WatchOS 8 is here: the best new features on Apple Watch

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Lexy Savvides / CNET This story is part of the Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple.

Your Apple Watch is receiving a big new update with WatchOS 8, adding new training options, messaging tools, and some tips on what to expect before the Apple Watch Series 7. Free download is available for all Apple Watch owners who use Series 3 or later and came along with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

To download the update, first make sure your iPhone has iOS 15. If your watch has at least 50% battery, go to Settings and select Software Update. Leave the Apple Watch on the charger and wait for the update to download. Once you have the update, here are some of the best features to explore.

WatchOS 8 puts portrait photos on your wrist

The new Portraits watch face can use any portrait mode photo taken on iPhone. First, open the Watch app on the iPhone and then go to the Face Gallery. Find the Portraits watch face and tap Add to find the portrait photos you want to display on your watch.

Instead of displaying a static image, the watch uses the photo segmentation data to separate the foreground from the background. This means that the time appears just behind the subject’s head and if you raise your wrist or shake the digital crown, the subject goes in and out as well.

Lexy Savvides / CNET

I’ve found that it works best with photos that have a lot of distance between the foreground and background, as well as a large margin above the subject so you can really see the effect. Some complications are also supported, so you can put things like battery level or heart rate on the watch face as well.

Another new feature in the watch faces tab is the World Time option. You can see the time around the world in all 24 time zones right from your wrist.

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AssistiveTouch is an amazing accessibility feature

Apple announced AssistiveTouch in May along with a range of accessibility features for iPhone and iPad.

It allows people with one arm to control the Apple Watch with hand and wrist movement, such as pinching or squeezing. The watch detects these movements, so you don’t need to be able to touch the screen to interact with the watch.

Lexy Savvides / CNET

It’s hard to describe how intuitive it is until you use it. Pinch your thumb and forefinger and the watch will shift focus to navigate through the menu options. A double pinch moves back, while a squeeze is a tap action to select something on the screen. AssistiveTouch is also customizable, so you can set up a double close action to answer a call or view the action menu. AssistiveTouch works with Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE.

Best messaging tools

When you go to send a message, you’ll now be able to use the scribble tool, emoji picker, or dictation option, all from the same screen. Also, if you go to dictate a message but make a mistake in the transcription, you will now be able to select the word and use the digital crown to make corrections. It’s something I appreciate as my Aussie accent often results in some pretty funny dictation mistakes.

Just like on the iPhone, you can send a GIF by selecting the magnifying glass icon and choosing from the trend list or searching for the GIF you want.

Apple Watch 7 will have a full keyboard.

Screenshot / CNET contacts, Find my upcoming apps on WatchOS

The Contacts app is finally available on your wrist so you can edit, add, browse and share without taking out your phone. Apple has also split its Find Mine app into two new apps: Find Items and Find Devices. They do exactly what they say on the box and you can ping items like an AirTag or find devices registered with your Apple ID from the watch.

WatchOS 8 also works in conjunction with Focus mode on the iPhone, so you can limit the distractions that come in or customize the modes so that only notifications from certain contacts and apps can pass. Once the mode is applied to the iPhone, it automatically sets it to the watch as well. It should also be smart about Focus tips, like asking you to activate the mode when you start a workout. I will need to spend more time with the beta before it can resume my usage patterns.

Two new training options – and Mindfulness

There are two new types of training you can track: Pilates and tai chi. They use custom algorithms for heart rate and movement to better determine your effort than when you tracked these workouts using the More option in the workout app. Apple’s Fitness Plus also gets a picture-in-picture mode, as well as additional workout filters.

Apple has also moved the Breathe app to a new Mindfulness app. In addition to animations to help guide your breathing, there’s a Reflect app that provides tips to help you focus your thoughts. I really like the new animations in the Mindfulness app and in the short time I’ve been using them, I’ve found that they help focus my attention. Time spent thinking is shown in the Health app on iPhone (along with your heart rate) after each session.

Sleep tracking also adds breathing rate to existing sleep metrics like heart rate and sleep time. You can also view trends over time in the Health app on iPhone.

Apple More flexibility for Apple Watch cyclists

Cyclists get some bonuses in WatchOS 8 such as automatic training detection for bike rides, as well as an automatic pause and resume option so you don’t waste your training time when you’re not pedaling. Plus, fall detection now works for bike rides, so if the Apple Watch detects you’re falling, it can call emergency services and alert emergency contacts. Apple said fall detection for workouts will come in an update to WatchOS 8 later this year for Series 4 and later.

Other new training features include audible feedback signals. You will be able to hear training milestones, for example when you close activity rings, announced through the Apple Watch speaker or in your ear if you have Bluetooth headphones connected.

The Apple Watch Series 7.

Apple More features coming to the Wallet app

Apple hopes you will ditch your physical wallet altogether and access everything from your wrist. Later in the year, iOS 15 and WatchOS 8 will be able to store a digital identity card such as a driver’s license in the Wallet app. Access keys for hotels and offices can also be stored in digital format.

You can now scan and store your driver’s license in Apple’s Wallet app.

Apple

The Apple Watch Series 6 will support ultra-wideband, or UWB, for car keys so you can unlock the vehicle or start it remotely, without having to touch or touch anything on the Apple Watch. It depends on the vehicle manufacturer and will also come out later in the year.

Now Playing: Watch This: First look at the WatchOS 8 public beta

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More WatchOS 8 Extras Multiple timers with the option to tag timers using Siri. Other apps support the always on display including maps, timer and phone. The Photos app can bring out your memories and featured photos. Plus, you can now share photos directly from your watch via Messages or the Mail app. The Home app allows you to control room accessories and send broadcast intercom messages from your wrist.

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