watchOS 7 New Features And Enhancements For Apple Watch

watchOS 7 new features

watchOS 7 New Features

watchOS 7 will be released alongside iOS 14, macOS Big Sur and tvOS 14 this fall. It’s the 7th OS generation for the Apple Watch and obviously the most advanced to be released. It promises lots of new features and enhancements. In this article we’ll take a look at everything that’s new in watchOS 7, the main highlights as well as the hidden features.

watchOS 7 new features include sleep tracking, handwash recognition, Watch Faces sharing, new workouts and more. It’s compatible with the Apple Watch Series 3 and newer models and can be installed, over-the-air with the help of the Watch app available on the paired iPhone.

14 watchOS 7 New Features And Enhancements

1. Handwashing

The Apple Watch can now automatically detect when you wash your hands. With the help of the built-in sensors and microphone specific handwashing movements and sounds are recognized. The smartwatch automatically start a 20-second timer and assists you during the process. This way can be sure that you properly sanitized your hands.
The countdown is displayed on the Apple Watch screen, in a bubble-like appearance.
Haptic feedback and the ‘Well Done’ message informs you that you did a good job.
Fact: This new watchOS 7 feature comes to aid to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The novel Coronavirus being know to easily spread out when touching your nose and eyes with non-sanitized fingers.

2. Chronograph Pro Watch Face

A new watch face called Chronograph Pro is available in watchOS 7. It includes a tachymeter and space for multiple complications.
The tachymeter is a new Apple Watch feature borrowed from analog watches. It brings an analog watch scale around the Apple Watch dial, which serves to measure distance and speed based on travel time.
To measure speed with a tachymenter on a watch, you have to start the chronograph at a starting marker of a known distance. For more details tap here.

3. Multiple Complications

In watchOS 7 apps can provide multiple complications and all of them can be added to the same Watch Face to generate an app-themed Watch Face.
There are also several new stock complications including Sleep app, Shortcuts, World Clock, Moon phases abd Camera Remote app. These new complications allow the respective features to open with one tap from the Watch Face.

4. Watch Face Sharing

In watchOS 7 you can share your Watch Face setup with all your contacts using Messages, Mail or any other online third party communication channel.
Watch Face setups are also available in the App Store. Apple’s editorial team is offering curated watch face download recommendations.

5. Sleep App

An important new watchOS 7 feature is sleep tracking. The new Sleep app invites you to wear your Apple Watch during the night and monitor how you’re sleeping.
Using the on-board accelerometer the Apple Watch can tell when you’re sleeping and track your sleep duration, one of the most important metric that you need to be aware of.
Data can be analyzed with the help of the Health app, which provides a chart to how your sleep duration during a day, week and month.
Not Available: The Apple Watch doesn’t currently provide in depth sleep tracking metrics like deep sleep, light sleep or REM, but these features could be added in future updates.

6. Wind Down & Sleep Mode

The Apple Watch does focus on increasing your sleep time with the help of the new Sleep and Wind Down Modes.
Configure your sleep schedule directly on the watchOS device. When times comes Sleep mode is automatically enabled and you’re reminded that you have to go to sleep.
Sleep Mode automatically turns on Do Not Distrub and prevents the screen from glowing.
Wake up time triggers a haptic alarm or a louder audible alert. The weather report and battery info are the first glances displayed on your wrist-worn device.
Wind Down: works hand in hand with the Sleep mode and has the role to prepare your for bedtime by suggesting shortcuts that help you cool off and extend your sleeping duration.

7. Translate App

The new iOS 14 Translate app is also available on Apple Watch in watchOS 7. It allows Siri to provide spoken translations. Ask your virtual assistant to translate a word or phrase. The Apple smartwatch will translate it aloud. This way you can hear the proper pronunciation.
In the early stages Siri can translate between 10 languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Korean and Russian.

8. On-device Dictation

WatchOS 7 as well as iOS 14 are strongly privacy oriented. In this new watchOS generation dictation is processed on-device which results in faster, more reliable and above all more private voice-based interactions.

9. New Workouts

In watchOS 7 and iOS 14 the Activity app has been renamed to Fitness. Besides the redesigned it also includes four new workouts: Dance, Functional Strength Training, Core Training, and Cooldown.

10. Cycling Directions In Maps

Similar with iOS 14, watchOS 7 is finally able to provide bike directions in the stock Maps app. Cycling routes inform users about bike lanes, busy roads and potential difficult elevation changes.
Stairs can be filtered out or added if they have a big impact on the ETA.
Riders can also add stops along the routes.

11. Shortcuts

In watchOS 7 the Shortcuts app has been imported from iOS. It allows you to activate shortcuts on device.
More, shortcuts can be used as complications, which makes them accessible with one tap from the Watch Face.

12. Mobility Metrics

A hidden new watchOS 7 feature brings various mobility metrics to the Health app. These include low-range cardio fitness, walking speed, stair climbing speed, walk distance, step lenght and gait asymmetry!
What’s gait asymmetry? It shows how balanced your legs are during walking. If you have a more dominant limb, suffer from leg length discrepancies or strength imbalances an asymmetry will be recognized by your Apple Watch.
The wrist-worn device is also able to use heart rate data and accelerometer readings to accurately track the calories that you burn during dance workouts!

13. Headphone Audio Notifications

In watchOS 7 your Apple Watch is capable of reading and analyzing the loudness of the connected earbuds and headphones. It issues audio alerts when you exceed the recommended safe listening levels.
Tip: Use the paired iPhone to display headphone audio levels in real time!
The Apple Watch is also able to automatically lower the volume of the connected headset to ensure safe playback.

14. Battery Status Notifications

In watchOS 7 the Apple Watch notifies you when the it’s fully charged and when it needs power.
If the battery levels are below 30% before going to bed you’re reminded to charge so that there’s enough juice for sleep tracking.

Which are your favorite watchOS 7 new features? Let us know with the help of the comments section available below.

Related: You can already test out the watchOS 7 new features if you install the Public Beta on your Apple Watch. However, be aware that you won’t be able to downgrade back to watchOS 6 if you find the beta too buggy. If you’re unsure or never done this before, refrain from updating and follow as we plan to cover, in depth all watchOS 7 new features!