Apple’s watchOS 11 operating system will incorporate a number of features that will expand the capabilities of the Apple Watch. Highlights will include tools for pregnant people, such as the Vital Signs app, which will make it easier to track physical and mental health during this time.
In addition, watchOS 11 introduces the Training Load feature, which allows users to better assess and understand the impact of their physical activities over time.
The ability to make payments directly from Apple Watch using Apple Pay is another new feature.
What are the new features of watchOS 11 for Apple Watch?
Additional assistance during pregnancy
watchOS 11, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18 offer additional support to pregnant people to monitor both physical and mental changes during this crucial period. When you record a pregnancy in the Health app on iPhone or iPad, Cycle Tracking on Apple Watch will display the gestational age and allow you to record typical pregnancy symptoms.
In addition, the user will be invited to review settings such as the notification threshold for elevated heart rates, given that an increase in heart rate during pregnancy is common.
Training load
watchOS 11 integrates a feature called Training Load, a useful tool for recording how the intensity and duration of workouts affect the body over time. It provides information on the physical strain experienced during workouts over the past seven days compared to the last 28 days.
This information can be key for users to make informed decisions about their daily training, especially when they are preparing for events such as a 5K race, a bike competition or a marathon.
App Translate
The Translate app is now available on Apple Watch. The watch can automatically suggest a Translate widget when users travel to a place where a different language is spoken than the one set on their watch.
Hiking Maps
Apple Maps provides hiking itineraries for all national parks in the United States, which can be saved to Apple Watch and viewed offline, with turn-by-turn directions even when your iPhone is not nearby. Users also have the option to design their own hiking trails within the Maps app on their iPhone and save them for later access from their Apple Watch.
Personalized training
Now, Custom Workouts have been expanded to include pool swimming, allowing for the customization of intervals with exercise sets and rest periods. Haptic feedback indicates when it’s time to move on to the next interval. These are tactile cues that Apple Watch provides through subtle vibrations.
In all custom workouts, a new view called “Up Next” shows the time remaining in the current interval and provides a preview of the next interval.
New Home Screen Widgets
New widgets like Shazam, Photos, Distance, and more have been added to Apple Watch. In addition, the watch can recommend widgets based on time of day, date, location, and daily routines, making it easy to access key functions right when they’re needed. For example, the extreme weather alerts widget can be displayed before a storm to keep the user informed.
Tap to cash
Users can transfer money using Apple Cash by bringing their Apple Watch close to another Apple Watch or iPhone, making it easy to exchange funds quickly and directly using proximity technology.
When watchOS 11 will be released
Developers who are part of the Apple Developer Program can download a beta version of watchOS 11 from developer.apple.com. The public beta will be available to all watchOS users next month in beta.apple.com.
Coming soon, watchOS 11 will be released as a free software update for the Apple Watch Series 6 or newer models, paired with an iPhone Xs or later running iOS 18.
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