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watchOS Changelog

What's new in watchOS 6.0.1 Build 17R604

Oct 17, 2019
  • Resolves an issue where the Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse watch face does not speak time
  • Addresses an issue where the calendar complication may not display events
  • Fixes a bug that could result in a loss of display calibration data

New in watchOS 6 Build 17R575 (Sep 25, 2019)

  • Cycle Tracking:
  • New Cycle Tracking app to log information about your menstrual cycle including flow level, symptoms, and spotting
  • Option to log fertility metrics, including basal body temperature and ovulation test results
  • Period predictions and notifications to let you know when your next period is approaching
  • Fertile window predictions and notifications to let you know when your fertile window is approaching
  • Noise:
  • View the decibel levels in your environment in real time with the new Noise app
  • Option to be notified if the noise in your environment rises to a level that could affect your hearing over time
  • Available on Apple Watch Series 4
  • Voice Memos:
  • Record Voice Memos using Apple Watch
  • Listen to Voice Memo recordings through the built-in speaker on Apple Watch or connect a Bluetooth device
  • Rename recordings with Dictation or Scribble
  • New memos automatically sync across your iPhone, iPad, or Mac with iCloud
  • Audiobooks:
  • Sync audiobooks from Apple Books on your iPhone to Apple Watch
  • Sync up to five hours of the book you’re currently reading
  • Stream audiobooks when connected to Wi-Fi or cellular
  • App Store:
  • Discover and install apps for Apple Watch with the new App Store
  • Browse curated apps and collections
  • Search for apps using Siri, Dictation or Scribble
  • View app descriptions, reviews, and screenshots
  • Support for Sign in with Apple
  • Activity:
  • Track your Activity trends in the Activity app on iPhone
  • Trends surfaces your activity metrics averaged over the last 90 days compared to your performance over the last 365 days; metrics include: move, exercise, stand, stand minutes, distance, cardio fitness (VO2 max), walking pace, and running pace. Wheelchair users' metrics include: roll, roll minutes, wheelchair walk pace, and wheelchair run pace
  • View specific coaching tips to get back on track if trend arrows are pointing down
  • Workout:
  • New current elevation metric for Outdoor Run, Outdoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle and Hiking workouts. Available on Apple Watch Series 2 and later
  • Stopwatch app can now be continuously viewed on your watch face during workouts
  • Shuffle your Workout music playlist
  • Adds GymKit support for True and Woodway
  • Siri:
  • Identify the song playing around you with Shazam—get song and artist information and the ability to add to your Apple Music library
  • Support for Siri web search—see up to 5 results for web searches and tap to view website content optimized for Apple Watch
  • Siri integration with redesigned Find People app supports location queries
  • Watch Faces:
  • Numerals Mono and Numerals Duo—Digital faces available in Arabic, Arabic Indic, Roman numerals and Devanagari
  • Meridian—A black or white dial that fills the screen and includes four subdial complications (Series 4 only)
  • Gradient—Dynamically changes design as time passes. Available in full screen or circular with up to five complications (Series 4 only)
  • California—Available in multiple numeral styles including Roman, Arabic and Devanagari, full screen or circular (Series 4 only)
  • Solar Dial—Track the sun’s path in circular form mapped across a 24-hour dial (Series 4 only)
  • Modular Compact—Display enriched complications with the option to choose between Analog or Digital time (Series 4 only)
  • Tap to Speak on all watch faces with support for over 30 languages
  • Option to receive and customize time-keeping chimes—set to receive an alert on the hour, every half hour, or every 15 minutes either with haptics or a customizable audible chime
  • Reorder watch faces directly from your Apple Watch
  • New complications for Audiobooks, Calculator, Cellular Connectivity, Cycle Tracking, Noise, Wind, Rain and Voice Memos
  • New monochrome complications in Infograph and Infograph Modular
  • Other features and improvements:
  • New Calculator app with the ability to calculate tips and split the check
  • Podcasts app now supports custom stations
  • Maps includes Smart Guidance and spoken navigation
  • Redesigned Now Playing app supports Apple TV remote controls
  • Personalized music picks are now available in For You
  • Automatic software updates
  • Redesigned Walkie-Talkie app
  • More settings directly available on Apple Watch including Accessibility, Workout and Health
  • Redesigned Find People app lets you add friends, set notifications and change settings on Apple Watch
  • View shared lists, subtasks and add new reminders right from within the redesigned Reminders app

