Apple watchOS 8 release date and all the features coming to your Apple Watch

(Pocket-lint) - Apple tends to merchandise 1 large bundle update a twelvemonth for iPhone, iPad and Watch, with smaller updates pushed passim the year.

The adjacent large update for Apple Watch is watchOS 8. Here are each the features Apple announced are coming to the Apple Watch with watchOS 8, coupled with what different features we'd inactive similar to spot and what the rumours person said astatine the bottom.

• Apple Watch Series 7 rumours, specs and features

watchOS 8 merchandise date

• Some features announced astatine WWDC
• Public merchandise apt September 2021

Apple announced immoderate of the cardinal features coming to Apple Watch with watchOS 8 during its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).

A developer beta and nationalist beta of the watchOS 8 bundle are already available, portion Apple has said the existent merchandise volition get successful the "Fall". This typically means September and apt to beryllium astir the clip the Apple Watch Series 7 is besides expected.

watchOS 8 features

The updates to Apple Watch with watchOS 8 weren't rather arsenic immense arsenic what was announced for iPhone with iOS 15 and iPad with iPadOS 15, but present are each the features revealed:

Portraits Watch Face

Apple Watch is getting a caller Portrait Watch Face with watchOS 8. The dynamic, multi-layered look uses Portrait photos from your iPhone to enactment radical astatine the beforehand and centre of your Watch. 

Photos

Any Memories and Featured Photos volition automatically sync to your Apple Watch with watchOS 8, offering you thing caller each the time. There's besides a caller mosaic grid for your Memories and you'll beryllium capable to stock photos with a mates of taps to Messages and Mail.

Messages

Messages connected Apple Watch are getting immoderate caller features with watchOS 8 including the quality to constitute a connection utilizing dictation, scribble and emojis astatine once. You'll besides beryllium capable to edit errors successful dictation by utilizing the Digital Crown, and volition beryllium capable to nonstop GIFs too.

Music

The Music app is being redesigned connected Apple Watch with watchOS 8, allowing you to stock songs, albums and playlists done Messages and Mail.

Focus

As with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 is besides bringing a caller diagnostic called Focus that allows you to filter retired distractions depending connected what you are doing. There are modular Focus statuses to take from - Do Not Disturb, Fitness, Work and Sleep - but you tin besides sync a customized Focus you person created connected your iPhone, iPad oregon Mac too.

Contacts who connection you volition get an automatic reply that you are successful "Focus Time", but they volition beryllium capable to get done with an urgent connection if they request to.

New workouts

Apple usually adds immoderate other workout modes with each large bundle physique and the ones coming to watchOS 8 are Tai Chi and Pilates. They articulation the already extended database of workouts disposable connected Apple Watch, including ones similar Dance and a circumstantial 1 for Cool Down that were launched successful 2020.

Fitness+ improvements

Apple's Fitness+ subscription service is getting immoderate improvements excessively with watchOS 8. The work volition spot immoderate caller workouts from Jeanette Jenkins, who focuses connected spot and hiit training, joining those already available, and dependable feedback volition beryllium coming too.

There volition besides beryllium immoderate Artist Spotlight workouts that person a playlist from 1 peculiar artist, similar Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopaz, Keith Urban and Alicia Keys, and watchOS 8 volition enactment picture-in-picture for workouts arsenic well. Additionally, determination volition besides beryllium other filters to assistance you nail down a workout cleanable for you.

New Breathe app

As rumours predicted, watchOS 8 is revamping the Breathe app into caller app called Mindfulness that not lone encourages you to absorption connected your breathing passim the day, but besides reflect.

It volition punctual you to bash things like, deliberation astir thing you similar to bash and punctual yourself wherefore it brings you joy, whilst focusing connected the animation connected the screen. The Breathe and Reflect sessions volition extremity with a summary of Mindful Minutes, on with your mean bosom rate.

Better Family Setup features

The watchOS 8 bundle volition bring enactment for transit cards successful definite regions truthful household members tin usage nationalist transportation, and determination volition besides beryllium enactment for the Mail and Calendar accounts. Hiking metrics volition besides beryllium validated for kids successful watchOS 8. 

AssistiveTouch

AssistiveTouch volition get with watchOS 8, enabling users with precocious assemblage limb differences to usage Apple Watch without having to interaction the show oregon controls.

Sleep tracking

Sleep tracking is already disposable connected Apple Watch with watchOS 7, but watchOS 8 volition adhd respiratory complaint to the slumber tracking metrics. This is the fig of breaths you instrumentality per minute. It volition spell towards tracking your wide wellness. 

Along with the further metric, watchOS 8 volition bring Sleep Trends into the Health app connected iOS 15.

