watchOS 7
At a Glance
WatchOS 7 adds watch face sharing, sleep tracking capabilities, Siri translation, shortcuts, handwashing tracking, and more.
Features
- Sleep Tracking app
- Handwashing app
- Hearing protection
- Watch face sharing
- Cycling directions
What's New in watchOS 7
Introduced in June 2020, watchOS 7 is the newest version of the Apple Watch operating system and will be released to the public on 16 September.
WatchOS 7 is a major upgrade that adds to the Apple Watch a range of noteworthy wellness, fitness, and style features. First of all to share your watch faces and instal watch faces shared by other users, in apps, in tweets, on websites, and more, there is a new Face Sharing feature.
Apple also launched many new watch faces, including a Chronograph Pro with a tachymeter, a Memoji face, a customizable colour Stripes face, a GMT face that displays several time zones, and more. There are also updates such as Images and X-Large for certain current watch faces. Apps can also have different complexities, so you can better tailor the face of your Apple Watch to your requirements.
A new Sleep app that provides sleep monitoring functionality is included with watchOS 7, offering sleep analysis in an easy-to-read map. The Apple Watch uses an accelerometer to track subtle breathing-related changes, so it knows whether you're asleep or awake.
There's a Wind Down feature that lets you create a bedtime routine with shortcuts to things like dimming the lights and opening a meditation app, and a Sleep Mode that turns your computer off automatically and Do Not Disturb on.
The Apple Watch can play soft sounds or wake you with haptic feedback when it's time to wake up, and it offers a weather forecast and battery level so that you can get your morning started. When the battery is low, you'll get a reminder to charge, and when charging is done, a reminder to reduce time without your watch.
Apple has introduced a new tracking function for handwashing that listens to the sounds of running water and then begins a 20-second timer to help you wash your hands for the right amount of time. In order to remind you to wash your hands when you get home, Apple Watch may also send a warning.
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The Exercise app has been renamed by Apple, and now it's known as Fitness. There is an improved interface and new exercises that include Dance, Functional Strength Training, Core Training, and Cooldown to go along with the new name.
The watchOS 7 Family Setup feature allows children and older adults to use an Apple Watch without an iPhone when it is set up for them by a guardian. With Family Configuration, with parental controls included several Apple Watches can be combined with a single iPhone. Children can use all Apple Watch features, there is a new children's Apple Pay Cash option, and there is a Schooltime mode to ensure that children are on the job during school hours. For older people, Family Setup is also useful.
Apple added directions for cyclists with maps in the Maps app that involve adjustments in elevations, stairs, bike lanes, and busy roads. For the first time, you can browse along your path, adding stops as you go if you need a bite to eat.
Spoken translations are provided by Siri and can be translated into 10 languages. On-device all dictation is now completed, making it quicker and more reliable. Siri Shortcuts can be accessed and applied as a complication to the Apple Watch.
With a weekly listening reminder and an automatic Minimize Noisy Sounds option that sets a maximum headphone volume to prevent hearing damage, watchOS 7 does more to protect listening health.
WatchOS 7 is only compatible with the Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, Series 6 and SE versions of Apple Watches. It cannot be mounted on the computers of the 1st generation of Apple Watch, Series 1, and Series 2. WatchOS 7 was released by Apple on Wednesday, September 16.
Current Version
The new version of watchOS, released to the public on November 5, is watchOS 7.1. WatchOS 7.1 offers hearing health protection that allows the Apple Watch to send a warning when music is too noisy and has the potential to hurt the ears when attached headphones play. The update also adds South Korea and Russia to the ECG app, and contains crucial fixes for bugs. Release notes by Apple are below:
- Adds the ability to be notified when your headphone audio level could impact your hearing
- Adds support for the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later in the Republic of Korea and Russia
- Adds support for irregular heart rhythm notifications in the Republic of Korea and Russia
- Resolves an issue that prevented some users from unlocking a Mac with Apple Watch
- Fixes an issue where the screen may be dark on wrist raise for some Apple Watch Series 6 owners.