New in watchOS 5.3.1 Build 16U600 (Aug 27, 2019)

  • Important security updates

New in watchOS 6 Build 17J5540d Beta 5 (Aug 2, 2019)

  • Activity:
  • Resolved Issues:
  • Workouts are no longer missing maps and weather information. (53159089)
  • Calculator:
  • Resolved Issues:
  • Firmly pressing a button in Calculator no longer causes buttons to become stuck. (50738294)
  • Localization:
  • Known Issues:
  • Certain languages might display text that isn’t localized. (47765173)
  • Location:
  • Known Issues:
  • Temporary, “Allow Once” location authorization isn’t currently supported. (50385453)
  • Networking:
  • New Features:
  • URLSessionWebSocketTask and URLSessionStreamTask are now available for use in watchOS apps. (49779789)
  • Deprecations:
  • The URLSession and NSURLConnection APIs no longer support SPDY. Servers should use HTTP 2 or HTTP 1.1. (43391641)
  • Notifications:
  • New Features:
  • To send a UserNotifications push to a watchOS device, a new apns-push-type key is now required as part of the APNs request header. Depending on the type of notification, this key can be set to alert or background and is supported across all Apple platforms. (47099534)
  • Podcasts:
  • Known Issues:
  • Asking Siri to play a podcast on Apple Watch might result in an error message. (50392036)
  • Settings:
  • Known Issues:
  • Dictation might remain enabled after disabling it in Settings. (49396495)
  • Resolved Issues:
  • Do Not Disturb settings synchronize correctly between your phone and watch. (52830669)
  • Siri:
  • Known Issues:
  • Announce Messages with Siri might not work with AirPods that are connected to Apple Watch. (47467681)
  • SwiftUI:
  • New Features:
  • You can now create a Color from a UIColor or NSColor. (49833933)
  • NSManagedObject now conforms to ObservableObject. The new @FetchRequest property wrapper can drive views from the results of a fetch request, and managedObjectContext is now included in the environment. (50280673)
  • Gesture modifiers are renamed for consistency. For example, tapAction(count:_:) is renamed onTapGesture(count:perform:), and longPressAction(minimumDuration:maximumDistance:_:pressing:) is renamed onLongPressGesture(minimumDuration:maximumDistance:pressing:perform:). (50395282)
  • Text now has a default line limit of nil so that it wraps by default. (51147116)
  • ContentSizeCategory and several other enumerations are now CaseIterable. (51168712)
  • SegmentedControl is now a style of Picker. (51769046)
  • BindableObject is replaced by the ObservableObject protocol from the Combine framework. (50800624)
You can manually conform to ObservableObject by defining an objectWillChange publisher that emits before the object changes. However, by default, ObservableObject automatically synthesizes objectWillChange and emits before any @Published properties change.
  • The EnvironmentValues structure has four new properties for reading accessibility values from the environment: accessibilityDifferentiateWithoutColor, accessibilityReduceTransparency, accessibilityReduceMotion, and accessibilityInvertColors. (51712481)
  • The color(_:) modifier for Text is renamed foregroundColor(_:) for consistency with the more general foregroundColor(_:) view modifier. (50391847)
  • The BindableObject protocol’s requirement is now willChange instead of didChange, and should now be sent before the object changes rather than after it changes. This change allows for improved coalescing of change notifications. (51580731)
  • The RangeReplaceableCollection protocol is extended to include a remove(atOffsets:) method and the MutableCollection protocol is extended to include a move(fromOffsets:toOffset:) method. Each new method takes IndexSet instances that you use with the onMove(perform:) and onDelete(perform:) modifiers on ForEach views. (51991601)
  • Added improved presentation modifiers: sheet(isPresented:onDismiss:content:), actionSheet(isPresented:content:), and alert(isPresented:content:) — along with isPresented in the environment — replace the existing presentation(_:), Sheet, Modal, and PresentationLink types. (52075730)
