It’s time to update your Apple Watch, because a new version of watchOS is here. Snappily named watchOS 11, Apple’s newest wearable operating system may not have the Apple Intelligence it’s pushing for iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, but it does have plenty of fitness-tracking enhancements, new live widgets, and smarter delivery of health stats through the new Vitals app. Before today, you would have had to sign up to a (somewhat) risky beta to try out these new features — but that’s no longer the case. No, now watchOS 11 has hit its full public release, and it is a thing of beauty.
But that doesn’t matter if you’re not sure if your Apple Watch will be getting the update or not. After all, while every piece of technology is new once, there comes a time when even the shiniest of silicon is sent out to the pastures to enjoy retirement. So, will your Apple Watch be getting watchOS 11 or not? Find out here.
Which Apple Watch models support watchOS 11?
The watchOS 11 update requires advanced hardware, which is why Apple is limiting the update to the Apple Watch models with the computational capacity to run the new features. The following Apple Watch models are eligible for the watchOS 11 update:
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Apple Watch Series 7
- Apple Watch Series 8
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Ultra
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Apple Watch SE (2022)
In addition to these Apple Watch models, the Apple Watch Series 10 will run watchOS 11 right from the beginning when it launches alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.
All of these must be paired with an iPhone XS or newer. Additionally, the iPhone must be running iOS 18 to get the latest watchOS 11 update.
As you may have noticed, Apple is dropping support for Series 4 and Series 5, both of which supported updates to watchOS 10. Support for the first-gen Apple Watch SE has also been dropped since it runs the same chip as the Apple Watch Series 5. As we’ve mentioned, the ageing hardware is the reason for dropping these watches; which explains why the 2022 Watch SE is still supported and should be for a couple more years, as it has newer hardware that can handle the advanced features iOS 18 brings.
Certain features, such as those dependent on Double Tap, will be limited to the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra, and newer Apple Watch models.
What’s new in watchOS 11?
The watchOS 11 update brings a host of customization features, including the Training Load functionality, which lets you rate workouts on a scale of 1 to 10 for the Apple Watch to understand your activity better. The new Vitals app keeps track of your bodily stats when you are resting and flags any abnormalities. Together, these features recommend if you should increase or decrease the intensity of your workouts. For pregnant people, the new cycle-tracking features help them track their entire gestation period and alert them in case of any unusual heart rate or temperature spikes.
The update also brings new dynamic widget stacks that automatically appear on your watch face when required. Meanwhile, Check-in functionality now lets you inform loved ones when you head out at an unusual time.
The new Photos watch face now uses more appeasing photos from your gallery to apply as wallpapers, while the improved GPS tracking functionality lets you log your hiking trails or boating routes more precisely.
Finally, Apple is opening up the Double Tap application programming interface (API) for developers to integrate the functionality within their apps.
