WhatsApp Is Officially Available On Apple Watch - Here's What It Can Do & Which Models Get It

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging services in the world. Over 3 billion people use the app every month across the globe. So, some Apple users may have understandably been frustrated by the fact that, until recently, there wasn't an official way to interface with the app directly from the Apple Watch. Sure, there were methods for setting up WhatsApp notifications that would pop up on your wrist, but there wasn't really a way to replicate the full experience. Now, that's all changing.

The messaging giant has taken a big step in integrating its platform into the Apple ecosystem, with a dedicated version of the app that is specifically designed for the Apple Watch. This isn't just a minor update or an extension of the iPhone app, but rather a custom-tailored version of the platform that is designed for the smaller, wearable screen, bringing the full scope of WhatsApp into the hands (or wrists) of millions of iOS users worldwide and allowing them new ways to use their Apple Watch without their iPhone.

Apple Watch owners might naturally have a few questions about this new release: What can this new version of the app do, and which models of the smart watch will it be compatible with?

One of the first things that Apple Watch users will want to know is what capabilities this new version of the app is going to bring to their devices. Fortunately, WhatsApp has posted an announcement on its official blog where the company has outlined several of the biggest features you can expect to find.

You will be able to receive call notifications on your wrist, letting you know who's calling without needing to take your iPhone out of your pocket. You will now be able to read entire messages on your Apple Watch, as well as view images and stickers. The app even allows you to scroll through longer messages that don't fit on the small display. You can also now record and send voice messages straight from your wrist. Understandably, you still can't really type messages on the Watch version of the app, but you can use emojis to react to messages. Finally, you will also be able to view your chat history on the watch display when reading messages.

What's more, these are just the features that are available at launch. WhatsApp plans to continue developing the application. "This is just the start of making WhatsApp on your Apple Watch an even better experience. As always, your personal messages and calls remain private with end-to-end encryption. We look forward to delivering even more useful functionality for people with Apple Watch in the future. "This is just the start of making WhatsApp on your Apple Watch an even better experience," the company promises. "We look forward to delivering even more useful functionality for people with Apple Watch in the future."

So, now that you know a bit more about the new WhatsApp application's capabilities, you might want to know which models of the Apple Watch are going to be able to take advantage of it.

According to the company's blog post, this new app will work on Apple Watches that are Series 4 or later. For context, Apple is currently selling Series 11 models and released the Series 4s all the way back in 2018, so only those who have Apple Watches that are more than seven years old won't be able to take advantage of the new-and-improved WhatsApp.

These Apple Watches will also need to be running watchOS 10 or later. This version of the operating system was released back in September 2023. Most people will already have this up to date, particularly since watchOS 11 came out back in 2024 with a whole host of new features that most users will want to take advantage of anyway.