  • Updated the APIs for creating animations. The basic animations are now named after the curve type — such as linear and easeInOut. The interpolation-based spring(mass:stiffness:damping:initialVelocity:) animation is now interpolatingSpring(mass:stiffness:damping:initialVelocity:), and fluidSpring(stiffness:dampingFraction:blendDuration:timestep:idleThreshold:) is now spring(response:dampingFraction:blendDuration:) or interactiveSpring(response:dampingFraction:blendDuration:), depending on whether or not the animation is driven interactively. (50280375)
  • Added an initializer for creating a Font from a CTFont. (51849885)
  • Known Issues:
  • A WKInterfaceObjectRepresentable instance with no explicit width might expand to the bounds of its container.
  • Workaround: Wrap the WKInterfaceObjectRepresentable instance in a GeometryReader to get an explicit width for the view. (53512858)
  • Using the Path structure may cause your app to crash if you’re using the SDKs included in Xcode 11 beta 5. (53523206)
  • Using a ForEach view with a complex expression in its closure can may result in compiler errors.
  • Workaround: Extract those expressions into their own View types. (53325810)
  • Text in lists and stacks might be unexpectedly truncated. (51068688)
  • Image instances don’t use resizing information configured in asset catalogs. Configure the size of an image using the resizable(capInsets:resizingMode:) modifier instead. (49114577)
  • Resolved Issues:
  • Pickers appear without delay at runtime. (50969430)
  • Deprecations:
  • The Length type is replaced by CGFloat. (50654095)
  • TabbedView is now named TabView. (51012120)
  • HAlignment and VAlignment are now deprecated, use the more flexible HorizontalAlignment or VerticalAlignment types instead and use TextAlignment for text. (51190531)
  • The SelectionManager protocol is removed, use Optional and Set instances directly for selection. (51557694)
  • The isPresented environment value is deprecated and replaced with the more general presentationMode value. (51641238)
  • The StaticMember protocol is deprecated. Use protocol-conforming types directly instead. For example, use an instance of WheelPickerStyle directly rather than the wheel static member.(52911961)
  • Complex overloads for the background(_:alignment:) and border(_:width:) modifiers are deprecated. Use shapes in a background(_:alignment:) or overlay(_:alignment:) to draw these instead. (53067530)
  • SwiftUI APIs deprecated in previous betas are now removed. (52587863)
  • The identified(by:) method on the Collection protocol is deprecated in favor of dedicated init(_:id:selection:rowContent:) and init(_:id:content:) initializers. (52976883, 52029393)
  • The retroactive conformance of Int to the Identifiable protocol is removed. Change any code that relies on this conformance to pass .self to the id parameter of the relevant initializer. Constant ranges of Int continue to be accepted
  • However, you shouldn’t pass a range that changes at runtime. If you use a variable that changes at runtime to define the range, the list displays views according to the initial range and ignores any subsequent updates to the range.
  • Several extensions to the Binding structure are removed. (51624798)
  • The Binding structure’s conditional conformance to the Collection protocol is removed. (51624798)
  • The relativeWidth(_:), relativeHeight(_:), and relativeSize(width:height:) modifiers are deprecated. Use other modifiers like frame(minWidth:idealWidth:maxWidth:minHeight:idealHeight:maxHeight:alignment:) instead. (51494692)
  • Xcode:
  • Known Issues:
  • If your watch debugging session continuously times out, you might need to quit and relaunch Xcode after connecting to the internet in order to download the appropriate DeviceSupport files. (50554987)

New in watchOS 5.3 Build 16U569 (Jul 29, 2019)

  • This update includes new features, improvements and bug fixes and is recommended for all users:
  • Provides important security updates including a fix for the Walkie-Talkie app
  • ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 now available in Canada and Singapore
  • Irregular heart rhythm notifications now available in Canada and Singapore

New in watchOS 5.2.1 Build 16T225 (May 14, 2019)