For testing purposes, Apple has also seeded two betas of an upcoming watchOS 7.2 update for developers. WatchOS 7.2 brings the Apple Watch with a new Cardio Fitness feature, and Apple claims that the cardio fitness metric is a "strong indicator of overall health." The feature tests VO2 max, or the maximum amount of oxygen the body can absorb during exercise.
You can access Cardio Fitness with a new trend that has been introduced to the Exercise app and can set it up on the iPhone in the Health app. For users aged 20 and over, cardio fitness levels are available and are determined by age.
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WatchOS 7.2 will also see the introduction of the Apple Fitness+ service, with a splash screen announcing the inclusion of Apple Fitness+ after the beta is installed.
Watch Faces
WatchOS 7 has seven new watch face options, with most of the new faces restricted to the Apple Watch Series 4 and later, although the new "Artist" face can be accessed by older Apple Watches. For information on each new face of the watch, see the list below.
- GMT - The GMT face shows multiple time zones at once, while also taking into account your physical location. 12-hour time is displayed on the inner dial with local time, while the outer dial displays 24-hour time.
- Count Up - The Count Up face lets you start tracking elapsed time by tapping the bezel.
- Chronograph Pro - This face was previously available in the watchOS 7 betas and features multiple time scales (60, 30, 6, or 3 seconds) along with a tachymeter to measure speed based on time travel over a set distance.
- Typograph - The typograph face displays numerals in three custom type styles (custom, modern, and rounded) and four different scripts ( Arabic, Arabic Indic, Devanagari, and Roman) with each combo tailored to fit the face perfectly.
- Artist - For the Art watch face, Apple collaborated with artist Geoff McFetridge to create an Apple Watch face that features artistic animated faces with the time overlaid.
- Memoji - The Memoji face brings animated Memoji to the Apple Watch that react to touch.
- Stripes face - Features different striped patterns in a variety of colors for supporting sports teams, matching what you're wearing, and more. You can choose the number of stripes, the number of colors, and rotate the stripes in any angle.
The Stripes, Typograph, Memoji, GMT, Chronograph Pro, and Count Up watch faces, along with the Apple Watch SE, are limited to the Series 4, Series 5, and Series 6 Apple Watch models, according to Apple.
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The X-Large watch face now provides support for rich complications for current watch faces, the Photos watch face now provides an option to add colour filtres to any picture, and there are more options for Pride rainbow watch face.
Complications
More than one complication can now be offered by a single Apple Watch app, which allows for more options for customization. If a surf app provides swell size, water temperature, and wind speed complications, all of these for a surf-themed Apple Watch face can be attached to the Apple Watch at once.
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For Shortcuts, the World Clock, the new Sleep app, the Camera Remote app, and Moon phases, Apple has introduced new complications. With one tap, all of the new complications cause these features to open.
Watch Face Sharing
You can also share Watch face settings with other users, so if you have a nice Apple Watch setup, in Messages, in the Mail app, or online, you can share it with friends and family.
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With Apple's editorial team offering watch face download recommendations, watch faces can be downloaded from messages or mail, from blogs, from social media, or from the App Store.
No More Force Touch
The Force Touch gesture that popped up interactive menus and settings when you pressed down with a finger on the watch display is familiar to those who have owned many models of the Apple Watch. In WatchOS 7, Apple removed Force Contact, so those movements are no longer available.
On the Apple Watch, but via new swipe down gestures, all the features allowed by Force Touch continue to be available. For the most part, by using a finger or the Digital Crown to scroll down to reach additional settings, all that used to be possible with Force Contact can be achieved.
For example, clearing all notifications can be accomplished by swiping down to the top of the notification list. With the same swipe down motion, writing a message in messages is accomplished.
