The New watchOS Has These 16 Brand New Features

It's been a long time coming, but watchOS 10 is finally available to the public. And if you haven't had the chance to try it, it's the perfect time to dive in.
watchOS 10 brings a lot of new features, improvements, and changes to the table. Whether you want a new design, different features to try out, or just stay up to date with Apple's latest changes, you should install this software update right away.
You don't believe us? Read on for over a dozen new features that you can check out just by installing watchOS 10.
The Apple Watch Has Widgets Now
One of the biggest additions to the Apple Watch is widgets. However, they don't behave like the widgets you find on your iPhone.
Instead of having them on your Home Screen, you'll have a Smart Stack that you can access from your watch face.
You've probably heard of Apple's Smart Stack before, as you can also find it on the iPhone. This is basically a stack of any and all widgets you want to have at your disposal. You can edit it to contain all the widgets you need and even pin your most important widgets at the top.
To start using widgets, all you need to do is swipe up with your finger on your watch face or use the Digital Crown to scroll up. You can then press and hold any widget and start editing them.
The Apple Watch's Grid View is Different Now
Apple also redesigned the Grid View this time around. You'll immediately notice that your apps aren't in a circular pattern as before. Instead, it looks more organized, with all your apps going from top to bottom. The Digital Crown will now scroll through the list rather than zooming in and out.
You Can Track Your Feelings With Your Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is all about health, and that includes your mental wellbeing.
Apple knows this, which is why it introduced a brand new feature to the Mindfulness app called State of Mind. This is similar to the ability you have to log in your emotions in iOS 17.
Basically, your Apple Watch will ask you a couple of questions about how you are feeling right now or how you've felt during the day, and you can add a description to this feeling. This will help you understand all your moods during the week and make you actively understand when and why you're feeling under the weather.
The Apple Watch UI Got a New Design

Apple made some big changes to the Apple Watch user interface this year. Obviously, with the new widgets available, Apple had to rearrange a couple of things, so you'll now find your Control Center by pressing the Side button instead of swiping up on your Watch Face.
But that's not all; a lot of Apple's first-party apps also got a new design. Now, apps make use of the bigger display on the latest Apple Watch models and take up the entirety of the display to let you see more without having to scroll down.
The App Switcher Has Changed Too
As we mentioned, Apple changed the location of the Control Center, so you're probably wondering how you access the App Switcher.
The App Switcher, which used to be the Dock in watchOS 9, is now available by double-pressing the Digital Crown. Unfortunately, you can't have 10 of your favorite apps in there anymore. Instead, you can only see your most recently used apps.
Big Changes for Cyclists

One of the biggest changes with watchOS 10 is that now you have the ability to connect third-party Bluetooth devices to help you get real-time information about things like your speed and power.
You can also see a real-time Live Activity view on your iPhone, which shows you all the data you can see on your Apple Watch without needing to take your hands off the handlebars to check.
No More "Hey Siri"
A notable change in both iOS 17 and watchOS 10 is that you don't have to say "Hey Siri" to trigger Siri anymore.
Now, all you need to do is say "Siri," and your Apple Watch will do the rest. You can still say "Hey Siri" if you prefer, and even turn off the shorter version in Settings > Siri if you find it comes up by mistake too often.
New Automatic Night Mode Watch Face

This feature is exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra, but Apple launched a new watch face that automatically turns red and lowers its brightness depending on the time of day.
Before, you would have to change it manually, but now your Apple Watch Ultra will do all the work for you.
Set Multiple Timers at Once
As we mentioned, many apps got big updates, and that includes the Timers app.
You can now set multiple timers at the same time with just a few taps. All you need to do is open the Timer app and start a timer. Then tap the plus button (+) and start a second timer. Your Apple Watch will keep track of both and notify you accordingly.
Adjust Your Flashlight Manually
With watchOS 10, you can adjust the level of brightness you want from your flashlight. All you need to do is turn on the flashlight from the Control Center and then adjust the light by scrolling the Digital Crown.
Precision Finding Is Now Available on your Apple Watch

If you're always losing your stuff, you're going to love Precision Finding on the Apple Watch.
With the help of the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the latest Apple Watch models, your wearable can now track your iPhone's location and give you real-time directions to help you find it.
Before, you could only locate your iPhone by using the Ping My iPhone function on your watch. While this would let your iPhone make a sound so you could locate it, now you can find it without relying on hearing.
Unfortunately, this feature is only available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Moreover, you'll also need an iPhone 15 on the other end. With that said, if you're thinking of upgrading, be sure to keep this feature in mind.
Record Video With Your Apple Watch

Before, you could only use the Camera Remote app on your Apple Watch to take pictures at a distance.
But now, with watchOS 10, you can also use this app to record videos. Granted, it's not as comfortable as just taking a picture, but it does come in handy.
To record videos, go to your Apple Watch and open the Camera Remote app. Adjust your iPhone to take the perfect video, and then touch and hold the Shutter button on your Apple Watch to start recording.
Once you're done, release the Shutter button, and your iPhone will save the video.
Ping Your Apple Watch With Your iPhone
As we mentioned before, you could only ping your iPhone with your Apple Watch to locate it. Now, Apple has finally made it possible to locate your Apple Watch with your iPhone.
To use this feature, you'll need to install both watchOS 10 and iOS 17 on your Apple Watch and iPhone, respectively.
Next, go to Settings > Control Center and add the Ping My Watch control to your Control Center.
Now, open your Control Center and tap the Ping My Watch button. Your Apple Watch will begin making a sound for one second. You can repeat this process until you find your Watch.
New Features for Medications

Medications is a powerful app that will help you keep track of all the medicine you need to take. It'll also send you notifications so you never forget about it.
And now, with watchOS 10, Medications can send you extra reminders in case you forget to take your medicine on time.
Moreover, if you have an important medication you need to take, there are now Critical Alerts that will help you.
New Watch Faces

Granted, this isn't a ground-breaking feature, but as always, Apple added a couple of cute new watch faces you can use right away.
You can now find the Snoopy, Palette, Solar Analog, and Nike Globe watch faces.
Plus, if you have an Apple Watch Ultra, you'll also get the Modular Ultra watch face. Likewise, for Apple Watch Hermès users, you'll also get a cool Hermès Radial watch face.
Optimized Charge Limit
You're probably family with Optimized Battery Charging. Your Apple devices use this feature to learn your charging pattern so they can charge slower when you can wait or faster when you're about to head out. This will prevent your battery from aging as quickly.
Now, Apple introduced another feature called Optimized Charge Limit. This feature learns your daily usage to determine when your Apple Watch can be charged to the right limit or when you'll need a full charge.
As soon as you update to watchOS 10, this feature will be turned on by default. You can disable it by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and turning on or off Optimized Charge Limit. If you have an Apple Watch Series 8 or older, you'll need to disable Optimized Battery Charging to disable this feature.