New design language
Say hello to Liquid Glass
Our broadest design update ever — and the dawn of the next era of software design. This stunning new design across Apple platforms elevates the content users care about most. It establishes even greater consistency, harmony, and usability. And it creates a universal design language between platforms — all while maintaining the distinct qualities that make each unique.
And that stunning new material? That’s Liquid Glass, a new dynamic material that combines the optical properties of glass with a sense of fluidity. Liquid Glass refracts content from below it, reflects light from around it, and has a gorgeous lensing effect along its edges.
SwiftUI
APIs for system materials, tab views, split views, and more
Take advantage of the latest SwiftUI APIs for system materials, tab views, split views, and more. Development for watchOS is easier and quicker than ever with apps that are fully built with SwiftUI. Take advantage of the canvas to preview your widgets and complications on multiple Apple Watch faces as you make changes — and see how changes affect SwiftUI views, so you can deliver a best-in-class experience.
Health and fitness
Real-time heart rate, route map, and accelerometer data
Receive data from HealthKit in the background and display up-to-date information. Fitness apps can access real-time heart rate data, the gyroscope, route map data, and the all-day accelerometer, allowing you to create compelling fitness experiences.
Widgets in the Smart Stack
Timely, relevant information at just the right moment
Share timely, contextually relevant information from your app at a glance with widgets in the Smart Stack. If your widget provides relevance cues, it will appear right when it’s needed. Plus, Live Activities from your iOS app automatically appear at the top of the Smart Stack on a connected Apple Watch.
Complications on the watch face
Quick access to your watchOS app
Provide timely, meaningful information with text, dynamic gauges, and charts on watch faces. Provide relevant information or allow quick access into your watchOS app.
Device connectivity
Fast and easy Bluetooth connections
Apps can connect directly to Bluetooth on Apple Watch, so information is updated instantly and appears as soon as users raise their wrists. Connect your apps directly to Bluetooth devices and display information on the watch face in complications. This functionality is useful for many types of apps, such as continuous glucose monitors and sports apps connected to equipment with embedded sensors. Apps that support Bluetooth-connected devices can connect in the background to send timely critical alerts.
Interactive notifications
Communication at a glance
Create tailored notifications to provide timely, high-value information people can understand at a glance. Even notifications from iOS will be reflected on connected watches. With interactive notifications, people can add their boarding pass for an upcoming flight, update time for a restaurant reservation, and more — right from the notification.