  • This update includes new features, improvements and bug fixes:
  • ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 now available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Iceland, Poland and Slovakia
  • Irregular heart rhythm notifications now available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Iceland, Poland and Slovakia
  • New Pride face inspired by the rainbow flag
  • Fixes an issue where the numbers on the Explorer face would not appear for some users
  • Disables accessories with insecure Bluetooth connections

New in watchOS 5.2 Build 16T225 (Mar 28, 2019)

  • ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 now available in Hong Kong and some regions in Europe. For a list of available regions, visit: https://www.apple.com/watchos/feature-availability/
  • Irregular heart rhythm notifications now available in Hong Kong and some regions in Europe. For a list of available regions, visit: https://www.apple.com/watchos/feature-availability/
  • Adds support for AirPods (2nd generation)
  • Supports real-time text (RTT) for phone calls

New in watchOS 5.1.3 Build 16S535 (Jan 23, 2019)

  • This update includes improvements and bug fixes.

New in watchOS 5.1.2 Build 16S46 (Dec 7, 2018)

  • This update includes new features, improvements and bug fixes:
  • New ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 (US and US territories only)
  • Allows you to take an electrocardiogram similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram
  • Can indicate whether your heart rhythm shows signs of atrial fibrillation—a serious form of irregular heart rhythm—or sinus rhythm, which means your heart is beating in a normal pattern
  • Saves ECG waveform, classification and any noted symptoms in a PDF on the Health app on iPhone to share with your doctor
  • Adds the ability to receive an alert if an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be atrial fibrillation is detected (US and US territories only)
  • Enables direct access to supported movie tickets, coupons, and rewards cards in Wallet when tapped to a contactless reader
  • Receive notifications and animated celebrations when you achieve daily maximum points in a day during an Activity competition
  • New Infograph complications for Mail, Maps, Messages, Find My Friends, Home, News, Phone, Remote
  • Manage your availability for Walkie-Talkie from Control Center

New in watchOS 5.1.1 Build 16R600 (Nov 6, 2018)

  • Apple Watch Series 4 automatically contacts emergency services if you are immobile for about a minute after detecting a hard fall. The watch will now also play a message that informs the responder that Apple Watch has detected a fall and shares your location coordinates when possible.
  • Fixes an issue that could cause an incomplete installation of the Walkie-Talkie app for some users
  • Resolves an issue that prevented some users from being able to send or receive invitations on Walkie-Talkie
  • Addresses an issue where some previously earned Activity awards were not showing in the Awards tab of the Activity app for some users

New in watchOS 5.0.1 Build 16R381 (Sep 28, 2018)

  • This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including:
  • Fixes an issue that caused a small number of users to see an increase in exercise minutes
  • Addresses an issue that caused some users to not receive Stand credit in the afternoon
  • Fixes an issue that could prevent Apple Watch from charging

New in watchOS 5.0 Build 16R364 (Sep 18, 2018)

