watchOS 11 New Health Features: Is Your Apple Watch Compatible?

Major Health Updates in watchOS 11: Which Apple Watch Models Are Compatible?

Yesterday, Apple shared several exciting updates at their Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024), including the much-anticipated watchOS 11 for Apple Watch.

This update significantly enhances health monitoring capabilities, notably through the new Vitals app, which offers deeper insights into key health metrics such as heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen levels.

Read to the end to discover when the full software update will roll out and whether your Apple Watch model is compatible with watchOS 11.

What's New with watchOS 11?

The Vitals app is a standout feature in watchOS 11, offering users a quick view of their key health metrics. Apple Watch now analyzes these metrics, allowing users to check their daily health status and explore metrics that are out of their typical range. Notifications alert users when two or more metrics indicate potential health issues, possibly related to factors like elevation changes, alcohol consumption, or illness.

For pregnant users, watchOS 11, along with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, enhances the Health and Cycle Tracking apps. These updates support monitoring gestational age and logging symptoms commonly experienced during pregnancy. Additionally, the software includes reminders for monthly mental health assessments to address the increased risk of conditions like depression during and after pregnancy.

Enhancements in Training and Activity Monitoring

A significant addition to watchOS 11 is the training load feature, which helps users understand how their workout intensity and duration affect their body over time. This feature uses a new effort rating scale from 1 to 10, provided after each workout, to measure workout intensity. Users can see their 28-day training load in the Activity app, providing insights into whether they are training too hard, maintaining a steady pace, or not pushing enough.

The Activity rings are now more customizable. Users can pause their rings for a day, week, or longer without affecting their award streaks. This flexibility is crucial for users who might need a rest day or are recovering from an injury.

Integration and User Experience

The Smart Stack feature has been enhanced to offer more personalized information access through new widgets and suggestions based on time, location, and daily routines. The Photos face on the Apple Watch has also been upgraded to use machine learning to recommend the best photo options for the watch face, creating a more personalized experience.

For those interested in a quick video overview of what to expect from watchOS 11, check out the YouTube video below.

What Apple Watches will get watchOS 11?

Apple's new watchOS 11 will be available this fall as a free software update for most Apple Watch Series but not all of them.

Is Your Apple Watch Compatible for watchOS 11?

Here’s a full list of the devices expected to be compatible with watchOS 11:

• Apple Watch Series 10 (Releasing this summer or early fall of 2024)
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Apple Watch Series 9
• Apple Watch Ultra
• Apple Watch Series 8
• Apple Watch SE 2
• Apple Watch Series 7
• Apple Watch Series 6

The new software debuted at Apple’s WWDC 2024 developers conference yesterday on June 10th, 2024 and is available as a beta. The full software update will roll out to all compatible devices in September.

What feature of the upcoming watchOS 11 update are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!