Handwashing
While it may seem like an idea that came out of the current global health pandemic, Apple has actually had the new watchOS 7 handwashing feature in the works for a few years now, and it’s an interesting idea that actually works pretty well.
It’s not on by default at this point, so you’ll need to opt-in by enabling it, but once you do, it simply runs in the background; there’s no “Handwashing” app, but rather it’s a built-in feature that wakes up whenever it detects the telltale signs that you’re washing your hands.
Specifically, the motion sensors in the Apple Watch detect when you’re moving your hands in a typical handwashing motion, while also listening for the sounds of running water and swishing soap. Once detected, a 20-second countdown timer starts, and continues for as long as you continue washing your hands, giving you a nice haptic and on-screen “attaboy” once you’ve finished.
You’ll also be able to check in with the Health app to see how often you’ve washed your hands each day, and the average time spent washing.
It’s not completely perfect, however, and there are other things that can erroneously trigger it, such as washing dishes, where of course all of the same factors are present. In some cases, I’ve also had workout-style hand movements trigger it even when no running water was present, although it’s worth noting that it won’t come up if you actually have a workout in progress.
Some earlier betas actually offered a prompt asking you whether you were actually washing your hands or doing something else when the timer didn’t run down for the full 20 seconds, although that seems to have disappeared in the latest public beta, so it may have only been present to help Apple fine-tune the feature.
Although Apple didn’t announce it as part of the watchOS 7 debut, a later watchOS 7 beta also introduced support for reminding you to wash your hands when you return home. This relies on location services, so you’ll have to give “Handwashing” permission to use your location, but once you’ve done this, a notification pops up, usually within a minute or two of returning home, reminding you to wash your hands. It’s a nice feature that I’ve actually found really helpful, as I often forget otherwise.