The new version of WatchOS 8 expands Wallet access, introduces new types of workouts, and updates the Breathing app.
CUPERTINO, CA – In June 2021, Apple announced the WatchOS 8, a new version of its groundbreaking wearable operating system that brings even more impressive features to keep you healthy, active, and connected with loved ones. New features in the Wallet and Home apps make Apple Watch an even more versatile device that gives users easy access to their car and the places they live, work, and frequent.
The redesigned Breathing app and new Taijiquan and Pilates workouts help you lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain mental clarity, while the new Portraits watch face and improved Messages and Photos apps empower you to connect with those you care about.
“The Apple Watch has gained immense popularity around the world. They help users lead healthy, active lives and stay connected,” said Kevin Lynch, Apple’s vice president of technology. “With watchOS 8, we’re making a major update to the Home and Wallet apps to make it even easier to access the places our users live, work, and frequent.
We will also be expanding features that help maintain health and mental clarity, while the new Portraits watch face and redesigned Messages app will help enrich personal communication between users.”
- New Access Features with Wallet WatchOS 8.
- Updated Home app WatchOS 8.
- New types of workouts WatchOS 8.
- A New Approach to Mindfulness.
- Breathing rate in sleep WatchOS 8.
- Portraits watch face and Photos app.
- Messages and Contacts.
- Additional enhancements introduced in watchOS 8 include various new functionalities and improvements.
- About Apple.
You can check out a detailed review of the Apple Watch Series 8 here.
New Access Features with Wallet WatchOS 8.
Apple Watch makes it incredibly convenient to use Apple Pay and Wallet for secure, contactless payments in stores and commuting. With watchOS 8, users will have even more convenient touchless access to important things and frequently visited places – and it will be easy, reliable, and secure.
First introduced at WWDC 2020, Ultra Wideband is now supported for digital car keys on Apple Watch Series 6. With Apple Watch, users can securely unlock their car from a distance, as well as start the engine from the driver’s seat. The use of Digital Car Keys will be available on vehicles from manufacturers that support this feature. Fall 2021 will also see the ability to add your home, office, or hotel keys to Wallet to unlock your Apple Watch. You can add new keys to compatible door locks for homes, offices, and hotels in Apple Wallet. Such locks will be available from third-party manufacturers. In some US states, you will be able to add a driver’s license or government-issued ID to your Wallet. The first place where digital IDs can be used will be at select US Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
With digital keys in Apple Watch Series 6, users can securely unlock their car from a distance, as well as start the engine from the driver’s seat.
Updated Home app WatchOS 8.
The redesigned Home app in watchOS 8 provides even better access to accessories and scenes you may need at any given moment, as well as the ability to control accessories in individual rooms. Users with a HomeKit-enabled camera can see who’s at their door right on their wrist. On Apple Watch, you can also tap the Intercom button to quickly make an announcement broadcast to your entire home or to specific rooms via HomePod, HomePod mini, or other personal devices.
New types of workouts WatchOS 8.
WatchOS 8 introduces two popular new workouts that are good for both fitness and mental clarity: Tai Chi and Pilates. These new workouts use purpose-built, robust algorithms that measure heart rate and movement intensity to provide accurate activity metrics.
WatchOS 8 introduces two popular new workouts that are good for both fitness and mental clarity: Tai Chi and Pilates.
A New Approach to Mindfulness.
People are increasingly realizing how important it is to set aside moments for quiet reflection during the day. In watchOS 8, the Breath app has been renamed Mindfulness. Now in it, you can find not only improved breathing exercises but also new types of practice – reflection sessions. It is proposed to devote only one minute to concentrated thoughts. Such a session can be held anywhere and at any time. Each meditation session begins with a unique greeting that invites you to reflect on the positive aspects of life. For example, the sentence may appear: “Remember a recent moment when you felt calm. Bring that feeling to the present moment.” Or, “Think of something you are grateful for having. Why do you value this thing so much?” During your breathing and meditation sessions, the app shows you some great new animations and offers tips to help you get the most out of your session.
Breathing rate in sleep WatchOS 8.
On Apple Watch Series 8, you can now set specific settings before bed to help you sleep better, and track metrics such as sleep time, sleep heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. With watchOS 8, users can view even more information about their body, such as sleep respiration rate – the number of breaths per minute. To measure this indicator, Apple Watch uses a built-in accelerometer. You can view your sleep breathing rate and trends in the Health app on your iPhone. Developers can also access this metric through HealthKit (with user permission).
Portraits watch face and Photos app.
The Photos watch face is the most popular on Apple Watch. WatchOS 8 brings new ways to view and interact with your favorite photos right on your wrist. The new Portraits watch face brings gorgeous portrait photos taken on iPhone to life with a breathtaking layered effect: Faces in photos are automatically recognized and stand out from the background. The Photos app has also been updated with new ways to view and navigate collections, Memories and Collection photos are automatically synced to Apple Watch, and a new export page allows you to share photos via Messages and Mail.
Messages and Contacts.
Communication on Apple Watch has become even more convenient with new tools in Messages. You can use handwriting, dictation, and emoji in the same message, and you can edit text in dictated messages. To easily add expressiveness to a message, just enter a word or phrase and choose from hundreds of popular GIF animation options. WatchOS 8 also added the Contacts app. Contacts can now be viewed, added, edited, and shared directly on Apple Watch.
WatchOS 8 Focusing
WatchOS 8 supports Focus, a powerful set of tools in iOS 15 that helps users stay focused on what they’re doing. Apple Watch automatically syncs all Focus Modes set up in iOS. Notifications from people and apps are filtered based on what the user is currently doing. watchOS 8 leverages Apple Watch intelligence and suggests Focus modes based on how you use your device, such as Focus for Fitness when you start a workout.
Additional enhancements introduced in watchOS 8 include various new functionalities and improvements.
- Multiple timers can now be set and named using Siri on the Apple Watch.
- In watchOS 8, the Always On mode supports additional apps for display, including Maps, Mindfulness, Now Playing screen, Phone, Podcasts, Stopwatch, Timers, Voice Recorder, and more. The Always On API makes it easier for developers to provide up-to-date data for third-party apps.
- AssistiveTouch technology allows users with special needs to control their Apple Watch through hand movements, without touching the display. It enables functions such as answering calls, controlling the display pointer, and accessing the Action Center and Control Center.
- The Find Things app helps locate items with attached trackers using the Latitude network. The Find My Devices app assists in finding lost Apple devices under the same Apple ID.
- The updated Music app allows sharing songs, albums, and playlists via Messages and Mail and combines music and radio into one app.
- The Weather app now displays extreme weather alerts and next-hour rainfall information and supports new extensions.
- Family Setup includes support for adding public transit passes in certain regions and the option to add a Google account to Calendar and Mail.
- watchOS 8 expands on Apple Fitness+, offering Picture-in-Picture support with new filtering options, and the ability to pause and resume workouts across devices.
- Apple Fitness+ introduces new workout series featuring fitness expert Janet Jenkins, as well as an Artist Spotlight series with playlists from Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Alicia Keys.
Confidentiality.
Apple considers privacy a fundamental human right. Because privacy is especially important for health data and identities, Health data is encrypted on your device and in iCloud when you sync with iCloud. Digital identities in Wallet are encrypted and stored in the Secure Element using the same hardware technology that keeps Apple Pay data secure. Apple cannot see when and where a user presents their digital ID.
About Apple.
Apple revolutionized the world of personal devices with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple is a global leader in innovation with iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs. Apple’s five software platforms—iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS—ensure that all Apple devices work seamlessly together and provide users with unique experiences, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. More than 100,000 Apple employees are dedicated to creating the best products on earth and helping to make the world a better place than it was before us.