watchOS 10 Gives Apple Watch A Huge App And UI Refresh
At Apple's WWDC event, nearly every Apple device got a redesign or refresh, and the Apple Watch is no exception with the introduction of watchOS 10. The new operating system is a complete redesign from prior iterations of the wearable OS.
Much like the newly announced iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 allows you to see much more information at a glance right from the watch's screen without having to go through menus. The crown now has added functionality to pull up what Apple calls a "Smart Stack." It's a customizable widget tray that allows you to add reminders, timers, and health metrics.
Even the watch faces themselves have been redesigned and now have the added bonus of changing color over the course of the day if you so desire. Plus, Apple is adding new animated watch faces featuring Snoopy and Woodstock from the "Peanuts" comics that change depending on the weather and current time.
Improvements for Apple's wearable tech
Two of the most significant changes are coming to the hiking and cycling apps. Hiking now shows on a map where you last had cell service and can place a waypoint in case you need to make emergency calls, a handy feature for the more adventurous who often travel outside of cellphone tower range. The Maps app is getting topographical data for wearers in the United States and now can search for the exact location (and altitude) of trailheads. For bike riders, watchOS 10 allows the watch to connect to several Bluetooth bike sensors that can stream more accurate cycling data to the app.
watchOS 10 also added features to help combat nearsightedness and encourage the benefits of time spent outdoors, tracking how long users stay out in the sun with a new ambient light sensor. Plus, wearers can log emotions and moods through the Mindfulness app and create a PDF describing their mental health to send to a doctor.
The update will be available for free this Fall.