With watchOS 9, Apple introduced a number of key new features, including new exercise metrics, sleep phase tracking, battery saver mode, and more. That said, we're making some small but notable changes and additions to make your Apple Watch more useful and easier to use.
We've listed 20 more features and improvements, some of which may have gone unnoticed. Please note that watchOS 9 requires an Apple Watch Series 4 or later and an iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16 .
1: Receive email notifications when not connected to an iPhone
Apple Watch users could access emails from third-party email accounts transferred from their paired iPhones. But watchOS 9 also lets you get notified when important messages arrive while you're wearing your Apple Watch but not your iPhone .
This option uses iCloud servers to securely access a third-party account and must be enabled manually. To set it up, launch the Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Mail, then enable email notifications under "When not signed in to iPhone
2: Show activity rings while exercising
Previously, if you wanted to exercise on your Apple Watch and see how it affected your Activity ring, you had to quit the Exercise app and switch to the Activity app.
You don't have to anymore, because with the digital crown you can swipe up to see your activity rings directly in the training view.
3: Follow the podcast
With watchOS 9, Apple has finally fixed the broken Podcasts app, allowing you to follow and unfollow podcasts directly from your Apple Watch for the first time.
Go to Listen Now -> Maybe You Want, then tap a show and select Episodes. You can find the same things by searching for and creating a program.
4:Add calendar events to your wrist
After all, it's not just about viewing calendar events synced from your iPhone to your wrist. Then you can add them too. Tap the ellipsis button (three stars) that appears in the corner of the screen when you stop swiping, then tap + New Event.
On the next screen you can add all the usual information such as event title, location, start date and time, end date and time and whether it is a recurring event. Before adding an event, you can choose which calendars to add, add guests, choose to receive alerts, and even add notes.
5 : Astronomy Watch Face
Apple added a new live wallpaper option to its improved iPhone lock screen design in iOS 16, and it's fair to say that the watch face that features these improvements in watchOS 9 is a standout.
Astronomy is essentially an updated copy of the original Astronomy, but it has been redesigned and includes new location-based star maps and updated cloud information. You can set the Earth, Moon or Sun Chart as your home screen and customize the fonts. This supports two challenges, you can rotate the digital crown to fast forward or rewind to view the moon phases/planetary positions of another day.
6: Track your steps with Backtrack
You don't need an Apple Watch Ultra to use the redesigned Compass app's trackback feature. If you're running watchOS 9 on your Apple Watch Series 6 or later, you can use it to track your route and retrace your steps if you get lost.
Tap the footer icon in the bottom right corner of the screen, then tap Start to begin recording your route. When you are ready for the steps, tap the pause icon at the bottom of the screen, and then tap Restore
Your starting point will be marked on the compass and a rolling white arrow will point you in the right direction. Steps can be deleted by navigating back to the point you were working on when moving back and tapping the step icon when you reach the starting point.
7: Change watch face based on focus
In iOS 16, you can customize almost everything about your Focus. You can control more than just the home screen and lock screen: if your Apple Watch is running watchOS 9, you can choose one of your Apple Watch faces to work with on your wrist for a specific focus mode.
Settings -> focus on your iPhone and choose an existing focus or create a new one. Set options to turn off contact and app notifications when Focus is active, then tap Change under Watch face options Customize screen. Select a watch face from the Apple Watch Face Gallery, then tap Done
They are all here. The Apple Watch face you selected is now linked to focus mode, so it will automatically work on your wrist the next time you focus on your iPhone.
8: View Edited Messages
With iOS 16, Apple added the ability to edit text sent via iMessage. You can view edits made to messages received with watchOS 9.
Press and hold the blue "Edit" below the message to see your changes. To hide it again, tap Hide Editing.
9: Edit Reminders
Previously, the Reminders app only allowed viewing or adding reminders. You can now edit existing reminders and add important details such as date and time, location, tags and notes.
10: Change your calendar view
Not only can you add calendar events to the Calendar app on your Apple Watch, but you can now switch between date, list, and week views.
Tap the ellipsis (three dots) button that appears in the corner of the screen when you stop scrolling, then choose from Next, Day, and List under Display Options. Once selected, tap Done.
11: Prioritize apps running in the background in the Dock
Easily accessible by pressing the side button, the dock is where you can quickly access your most recent or favorite apps. But with watchOS 9, apps running in the background take precedence over other apps in the Dock, making it easy to switch back to those apps.
