Apple gave a glimpse of its watchOS 27 software update for its wearables during the company’s WWDC keynote on Monday, with a slate of improvements focused on its Siri virtual assistant but also a slate of adjustments that will boost its fitness and health-focused apps.
The most notable change will come in a refined heart rate tracking feature along with better sleep tracking metrics. A new tap gesture will allow users to tap their index finger and thumb together once to select a widget in the Smart Stack and quickly see relevant information even if your other hand is occupied.
The Cycle Tracking section of the Health app will provide insights of signs of perimenopause and menopause along with guiding users toward educational resources that dive deeper into the details of each possible symptom.
Workout Buddy will be able to inject a bit of motivation based on fitness history with new data insights, like progress for pace, distance and workout duration.
A major upgrade for runners and walkers comes with significant accuracy adjustments for indoor track workouts and logging miles on the treadmill. Apple says that improved motion tracking algorithms help measure the distance covered directly from the wrist.
Meanwhile, the step count in the Fitness app will now sync with steps counted in the Health app, which finally clears up an often confusing metric that many Watch users have nudged Apple to fix.
WatchOS 27 will be supported on the following Apple Watch models:
Apple Watch SE (3rd generation)
Apple Watch Series 9
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple Watch Ultra 3
The update is now available as a developer beta and a public beta will arrive in the summer with a wider public release arriving in September.