In certain cases, movements are replaced by new icons that you can press, such as when you use the Camera app to access buttons, or you can swipe between new screens, as is the case when you change the Step Target in the Activity app. Other options were moved to the Settings app, and it was swapped with a long press gesture in the case of making new watch faces.
Sleep Tracking
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The Apple Watch uses its accelerometer to detect small breathing-related movements which indicate sleep. Apple concentrated on enabling the Apple Watch to monitor the period of sleep, which it claims is the most significant metric that people need to know.
A sleep analysis chart showing how much you have slept in the course of a day, a week and a month is given by the Health app.
Other metrics that some sleep trackers cover, such as deep sleep, light sleep, REM sleep, and more are not monitored by the Apple Watch. Apple also added other new features including Wind Down and sleep schedule options to help users maximize their overall sleep time.
Sleep Mode
On your Apple Watch, you can set up a sleep schedule that automatically turns sleep mode on and sends reminders in advance of when you need to go to bed.
The Apple Watch activates Do Not Interrupt automatically in sleep mode and prevents the screen from waking up. For the entire sleep schedule that is developed, these features are allowed.
The Apple Watch can use a haptic alarm or a louder audible alarm when it's time to wake up, and it shows a morning weather forecast and battery information. If you wake up in front of the alarm, the Apple Watch gives you the option of turning off the alarm.
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Wind Down
Accompanying Sleep Mode is a new feature of Wind Down that is intended to help you create a safe bedtime routine to boost the length of sleep.
Wind Down can give shortcuts, such as opening a meditation app and dimming the lights, that help you relax.
Battery Levels
When the Apple Watch needs to be charged and when it is completely charged, the Apple Watch sends alerts, so you can better track the daytime charging needed for Sleep Mode to be used.
If the battery is below 30 percent before going to bed, you will get a warning, so you can ensure that your Apple Watch has enough juice to last through the night.
Sleep Mode uses the power at night, but it doesn't have a significant effect on battery life as long as there's time to charge in the morning while you get ready for the day.
Family Setup
Apple also introduced a new Family Setup feature with watchOS 7 and iOS 14 that allows children and older adults who do not have iPhones to use the Apple Watch through a family member who acts as a system manager. Family Configuration lets an Apple Watch be set up via the iPhone of a parent, enabling children to use an iPhone-free Apple Watch with parental supervision.
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Apple also introduced a new Family Setup feature with watchOS 7 and iOS 14 that allows children and older adults who do not have iPhones to use the Apple Watch through a family member who acts as a system manager. Family Configuration lets an Apple Watch be set up via the iPhone of a parent, enabling children to use an iPhone-free Apple Watch with parental supervision.
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In order to enhance the Outdoor Stroll, Outdoor Run, and Outdoor Cycle workouts for children, Apple has optimized the Fitness app on the Apple Watch, and children can be inspired with emoji alerts customized to their reading level. Kids will submit and receive invitations to Activity Sharing and invite friends to Activity Competitions.
Using Family Setup allows children or older adults to use a cellular plan to have an LTE-enabled Apple Watch and their own phone number, and each child will have their own Apple ID to use Calendar, schedule reminders, display images from the iPhone of a guardian, and even make transactions via the new function of the Apple Cash Family.
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Apple Cash Family lets parents use Apple Pay to give kids cash to spend on their watch, with parents able to track transactions. Parents are able to see the locations of their children and get updates on that location to ensure that children are where they are supposed to be.
Family Configuration enables guardians to access and monitor health-related information on the iPhone in the Health app, so that a parent can be set as an emergency contact and medical problems can be added to the Medical ID and allergies can be added. This is also beneficial for older adults who need activated features such as fall detection.
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There is a Schooltime mode that triggers Do Not Interrupt and restricts access to Apple Watch features to keep children on track to ensure children are not disturbed by the Apple Watch at inappropriate times. Screen Time's Downtime function also extends to the Apple Watch.
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