12: Turn Off Cellular Data
For years you could turn off cellular data on iPhone without losing the ability to make and receive calls. Previously, the same option wasn't offered for cellular Apple Watch models — every time your cellular service turned on, so was cellular data, which immediately drained your battery.
With watchOS 9, Apple effectively added separate switches for the watch's basic cellular/cellular services and mobile data, so you can control them separately. Settings can be found under Cellular/Cellular Data in the Settings app on your watch.
13: Kick detection and SWOLF score
The good news for swimmers is that the Apple Watch running watchOS 9 can now automatically detect when you're using a scooter during pool swim training.
The training app also displays your SWOLF score, one of your key swim-specific metrics. SWOLF is calculated using a combination of number of strokes and time spent in the water. The less you swim and the less you swim, the lower your SWOLF score, which measures your swimming efficiency, will be.
14: Text Size Control
As another accessibility benefit, Apple added a text size control to the Control Center in watchOS 9. This makes it easy to adjust Dynamic Type-enabled Apple Watch apps to your preferred reading size.
15: Automatic punctuation in dictation
Dictation is a popular Apple Watch messaging feature because it converts speech to text much faster than typing on a small keyboard. WatchOS 9 greatly improves this feature by automatically punctuating sentences in real time, so you no longer have to shout "commas" and "question marks"
This feature should work by default, if not, go to Settings -> General -> Dictation and turn on automatic punctuation.
16: Apple Watch Mirroring
With iOS 16 and watchOS 9, Apple introduced a new Apple Watch Mirroring feature that lets you view and control your Apple Watch's screen from your paired iPhone. This is designed to make the watch more accessible to people with physical and mobility disabilities, but it can also help say, My Apple Watch screen is broken or unresponsive.
To enable it, open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap Accessibility, then tap Apple Watch Mirroring under Physics & Motors and turn the section on the next screen
An image of your Apple Watch will appear on your iPhone's screen, and a blue image will appear in front of your Apple Watch to indicate that mirroring is turned on. You can now control your Apple Watch by tapping the clock icon that appears on your iPhonePressing the sides and tapping the Digital Crown mimics the same physical actions you would do on your watch.17: Quick Actions
With new Quick Actions, users with upper body differences can now take more actions to respond to Apple Watch alerts. For example, you can answer and end phone calls with two finger gestures, or take a photo with the viewfinder and shutter visible. Play or pause and start and pause media content in the Camera app, Now Playing app, or keep training. You can also use quick actions to cope with an alert or cancel a timeline.
To enable Quick Actions, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap Accessibility, then tap Quick Actions under Engine. Choose from the following options: On (when AssistiveTouch is enabled), and Off. You can also choose from Full or Minimal
If quick actions are turned on and an alert appears on your Apple Watch, you'll be prompted to take a quick action. For example, if you pause your workout, you'll be prompted to double-tap to continue (quickly double-tap your thumb with your index finger).
18: Control Your iPhone With Apple Watch
In a way of switching to Apple Watch Mirroring, you can also control your iPhone with your Apple Watch. On your watch, go to Settings -> Accessibility, then select Check for nearby devices. Select your iPhone (or iPad) from the list.
Once logged in, you’ll find control buttons that you can use to do various things on your iPhone, including accessing the home screen, opening the app switcher, opening the notification center, and opening the central control that gives you access the method uses Siri. Clicking the More button also gives you access to media playback controls.
19: Find Your Car
The updated Compass app lets you create compass routes and determine distances and distances between them. This feature can also be used to find parked cars.
If your car has CarPlay or Bluetooth connectivity, you really don't have to do anything to set it up. By connecting your iPhone to your car for a specific task, your Apple Watch can detect when you park and exit, leaving your vehicle's location behind.
If you turn the Digital Crown, the dial will zoom in and out, giving you a better idea of how far away your car is. Tap the waypoint to get more information about it, then tap Select to see a pointer that will guide you to your car.
If you rely on this feature often, you can even add a parked vehicle waypoint complication to your watch face to guide you to your vehicle.
20: Add Favorite Timers
If you use certain timer times a lot, why not prioritize them?.
Simply open the Timer app, swipe left on recent timers, and tap the star icon that appears. The desired timer will appear at the top of the timer list, left-click and click the red X to remove it.