WWDC: What’s new in watchOS 10? A small watch is a big deal

by Jonny Evans · June 6, 2023

Apple took the wraps off of watchOS 10, revealing redesigned apps, a new Smart Stack to show relevant widgets when required and much more. More included new watch faces, metrics, Workout Views, and Bluetooth connectivity for cyclists.

More also included Compass Waypoints and Maps capabilities further help hikers. Apple’s Mindfulness app gains new tools Apple hopes will support mental health.

What Apple said

“watchOS is the world’s most advanced wearable operating system, and it has redefined how people all over the world think of what a watch can do,” said Kevin Lynch, Apple’s vice president of Technology.

“watchOS 10 is a major milestone and an energizing new approach for Apple Watch, introducing a fresh new design for quickly viewing information, delightful new watch faces, new features for cyclists and hikers, and important tools for health.”

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“With watchOS 10, we’ve redesigned the interface, allowing users to experience Apple Watch like never before,” said Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of Human Interface Design.

“The update gives users the information that matters most to them at a glance, simplified navigation, and a new visual language that takes full advantage of the Apple Watch display. We’re also introducing the Smart Stack, offering quick access to proactive and relevant information, right from the watch face.”

This move toward understanding and predicting intent is common across all Apple’s announcements at this show.

Making the most of it

Part of what’s coming includes making Watch apps better exploit the available space in the Watch. Apple’s apps, such as Maps or Weather, will use more of the display to make their information glanceable. Other apps, including Activity app, will provide more details concerning the data they monitor so you can get good insights more swiftly.

You’ll get a new Smart Stack of widgets that display timely information that adapts to what you are doing. You might get Weather at the beginning of the day, or boarding passes when you travel. Upcoming events will be flagged up to get your attention.

But developers gain most, as many of the new features are offered up to them. They may use the entire display for their own app experiences, or turn Digital Crown to access other information. Control Center is also now accessible using the side button, while a double-click of the Digital Crown reverts back to any recently used apps.

New Watch Faces

watchOS 10 introduces two new watch faces: Palette and Snoopy. Palette turns time into color, using three overlapping layers of color that shift over time. But for me it’s the new Peanuts watch face that seems most fun, as Snoopy and Woodstock will interact and play with the watch hands or react to the weather conditions in the area.

Mental Health

Apple continues to try to identify ways its products can help people. This year, it’s looking to mental health and the Mindfulness app. That app now lets you log emotions and daily moods, scrolling through descriptions using the Digital Crown.

In the Health app in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, users can see valuable insights to identify what might be contributing to their state of mind. In addition, depression and anxiety assessments often used in clinics are now easily accessible in the Health app and can help users determine their risk level, connect to resources available in their region, and create a PDF to share with their doctor.

Vision Health

To reduce the risk of myopia, the International Myopia Institute recommends children spend at least 80-120 minutes a day outdoors. With watchOS 10, Apple Watch introduces the ability to measure time spent in daylight using the ambient light sensor. Users can view this information in the Health app on iPhone or iPad.

Time spent in daylight can provide additional benefits to physical and mental health for all ages. And children who do not have their own iPhone can use Family Setup to pair their Apple Watch to their parent’s iPhone, giving parents visibility into the amount of time their kids are spending in daylight with Health Sharing.

The new Screen Distance feature uses the same TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID in iPad and iPhone to encourage users to move their device farther away after holding it closer than 12 inches for an extended period of time.

When a device is locked with a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID, all Health app data, including mental health and vision health data, is encrypted.

Cycling

Apple Watch is a great device for cyclists, with features including automatic Workout reminders, calorimetry for e-biking, and Fall Detection. watchOS 10 takes this popular activity even further with advanced new metrics, views, and experiences. Apple Watch can now automatically connect to Bluetooth-enabled cycling accessories, such as power meters, speed sensors, and cadence sensors.

Hiking

The Compass app on Apple Watch is a helpful tool for exploring the great outdoors. With watchOS 10, Compass automatically generates two new waypoints: A Last Cellular Connection Waypoint will estimate the last place with cellular reception, which may be useful for checking messages or making a call. In case of emergencies, a Last Emergency Call Waypoint will estimate where on the route their device had the last connection to any available carrier’s network so that an emergency call can be made.

When preparing routes, a new Elevation view uses altimeter data, offering a three-dimensional view of saved waypoints. And starting in the U.S., Apple Maps displays a new topographic map featuring contour lines, hill shading, elevation details, and points of interest. Users can also search for nearby trails and trailheads, with place cards that include detailed information, like trail length, type, and difficulty.

Additional watchOS 10 updates include:

NameDrop allows users to easily share contact information by bringing Apple Watch close to someone else’s iPhone. Apple Watch users can also use NameDrop by tapping the Share button in My Card in the Contacts app, or by tapping the My Card watch face complication, and then bringing Apple Watch face to face with someone else’s Apple Watch.²

Offline maps on iPhone provide access to turn-by-turn navigation, estimated time of arrival, places in Maps, and more while away from Wi-Fi or cellular services. These features can also be used on a paired Apple Watch that is in range of its companion iPhone.

Users can now initiate playback of a FaceTime video message and view it directly on Apple Watch. Additionally, Group FaceTime audio is now supported on Apple Watch.

The Medications app can send follow-up reminders if a medication hasn’t been logged 30 minutes after the scheduled time.

Apple Fitness+ introduces Custom Plans, a new way to receive a custom workout or meditation schedule based on day, duration, workout type, and more; Stacks, which allows users to select multiple workouts and meditations to do seamlessly back to back; and Audio Focus, which gives users the ability to prioritize the volume of the music or the trainers’ voices.

Enterprise

Apple Watch offers enterprise customers features to enhance productivity and safety in the office or in the field, such as hands-free communication and responding to notifications on the go or Fall Detection on a job site. watchOS 10 introduces support for Mobile Device Management (MDM), enabling enterprise customers to remotely and centrally install apps and configure accounts on a fleet of devices, with features such as passcode enforcement, and configuring Wi-Fi and VPN settings. With this update, Apple Watch can further help improve employee wellness, productivity and health, and safety monitoring.

APIs for Workout App Developers

watchOS 10 includes new APIs for workout app developers that will allow them to create compelling new experiences. The motion sensors on both Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra can detect rapid changes in velocity and acceleration, such as when swinging a golf club or a tennis racket. Now, developers will have access to this high-frequency motion data, so apps like SwingVision can analyze serve pronation, which is the twisting motion of the forearm, wrist, and hand, and Golfshot can detect small wrist movements to refine a golf swing.