  • Activity:
  • Challenge any of your Activity sharing friends to a one-on-one, seven-day competition
  • Earn points by filling your Activity rings, one point for every percent added to the rings each day
  • View active competitions in the sharing tab of the Activity app
  • Receive intelligent and personalized notifications throughout the competitions
  • Earn awards at the end of the competition, and view in the redesigned Awards tab in the Activity app on iPhone
  • Workout:
  • Automatic workout detection sends alerts to start the Workout app for many workouts, giving you retroactive credit for exercise already started, and end alerts reminding you to end your workout
  • Yoga and Hiking workout types for accurate tracking of relevant metrics
  • Set target pace during outdoor run workouts and receive alerts if you fall behind or move ahead of that target pace
  • Track cadence, or steps per minute, as you run and see average cadence in running Workout summaries
  • Rolling mile (or km) metric for running workouts measures pace for the immediately preceding mile (or km)
  • Apple Podcasts:
  • Sync subscribed shows on Apple Podcasts to Apple Watch for local playback with Bluetooth headphones
  • New episodes are automatically refreshed as they are added to subscribed shows
  • Stream any available episode or show on Apple Podcasts with Siri when connected to Wi-Fi or cellular
  • New Podcasts complication for watch faces
  • Walkie-Talkie:
  • Invite friends with Apple Watch to communicate with Walkie-Talkie
  • Press to talk and release to listen
  • Supports one-to-one interactions between Apple Watch users
  • Special sounds and haptics distinguish Walkie-Talkie from other notifications on Apple Watch:
  • Set your availability for Walkie-Talkie
  • Walkie-Talkie works through Wi-Fi or cellular on Apple Watch or with paired iPhone
  • Watch Faces:
  • Breathe face with three animation styles to choose from: Classic, Calm, and Focus
  • Three new motion faces—Fire & Water, Vapor, and Liquid Metal—that animate when you raise your wrist or tap the display
  • Display curated moments from your photo library using the Memories option on the Photos watch face
  • New complications for Podcasts and Walkie-Talkie
  • Siri:
  • Updated Siri watch face intelligently surfaces predictive and proactive Shortcuts based on routines and inputs like location and time of day
  • Integration with Maps on the Siri watch face shows turn-by-turn directions and estimated arrival times to your next calendar event location
  • Heart Rate measurements surfaced on the Siri watch face including resting rate, walking average, and recovery rate
  • Live sports scores and upcoming games for your favorite teams in the TV app appear on the Siri watch face
  • Support for third-party app shortcuts on the Siri watch face
  • Access to Siri with Raise to Speak, by raising your wrist to your mouth and speaking your request into the watch (Series 3 and later)
  • Support for customized voice commands for Siri Shortcuts that are created and managed on iPhone
  • Notifications:
  • Notifications from the same app are automatically grouped together to help you manage your notifications
  • Ability to modify notifications preferences for an app by swiping left on an app notification in Notification Center
  • New Deliver Quietly option silently sends notifications directly to Notification Center without interrupting you
  • Turn off Do Not Disturb after a set time, location or calendar event
  • Heart Rate:
  • Option to be notified if your heart rate falls below a specified threshold while you appeared to be inactive for a 10-minute period
  • Heart Rate measurements including resting rate, walking average, and recovery rate shown on the Siri watch face
  • Other features and improvements:
  • View website content optimized for Apple Watch when receiving links in Mail or Messages
  • Add cities to Weather app on Apple Watch
  • See new metrics like UV Index, wind speed, and air quality index in supported regions in Weather app
  • Add new stocks to track in the Stocks app on Apple Watch
  • Customize arrangement of Control Center icons
  • Choose Wi-Fi networks in Settings app and enter password if prompted
  • Answer FaceTime video calls as audio on Apple Watch
  • Option to install software updates overnight
  • Add cities to World Clock app on Apple Watch
  • Use redesigned categories to scroll through and choose emoji in Mail and Messages
  • Adds support for system language in Hindi

New in watchOS 4.3.2 Build 15U70 (Jul 9, 2018)

  • Improvements and bug fixes.

New in watchOS 4.3.1 Build 15T567 (May 31, 2018)

  • watchOS 4.3.1 fixes an issue which caused Apple Watch to sometimes remain at the Apple Logo during startup for some users.

New in watchOS 4.3 Build 15T212 (Mar 29, 2018)

  • This update contains new features, improvements, and bug fixes:
  • Control volume and playback on HomePod from your Apple Watch
  • Restores ability to control music on iPhone
  • Use any orientation for Nightstand charging mode
  • Siri watch face now shows progress towards closing Activity rings and when new songs are added to Apple Music mixes
  • Resolves an issue where Activity achievements were incorrectly awarded for some users
  • Fixes an issue where Siri music commands were not working for some audio devices

New in watchOS 4.2.3 Build 15S600b (Feb 20, 2018)

  • Fixes an issue where using certain character sequences could cause apps to crash.
  • SECURITY FIX:
  • CoreText:
  • Available for: All Apple Watch models.
  • Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted string may lead to heap corruption.
  • Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
  • CVE-2018-4124: an anonymous researcher.