Always connected show improvements

The Always On Display - which is disposable connected the Series 5 and Series 6 - volition enactment further apps with watchOS 8, including Alarms, Maps, Stopwatch and immoderate third-party apps.

Contacts app

There volition beryllium a caller Contacts app connected watchOS 8 that volition let you to browse, add, oregon edit contacts straight from your Apple Watch.

Wallet

There are a fig of changes coming to the Wallet app with watchOS 8. Not lone volition you beryllium capable to store a integer cardinal to your location connected your Watch, if you person a compatible lock, but you volition beryllium capable to stock a integer cardinal with household members too.

In immoderate US states, you volition besides beryllium capable to store your integer ID successful the Wallet app too, and if you person a compatible car and Apple Watch Series 6 with UWB technology, watchOS 8 volition bring the quality to unlock your car utilizing your Apple Watch from a distance.

Find My

Apple Watch volition spot the Find My app travel with watchOS 8, allowing you to way down your devices straight from your wrist, and present conscionable household and friends, arsenic you tin connected watchOS 7. 

Home

There are a fewer changes to the Home app connected watchOS 8, including automatic suggestions for connected devices adjacent to 1 that is activated. For example, if idiosyncratic rings your doorbell, you mightiness get the proposition of unlocking the door. 

There's a caller Camera country wherever you tin entree each your information cameras, and determination is quicker entree to scenes excessively with watchOS 8 uses quality to service up the ones it thinks you are astir apt going to privation to use. Additionally, the presumption of your devices volition look astatine the apical of the Home app.

Weather 

The Weather app connected Apple Watch volition enactment terrible upwind warnings with watchOS 8. You volition besides beryllium capable to spot next-hour precipitation alerts and spot rainfall intensity.

Audio controls

With watchOS 8, you'll beryllium capable to spot real-time headphone levels successful Control Centre erstwhile you're listening to media, arsenic you tin connected iPhone and iPad.

watchOS 8 what other we privation to see

Here are a fewer things we'd inactive similar to spot the watchOS 8 bundle physique offer:

• Better, much precocious slumber tracking
• Extra fittingness and wellness features, similar humor glucose monitoring
• More audio fitness, similar interval training
• Fitness betterment features, similar Garmin's Body Battery 
• Custom ticker faces

watchOS 8 compatibility: Will my Apple Watches beryllium supported?

Here are each the Apple Watch models confirmed to enactment watchOS 8:

• Apple Watch Series 3
• Apple Watch Series 4
• Apple Watch Series 5
• Apple Watch Series 6
• Apple Watch SE

watchOS 8 rumours: What's happened truthful far?

Here's everything we person heard truthful acold astir watchOS 8.

7 June 2021: New mentation of Apple Watch Breathe app suggested successful code

A caller illustration leaked aboriginal for the Apple Watch App Store suggests Apple is moving connected immoderate signifier of Mind feature. It's thought the institution could connection a caller mentation of the Breathe app.

3 May 2021: Will the adjacent Apple Watch work humor sweetener and intoxicant levels? Possibly

A large diagnostic coming to the Apple Watch could person been revealed successful an SEC filing for UK-based startup Rockley Photonics.

Rockley Photonics designs sensors for monitoring a person's humor utilizing infrared light. The sensors could beryllium utilized for monitoring humor glucose and intoxicant levels. 

26 March 2021: Apple considering 2021 motorboat for 'Explorer Edition' Watch designed for utmost conditions and athletes

A study from Bloomberg suggested Apple is considering the motorboat of an all-new Apple Watch exemplary designed for athletes, hikers and those who would usage the smartwatch successful utmost environments. It is said to motorboat successful 2021 oregon 2022 and perchance connection a rubberised case.

15 February 2021: No glucose monitoring coming to Series 7 aft all

Leaker Max Weinbach dispelled rumours that the Apple Watch Series 7 would diagnostic glucose monitoring. It was a diagnostic antecedently reported, but Weinbach claimed it isn't coming yet.

16 April 2020: Could a aboriginal Apple ticker observe if you've fallen into a river?

According to an Apple patent, a aboriginal Apple Watch could observe the benignant of h2o its successful and truthful measure if you've fallen into a stream oregon the oversea and past measure your situation. For example, if your watch's GPS assesses you're successful heavy h2o it could beryllium acceptable to alert authorities. 

16 January 2019: Three large wellness features rumoured

The Fast Company reported that Apple has hired galore clinicians and engineers to enactment connected wellness features for the Apple Watch, which are said to see humor pressure, humor glucose oregon diabetes absorption and slumber tracking oregon science. Given these didn't look connected the Series 6, possibly they are destined for the Series 7?

Writing by Britta O'Boyle. Originally published connected 28 May 2021.