watchOS 11 now available: enjoy the new Vitals app, customizable Activity Rings, and more

Apple has publically released the iOS 18 software update for iPhones, and alongside it, watchOS 11 for supported Apple Watches has also been released. The software update is now available and brings a range of new health and fitness features to smartwatches that support it.

Sleep Apnea notifications

First off, we get the highly-anticipated Sleep Apnea notifications to the Apple Watch Series 10, the Apple Watch Series 9, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The feature uses the accelerometer on the timepieces to detect breathing disturbances, and then the smartwatch will analyze the data, and give you notifications if you are experiencing sleep apnea.

Vitals app

Another great addition from watchOS 11 is the new Vitals app. It gives you a way to check on your daily health status and explore health metrics at a glance. Also, you can get notifications if two or more health metrics are out of their typical range. The Vitals app can also detail how the changes in these metrics can be linked to other aspects of your life like elevation changes or even illness.

Training Load

WatchOS 11 also brings a metric called training load, and it measures how the intensity and duration of workouts are impacting your body over time. The Apple Watch establishes a 28-day training load and takes into account the duration of the workouts over the period and their intensity.

You are able to see the training load in your Activity and Vitals app. You'll be able to access insights from it about the current strain on your body, so you can adjust your training for the best results. You also get more information about it in the Fitness app on your iPhone.

Customizable Activity Rings, personalized Smart Stack, and pregnancy support

The update also adds the ability for you to customize the Activity Rings by the day of the week - this way your day for rest will be reflected on your Apple Watch without ruining your award streak.

The Smart Stack now has new widgets, including Photos, Distance, and Shazam. The new interactive widgets now allow you to interact with an app directly from the Smart Stack, and also, Live Activities get included within the Smart Stack.

You also get additional support if you log a pregnancy in the Health app. The Cycle Tracking app will show your gestational age and allow you to log symptoms experienced during pregnancy. Also, you get to review things like the high heart rate notification threshold, as during pregnancy, it's normal to have an increased heart rate and you wouldn't want your Apple Watch to 'overnotify' you.

New watch faces

As with any Apple Watch software update, you also get to enjoy new watch faces:

• The updated Photos face: you can now select your best photo by using machine learning based on aesthetics, composition, and even facial expression.
• Flux face: this one takes advantage of the bigger display on the Apple Watch Series 10
• Reflections face: a shimmering dial that reacts subtly to your movements.

With the update, users are also getting the new Tides app, more workout types can now track distance, and you also get custom workouts for pool swims. The update also features an updated Apple Maps experience for hikes across national parks.

Supported watchOS 11 Apple Watches  

The watchOS 11 update requires an iPhone XS or later running iOS 18 and is supported for the Apple Watch SE (2nd gen), Apple Watch Series 6 and later, and both generations of the Apple Watch Ultra.