watchOS 8 helps you stay connected, active, and healthy like never before. Share your favorite memories with the enhanced Photos app. Put more fun into your texts. Find new ways to center yourself and be present. And that’s just the start.
watchOS 8 makes staying connected with the people and things you care about easier than ever. See your photos, control your home, start your car, and even access your ID in powerful new ways — all from your wrist.1
Photos
Portrait mode photos from iPhone. Now on your watch face.
Put your favorite photos of friends and family front and center. Featuring a dynamic, multilayered effect, this new watch face uses Portrait mode photos from your iPhone to give the people you care about a starring role.
New Memories served daily
Photo highlights from your Memories and Featured Photos now automatically sync to your watch, serving up something new every day.
On This Day
July 4, 2020
A picture-perfect view
The photo collection from your Memories is displayed in a unique mosaic grid, giving you a richer view of your library.
Wear it, show it, share it
With a few taps, now you can share photos via Messages and Mail.
Home
Smart home, smarter watch
When one of your smart devices is activated, watchOS 8 can automatically make suggestions for others nearby. For instance, if someone rings your connected doorbell, you might see options like unlocking the door or turning on the entry lights.
One room, lots of views
Access all your security cameras in the new Camera room. A variety of aspect ratios are supported, as is two‑way audio on cameras that offer it. To see a full‑screen view, just tap.
Mission: control
Now you can access your scenes more quickly. watchOS 8 knows which ones you’re most likely to use based on the time of day — then serves them up intuitively.
Status symbols
The current status of all your devices is now conveniently displayed at the top of the Home app screen. Instantly see if your lights or cameras are on, whether your batteries are charged, or if your software needs updating.
Wallet
A place to hold everything
Home key
Car key
ID cards
Credit cards
Apple Cash
Debit cards
Gift cards
Boarding pass
Car key knows you’re coming
Thanks to the Ultra Wideband technology in Apple Watch Series 7, your digital car key recognizes you as you approach your vehicle. Unlock the door, activate the alarm, or access climate controls — all from a distance.3
Home key
Now you can store a digital key to your home right in the Wallet app on your watch, so you’re never without it. Home key will work with a variety of popular lock brands, and allow you to open multiple locks with a single key.2
No more key under the mat
Now you can safely share a digital key with family, guests, or even a contractor. Share it once, or multiple times.
Put your license in your Wallet
In select states, now you can have a digital ID to present to the TSA at airport checkpoints. Driver’s licenses and state IDs in Wallet take full advantage of the privacy and security built into Apple Watch.4
Messages and Mail
Edit on the fly
To correct errors in dictation, use the Digital Crown to scroll precisely to the spot in a message you want to edit.
Messaging magic
Compose a message using
dictation,
, and , all at once.
#images are #awesome
Spice up your messages by entering a word or phrase to select from a huge library of GIFs.
Music that sends you
Share songs, albums, and playlists through Messages and Mail with the redesigned Music app.
Focus
Reduce distractions
Focus helps you stay in the moment when you need to concentrate, allowing only the notifications you want. Choose from suggested Focus options like Mindfulness or Fitness, or create your own. Any Focus you set syncs across your Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Signal your status
Stepping away is easier if others know you’re busy. So when you’re using Focus, your status will be automatically displayed in Messages. And for truly urgent messages there’s still a way for people to notify you.
New health and fitness features. Good for the mind and the body.
Now more than ever, good health means not just exercising your body, but also clearing your mind. New features in watchOS 8 bring a holistic approach to health and fitness. So in addition to feeling the burn, you can also feed the soul.
Mindfulness
Log in to your noggin
The popular Breathe app has been reimagined, expanded, and renamed Mindfulness.
Pause to Reflect
To help you be more mindful in your everyday life, the new Reflect feature asks you to focus on a short, thought-provoking theme. A beautiful animation helps you visualize as a minute passes.
Breathe, now deeper
The Breathe feature has been refreshed with new visualizations and tips that help you focus, center, and connect as you breathe.
Mindful Minutes
Breathe and Reflect sessions end with a summary of total Mindful Minutes you’ve achieved, along with your average heart rate — to reinforce your mind-body connection.
Sleep
Know your sleeping respiratory rate
By calculating your breaths per minute as you slumber — also known as sleeping respiratory rate — Apple Watch gives you greater insight into your overall wellness.5
Track your trends
See all your Sleep data and trends over time in the Health app on iOS. Along with Sleep, you can now track trends for even more health metrics to better see changes in your health over time.
If you take a hard fall during a workout, your watch will call for
Smarter Outdoor Cycling features
Apple Watch now detects when you’re riding a bike and prompts you to start a cycling workout. It can also automatically pause and start again when you take a break. If you’re riding an e-bike, you’ll now get more accurate calculations of calories burned. And voice feedback can help you safely track your milestones via speaker, AirPods, or Bluetooth headphones.
Stretch your body, and your boundaries
Now there’s a workout for Pilates. A custom algorithm tracks your metrics as you develop greater core strength, posture, balance, and flexibility with this series of controlled, progressive exercises. This fall, Pilates comes to Apple Fitness+ too.
Brand new, yet entirely ancient
See all your metrics as you clear your mind and reduce stress with Tai Chi, the 2000-year-old practice that’s like meditation in motion.
Every week, Fitness+ brings you new guided meditations to help you improve your overall wellbeing. View them on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Or listen on your Apple Watch.8
Work out together with SharePlay
Now you can work out with up to 32 of your friends. Cheer each other on or talk smack face to face. And get notified when someone closes an Activity ring or moves ahead of the pack, so everyone can celebrate.9
Even more to discover.
Lost and found.
Locate misplaced Apple devices with Find Devices — and never let your AirPods go missing again.
Enhanced Family Setup features.
Transit cards for certain regions are now supported, so family members can easily use public transportation. Google Calendar and Mail accounts are also supported. And hiking workout metrics are now validated for kids.
AssistiveTouch.
Now people who are limb different can use Apple Watch. Built-in motion sensors help answer calls, control an onscreen pointer, and even launch a menu of actions — all through hand gestures.
Always‑On display.
The Always‑On display allows you see your watch face without raising your wrist or waking your watch. And now it works with lots of additional apps, including Alarms, Maps, Stopwatch, and your favorite third-party apps.
New Contacts app.
No more searching for someone’s email address or phone number. Now you can quickly browse, add, or edit contacts right on your watch.
Hearing protection.
See real‑time headphone audio levels in Control Center when you’re listening to media — just like on iPhone and iPad.
Storm watch.
The Weather app on Apple Watch now supports severe weather notifications. Get next-hour precipitation alerts and see rain intensity too.
Set multiple timers at once.
One for the rice. Another for the veggies. And, of course, don’t forget about what’s on the grill. Start several timers simultaneously and use Siri to give each one a label.
watchOS 8 compatibility.
watchOS 8 requires iPhone 6s or later with iOS 15 or later and one of the following Apple Watch models:
