watchOS facts for kids

watchOS

A customized watch face on watchOS 6
Company / developer	Apple
Programmed in	C C++ Objective-C Swift assembly language
OS family	Unix-like, iOS based on Darwin
Working state	Current
Source model	Closed, with open-source components
Initial release	April 24, 2015; 10 years ago (2015-04-24)
Marketing target	Smartwatch
Available language(s)	45 languages
Supported platforms	ARMv8-A (5.0–) ARMv7-A (1.0–8.8.1)
Kernel type	Hybrid (XNU)
Default user interface	Cocoa Touch (GUI)
License	Proprietary software except for open-source components

watchOS is the special computer program, called an operating system, that makes the Apple Watch work. It was created by Apple. It's a lot like iOS, which is the operating system for the iPhone, and they share many similar features.

watchOS was first released on April 24, 2015, at the same time as the first Apple Watch. The Apple Watch is the only device that uses watchOS. Apple also provides a special toolset called WatchKit that helps app developers create programs for the watch.

Over the years, watchOS has been updated many times. Each new version brought exciting new features and improvements. For example, watchOS 2, released in September 2015, allowed third-party apps to run directly on the watch. watchOS 3, released in September 2016, made the watch faster and added new watch faces. Later versions added features like the "Walkie-Talkie" (watchOS 5), handwashing and sleep tracking (watchOS 7), and improved health monitoring (watchOS 8).

The 11th version, watchOS 11, was released on September 16, 2024. The 12th version, watchOS 26, was announced on June 9, 2025.

How to Use the Apple Watch

The main screen on the Apple Watch is called "Carousel." It shows your app icons in a circle. You can zoom in and out using the Digital Crown, which is the spinning dial on the side of the watch. Tapping an icon opens the app. This makes it easy to find and open your favorite apps.

Control Center and App Dock

Before watchOS 3, there was a feature called "Glances." This let you quickly see summaries from your most used apps. You would swipe up from the watch face to see them.

In watchOS 3, Glances were replaced by a new Control Center. This works much like the Control Center on an iPhone. It gives you quick access to settings and features. You still swipe up from the watch face to open it. Also, the side button, which used to open a "friends menu," now opens a special "Dock" for your apps. This helps you switch between apps more easily.

Force Touch and New Gestures

Before watchOS 7, the Apple Watch screen could tell how hard you pressed it. This was called Force Touch. Different actions would happen depending on whether you tapped or pressed firmly.

However, Force Touch was removed in watchOS 7. Now, all those actions are done through options in the Settings app or by holding down on the screen for a longer time. This change made the watch easier to use and more like other Apple devices.

watchOS 10 Updates

With watchOS 10, the way you use the watch became even better. You can customize your app screen more easily. Apps also open faster and look smoother. These updates show that Apple is always trying to make the watch simpler and more fun to use.

Tracking Your Health

watchOS helps you keep track of many important health details. Over time, more and more health features have been added.

Health Metrics You Can Track

Here are some of the health things watchOS can measure:

• Heart rate: How fast your heart is beating.
• VO₂ max: This measures how well your body uses oxygen during exercise. It was added in watchOS 4 and improved in watchOS 7.
• ECG (Electrocardiogram): This checks your heart's electrical activity. It can help detect certain heart conditions. This feature was added in watchOS 5.1.2.
• SpO₂ (Blood Oxygen Saturation): This measures the amount of oxygen in your blood. It was added in watchOS 7. (Note: This feature is not available on some newer Apple Watch models sold in the United States due to legal reasons.)
• Menstrual cycle status: Helps track a person's monthly cycle. This was added in watchOS 6.
• Sleep duration & respiratory rate: Tracks how long you sleep and how many breaths you take per minute while sleeping. These were added in watchOS 7.
• Body temperature: Tracks your body temperature. This was added in watchOS 9.
• Sleep apnea detection: Helps identify if you might have sleep apnea, a condition where breathing stops and starts during sleep. This was added in watchOS 11.

HealthKit: Apple's Health Platform

HealthKit is a special platform from Apple that helps collect and manage your health information. Apple wants to use HealthKit to help people stay healthier.

Jony Ive, who used to be a main designer at Apple, said that health was a very important part of the Apple Watch from the very beginning. He explained that the watch and its software were designed with health in mind. He mentioned that one of the first apps on the watch encouraged users to move, exercise, and stand.

Ive said that having a powerful device like the Apple Watch connected to you all the time opens up amazing opportunities for your health.

Apps have been created for watchOS that not only help you stay active but can also help find signs of illnesses. For example, an app called DeepHeart uses information from the Apple Watch's heart sensor to help detect conditions like atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat), hypertension (high blood pressure), sleep apnea, and diabetes.

watchOS Versions Over Time

Apple regularly releases new versions of watchOS. Each update brings new features, improvements, and sometimes stops supporting older Apple Watch models or iPhones.

Version Overview Table

Overview of watchOS versions

Version	Initial release date	Latest version	Build number	Latest release date	Device end-of-life
					Apple Watch	iPhone
watchOS 1	April 24, 2015	Old version, no longer maintained: 1.0.1	12S632	May 19, 2015	N/A	N/A
watchOS 2	September 21, 2015	Old version, no longer maintained: 2.2.2	13V604	July 18, 2016
watchOS 3	September 13, 2016	Old version, no longer maintained: 3.2.3	14V753	July 19, 2017		5, 5C
watchOS 4	September 19, 2017	Old version, no longer maintained: 4.3.2	15U70	July 9, 2018	1st	N/A
watchOS 5	September 17, 2018	Old version, no longer maintained: 5.3.9	16U693	November 5, 2020	N/A	5S, 6
watchOS 6	September 19, 2019	Old version, no longer maintained: 6.3	17U216	December 14, 2020	Series 1, Series 2	N/A
watchOS 7	September 16, 2020	Old version, no longer maintained: 7.6.2	18U80	September 13, 2021	N/A	N/A
watchOS 8	September 20, 2021	Old version, no longer maintained: 8.8.1	19U512	June 21, 2023	Series 3	6S, SE (1st), 7
watchOS 9	September 12, 2022	Old version, no longer maintained: 9.6.3	20U502	September 21, 2023	N/A	8, X
watchOS 10	September 18, 2023	Old version, no longer maintained: 10.6.1	21U580	August 19, 2024	Series 4, Series 5, SE (1st)	N/A
watchOS 11	September 16, 2024	Current stable version: 11.6	22U84	July 29, 2025	N/A	XS, XR
watchOS 26	June 9, 2025	Latest preview version of a future release: 26.0 beta 5	23R5328g	August 5, 2025	colspan="2" 0TBA
Legend: Old version Older version, still maintained Latest version Latest preview version Future release

Hardware That Uses watchOS

Different versions of watchOS work with different Apple Watch models. As new watchOS versions are released, older Apple Watch models might not be able to update to the newest software. This table shows which watchOS versions are supported on each Apple Watch model.

Other Apple Operating Systems

• tvOS (for Apple TV)
• macOS (for Mac computers)
• iOS (for iPhone)
• iPadOS (for iPad)
• visionOS (for Apple Vision Pro)

See also

In Spanish: WatchOS para niños