users.
Google’s Wear OS platform (used on the Samsung Galaxy Watch and Pixel Watch) has had a fully-featured, native WhatsApp app since mid-2023.
This rollout sees Meta finally bringing its most popular watch app to the world’s most popular smartwatch.
It’s important to note that this is still a companion app, not a standalone one. It requires your iPhone to be nearby and connected, as it mirrors its content. That also means personal messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted.
The new WhatsApp app is rolling out now and requires an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer running watchOS 10 or later. And if you need more integrations to help complement the new WhatsApp experience, check out the Apple Watch apps that the Wareable team actually uses.