New in watchOS 4.1 Build 15R846 (Oct 31, 2017)

  • New features, improvements, and bug fixes include:
  • Stream music on Apple Watch Series 3 with Apple Music or iCloud Music Library
  • Listen to live radio on Beats 1, custom stations, and expert-curated stations with the new Radio app on Apple Watch Series 3
  • Use Siri to find, discover, and play songs, playlists, or albums
  • Sync fitness data with GymKit-enabled treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and indoor bikes for more accurate distance, pace, and energy burn metrics
  • Ability to disconnect from a Wi-Fi network in Control Center for Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular)
  • Fixes an issue for Apple Watch Series 1 and later where Heart Rate notifications were delivered when the feature was not enabled
  • Fixes an issue where some users did not receive Stand Reminders
  • Resolves an issue where the current Stand hour indicator did not appear for some users
  • Resolves an issue that was caused haptics to not be delivered for silent alarms
  • Addresses an issue that prevented Apple Watch (1st generation) from charging for some users
  • Resolves an issue where the Sunrise / Sunset complication would sometimes not appear
  • Restores Mandarin as the default dictation language for China

New in watchOS 4.0.1 Build 15R654 (Oct 5, 2017)

  • Fixes issues that were causing Apple Watch to join unauthenticated (captive) Wi-Fi networks, such as those often found in public places like coffee shops and hotels, which direct the user to a web page before the network can be accessed.

New in watchOS 4.0 Build 15R372 (Sep 19, 2017)

  • watchOS 4 brings more intelligence and fitness features to Apple Watch including a new Siri watch face, personalized Activity coaching, new measurements in the Heart Rate app, and improvements to the Music experience.
  • Watch Faces:
  • New Siri face that intelligently updates information based on time of day, location, and daily routines
  • New animated Toy Story faces featuring Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and more
  • New Kaleidoscope face that turns static images into symmetrical, intertwining patterns
  • New complications for Siri, News, Heart Rate, Now Playing, and Messages
  • Activity:
  • Intelligent and personalized notifications to help you close your Activity rings each day
  • Monthly challenges based on the previous month's activity levels
  • New full screen animations to celebrate important milestones including earning an achievement and closing your rings
  • Replies to activity sharing notifications now include workout metrics
  • Workout:
  • Redesigned app for quick starts and helpful workout type graphics
  • New High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout with custom motion and heart rate algorithms for more accurate calorie tracking
  • Support for multiple workout types in one workout session
  • Auto sets for Pool Swim workouts with distance for each stroke type and pace for each set, automatically adjusted for rest time
  • Ability to automatically start a synced music playlist when you start a workout on Apple Watch Series 1 and later
  • Access to music controls directly in the Workout app during a workout session
  • Option for Do Not Disturb to be automatically turned on during workouts
  • Heart Rate:
  • New visual graph showing all-day heart rate
  • New heart rate measurements and visual graphs for resting rate (Apple Watch Series 1 and later), walking average, workout average and high, recovery time, and sessions in the Breathe app
  • Option to be notified if your heart rate rises above a specified threshold while you appeared to be inactive for a 10-minute period
  • Current and historical details of heart rate data in the Health app on iPhone, including new Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and VO2 Max data types
  • Music:
  • Redesigned app for easy scrolling through album art
  • Ability to sync multiple playlists for local playback with bluetooth headphones
  • Automatically sync curated playlists from Apple Music including Heavy Rotation, My New Music Mix, and My Favorites Mix
  • Other features and improvements :
  • News app with summaries of Top Stories and save for later to read on iPhone
  • Flashlight and Safety Light in Control Center
  • Vertical scrolling through recently used apps in the Dock
  • App home screen available in an alphabetical list view
  • Mail compose and swipe gestures
  • Dialer pad in the Phone app
  • Conflicts displayed in Calendar invites
  • Scribble support for German
  • Sub-minute and repeating timers
  • Suggested and recent locations in Maps
  • Contacts and locations in smart replies

New in watchOS 3.2.3 Build 14V6753 (Jul 19, 2017)

  • This update includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • For information on the security content of the watchOS 3.2.2 update go to:
  • https://support.apple.com/kb/HT207925

New in watchOS 3.2.2 Build 14V485 (May 15, 2017)

  • This update includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • For information on the security content of the watchOS 3.2.2 update go to https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207800.

New in watchOS 3.1.3 Build 14S960 (Jan 24, 2017)

  • Includes improvements and bug fixes.

New in watchOS 3.1.1 Build 14S883 (Dec 12, 2016)

  • This update includes improvements and bug fixes.
  • Fixes an issue that could prevent contact names from appearing in the Messages app and notifications
  • Fixes an issue that could impact ability to respond to notifications
  • Resolves an issue where the Stocks complication may not update on the watch face
  • Fixes an issue that may prevent the Activity rings from displaying on the Activity watch faces
  • Fixes an issue that prevented the dials on an analog watch face from appearing after changing the temperature unit in the Weather app
  • Resolves an issue that could cause the Maps app to stay launched after navigation has ended
  • Resolves an issue where the incorrect date could be displayed in the Calendar app month view

New in watchOS 3.1 Build 14S471 (Oct 24, 2016)

  • Improvements and bug fixes:
  • New option to replay bubble and full screen effects in Messages
  • Messages effects can play with Reduce Motion enabled
  • Fixes an issue that could cause the notification for Timer complete to be delivered twice
  • Resolves an issue that could prevent Apple Watch Series 2 from fully charging
  • Resolves an issue where Activity rings may disappear from the watch face
  • Fixes an issue that prevented Force Touch options from appearing in some third-party apps

New in watchOS 3.0 Build 14S326 (Sep 13, 2016)

  • This update includes support for pairing multiple watches to one iPhone, Maps improvements and new language support.
  • This release also includes additional improvements and bug fixes:
  • Apps launch instantly with updated information and are easier to access from the Dock
  • Watch faces are easy to switch and you have all-new faces to get your information at a glance
  • Activity can be used to share, compare, or compete with family and friends
  • Workouts start with a tap and show all metrics in one place
  • Wheelchair users now have a customized Activity and Workout experience
  • Breathe is a new app that guides you through deep breathing sessions to live a better day
  • Messages lets you express yourself in new ways
  • Scribble turns your handwriting into text
  • Emergency SOS helps you easily call for help in critical situations
  • Home is a new app that lets you simply and securely manage your home automation products in one place

New in watchOS 2.2.1 Build 13V420 (May 16, 2016)

  • CommonCrypto:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: A malicious application may be able to leak sensitive user information
  • Description: An issue existed in the handling of return values in CCCrypt. This issue was addressed through improved key length management.
  • CoreCapture:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
  • Description: A null pointer dereference was addressed through improved validation.
  • Disk Images:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: A local attacker may be able to read kernel memory
  • Description: A race condition was addressed through improved locking.
  • Disk Images:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
  • Description: A memory corruption issue existed in the parsing of disk images. This issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
  • ImageIO:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to a denial of service
  • Description: A null pointer dereference was addressed through improved validation.
  • IOAcceleratorFamily:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
  • Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
  • IOAcceleratorFamily:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
  • Description: A memory corruption vulnerability was addressed through improved locking.
  • IOAcceleratorFamily:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
  • Description: A null pointer dereference was addressed through improved validation.
  • IOHIDFamily:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
  • Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
  • Kernel:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
  • Description: Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed through improved memory handling.
  • libc:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: A local attacker may be able to cause unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
  • Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
  • libxml2:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: Processing maliciously crafted XML may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
  • Description: Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed through improved memory handling.
  • libxslt:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution
  • Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
  • MapKit:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to leak sensitive user information
  • Description: Shared links were sent with HTTP rather than HTTPS. This was addressed by enabling HTTPS for shared links.
  • OpenGL:
  • Available for: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes
  • Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution
  • Description: Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed through improved memory handling.

New in watchOS 2.0.1 Build 13S428 (Nov 4, 2015)

  • This update contains new emoji characters, performance improvements, and bug fixes, including:
  • Fixes an issue that could cause software updates to stall
  • Fixes issues that were impacting battery performance
  • Resolves an issue that prevented a managed iPhone from syncing iOS Calendar events to Apple Watch
  • Addresses an issue that could prevent location information from properly updating
  • Fixes an issue that could cause Digital Touch to send from an email address instead of a phone number
  • Addresses an issue that could cause instability when using a Live Photo as a watch face
  • Resolves an issue that allows the sensors to stay on indefinitely when using Siri to measure heart rate
  • For information on the security content of this update, please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205378.

