Apple Watch gets smarter and healthier with WatchOS 11

Image: Apple

Apple unveiled its latest Apple Watch software update, WatchOS 11, at its annual WWDC event. The update focuses on fitness, health, and improved usability.

WatchOS 11 introduces "training load," a metric that measures the intensity of your workouts and their impact on recovery. It uses heart rate, pace, elevation, weight, and height to provide a score (1-10) reflecting your training effort. You can adjust the score if it doesn't match your perception.

Training load is helpful for athletes who risk overtraining or undertraining. It works for many cardio exercises, and for others, you can input an effort rating. You can also see your average training load over 28 days and compare it to your recent efforts.

Need a break? WatchOS 11 lets you pause your activity ring progress, so a sick or rest day won't reset your streak. You can also customize daily activity goals for more flexibility.

Apple also introduced a new Vitals app. It keeps track of key health metrics like heart rate and sleep duration. It shows trends over time and alerts you if something falls outside your normal range.

Double tapping your watch now works with more apps, allowing developers to create custom interactions. You can skip music tracks, send messages, or start a baby sleep timer (with a third-party app). Double tapping also lets you scroll through any app without touching the screen.

WatchOS 11 personalizes the Photos watch face using machine learning. It curates photos, creates depth effects, and offers various clock options. "Dynamic mode" automatically changes the watch face image with each wrist raise.

Smart Stacks, accessible by swiping up from the watch face, now display more widgets. That includes Live Activities at the top. See sports scores, Uber ETAs, or severe weather alerts without opening separate apps.

The Translate app and widgets for music, photos, distance, and smart home devices are also new additions

Additional WatchOS 11 features:

• Cycle tracking offers more pregnancy options, including gestational age.
• The Workout app lets you notify friends and family when you finish a workout.
• Create custom pool swim workouts.
• Apple Maps supports offline turn-by-turn navigation for custom walking routes and hikes in all US national parks.
• Send and receive Apple Cash with a tap of your watch.

WatchOS 11: Availability

WatchOS 11 will be available as a public release this fall. A developer beta is available now. It's compatible with Apple Watch Series 6 and later, paired with an iPhone running iOS 18.

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