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watchOS
EntityQ18012472· pop 41· linked from 1,023 articles

watchOS is the operating system of the Apple Watch, developed by Apple. It is based on iOS, the operating system used by the iPhone, and has many similar features. It was released on April 24, 2015, along with the Apple Watch, the only device that runs watchOS. watchOS exposes an API called WatchKit for developer use.

Key facts

OS.name
watchOS
OS.logo
180px|class=skin-invert|The word "watchOS" in black San Francisco (sans-serif typeface)|San Francisco neo-grotesque sans-serif font
OS.screenshot
WatchOS 6 screenshot.jpg
OS.screenshot_size
180px
OS.caption
A customized watch face on watchOS 6
OS.developer
Apple
OS.working state
Current
OS.source model
Closed, with open-source components
OS.language
45 languages
OS.marketing target
Smartwatch
OS.update model
OTA (via iPhone 5+ running iOS 8.2+)
OS.kernel type
Hybrid (XNU)
OS.ui
Cocoa Touch (GUI)
OS.license
Proprietary software except for open-source components
OS.other articles
iOSiPadOSmacOSvisionOStvOS

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official website
www.apple.com/watchos
Image
Apple watch on side (Unsplash).jpg
Show 3 more facts
inception
2015-04-24
software version identifier
26.1
Commons category
WatchOS
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~55 min read

Article

20 sections
Contents
  • Interface overview
  • Supported health metrics
  • HealthKit
  • Version history
  • Overview
  • watchOS 1
  • watchOS 2
  • watchOS 3
  • watchOS 4
  • watchOS 5
  • watchOS 6
  • watchOS 7
  • watchOS 8
  • watchOS 9
  • watchOS 10
  • watchOS 11
  • watchOS 26
  • Hardware support
  • References
  • External links

watchOS is the operating system of the Apple Watch, developed by Apple. It is based on iOS, the operating system used by the iPhone, and has many similar features. It was released on April 24, 2015, along with the Apple Watch, the only device that runs watchOS. watchOS exposes an API called WatchKit for developer use.

The second version, watchOS 2, included support for native third-party apps and other improvements, and was released on September 21, 2015. The third version, watchOS 3, was released on September 13, 2016, to emphasize better performance and include new watch faces and stock apps. The fourth version, watchOS 4, was released on September 19, 2017. The fifth version, watchOS 5, was released on September 17, 2018, to add more third-party support and new workouts, along with the "Walkie-Talkie" feature. The sixth version, watchOS 6, was released on September 19, 2019. The seventh version, watchOS 7, was released on September 16, 2020, to support handwashing and sleep tracking. The eighth version, watchOS 8, was released on September 20, 2021, with updates in health monitoring, visuals, and apps. The ninth version, watchOS 9, was released on September 12, 2022. The tenth version, watchOS 10, was released on September 18, 2023. The 11th version, watchOS 11, was released on September 16, 2024. The 12th and current version, watchOS 26, was released on September 15, 2025.

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