New in watchOS 2.0 (Sep 21, 2015)

  • This update contains new features and capabilities for users and developers, including the following:
  • New watch faces and timekeeping features:
  • Time-lapse videos of Hong Kong, London, Mack Lake, New York, Shanghai, and Paris
  • Photo and Photo Album so you can see your favorite images every time you raise your wrist, including support for Live Photos
  • Time Travel with the Digital Crown to see what’s coming in the future or what’s happened in the past
  • Nightstand Mode so your Watch can be used as a bedside alarm clock
  • 9 new colors to customize your watch face, and a new multicolor Modular face
  • Support for third-party apps to create complications
  • Siri improvements:
  • Start a specific workout, get transit directions, or ask to see a glance
  • Support for FaceTime audio calling and replying to email
  • Support for HomeKit to control supported devices in your home using Siri
  • New support for Austria, Belgium (French and Dutch), and Norway
  • Activity and Workout improvements:
  • Workouts from third party apps on the Watch can be included in your Activity rings
  • Activity rings, workouts, and achievements can be shared from the Activity app on iPhone
  • Interactive achievements
  • On-demand weekly summary
  • Mute Activity notifications for one day
  • Workouts saved automatically
  • Apple Pay and Wallet improvements:
  • Support for Discover cards
  • Support for rewards cards and store credit and debit cards
  • Add passes to Wallet directly from third party apps on your Watch
  • Friends and Digital Touch improvements:
  • Add more than 12 Friends directly from Apple Watch
  • Multiple Friends’ groups that you can name
  • Send sketches using multiple colors
  • New options for animated emoji
  • Maps improvements:
  • Transit view, showing transit lines, stations and intermodal connections in select major cities
  • View the list of directions for your current route
  • View station placards with departure information
  • Music improvements:
  • New Beats 1 button to start playing the 24/7 radio station
  • New Quick Play button to play a variety of songs from Apple Music
  • Reply to emails using dictation, emoji, or smart replies customized specifically for email
  • Make and receive calls using FaceTime audio
  • Support for Wi-Fi calling without iPhone in proximity on participating carriers
  • Activation Lock prevents anyone from activating your Apple Watch without your Apple ID and password
  • New developer capabilities including:
  • Native SDK to build faster and more powerful apps running natively on Apple Watch
  • Access to accelerometer to more granularly track your motion
  • Access to heart rate sensor for use during a workout
  • Access to microphone and speaker to record and play audio
  • Access to the Taptic Engine with 8 different types of Haptic feedback
  • Access to the Digital Crown for more precise controls
  • Ability to play video directly on Apple Watch
  • Support for running apps without iPhone in proximity, including access to networking capabilities when connected to known Wi-Fi networks
  • Complications on the watch face
  • Workouts from apps can be counted towards Activity rings
  • Workouts from apps can be included in Activity app on iPhone
  • New support for system language in English (India), Finnish, Indonesian, Norwegian, and Polish
  • New support for dictation in Dutch (Belgium), English (Ireland, Philippines, South Africa), French (Belgium), German (Austria), Spanish (Chile, Colombia)
  • New support for smart replies in Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong, Taiwan), Danish, Dutch, English (New Zealand, Singapore), Japanese, Korean, Swedish, Thai
  • 

Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas.

New in watchOS 1.0.1 (May 20, 2015)

  • This release includes performance improvements and bug fixes including the following:
  • IMPROVED PERFORMANCE FOR:
  • Siri
  • Measuring stand activity
  • Calculating calories for indoor cycling and rowing workouts
  • Distance and pace during outdoor walk and run workouts
  • Accessibility
  • Third party apps
  • Display support for new Emoji characters
  • ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE SUPPORT FOR:
  • Brazilian Portuguese
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • Swedish
  • Russian
  • Thai
  • Turkish