watchOS 9: All new functions for the Apple Watch at a glance

With watchOS 9, Apple provides its smartwatches with some interesting new features. Some of them allow you to visually personalise your Apple Watch, others help you exercise or keep track of your health

WatchOS 9: These are the new features

In autumn 2022, Apple’s WatchOS 9 operating system for the Apple Watches was released. This will add new features to your smartwatch, which you could also test in a public beta of WatchOS 9.

• Training app: New features have been added to the training app. For sports like jogging or cycling, your Apple Watch will show you what heart rate zone you’re in. This can help you to see if you are exercising at a healthy rate. In addition, with watchOS 9, there are also power or altitude displays and activity rings.
• Dial: With WatchOS 9, you can personalise your Apple Watch with some new dials. You can choose from Metropolitan, Playtime, Moon and a revised version of the Astronomy watch face.
• Compass: New functions have been added to the compass. For example, the Backtrack feature can show you the way back to your starting point. You can also set waypoints now. In addition, there are new views, including a hybrid compass with a digital and analogue view.
• Sleep Phases: With watchOS 9, your Apple Watch can no longer just track your sleep per se, but also the different stages of sleep. The smartwatch then differentiates between core sleep, deep sleep and REM (last phase of a sleep cycle).
• Calendar: If you install WatchOS 9 on your Smartwatch, you can also add appointments to your calendar directly from the watch. With older versions, this was only possible with Siri. You can also switch between different views.
• Family configuration: With WatchOS 9, Apple also brings new features if you have children and they don’t use their own iPhone. You can search for podcasts directly from the Apple Watch. At a later date after release, it will also be possible to add keys for your children to Wallet as well as your children to the Home app.
• Power Saving Mode: With WatchOS 9, there is a new power saving mode. This is designed to extend battery life and, among other things, disables the Always On Display, background heart rate monitoring and reminders when starting a workout.
• Operation: You can start a workout by tapping your fingers together twice. Alternatively, you can also take a photo by doing this.
• Mirror Apple Watch: You can mirror the display of your smartwatch to control it from your iPhone.
• Roaming: If you use a suitable tariff, your Apple Watch with WatchOS 9 can also dial into a mobile network abroad.

More new features with WatchOS 9

In addition to the major new features in WatchOS 9, there are also some minor enhancements to various functions with the release.

• • Your Apple Watch can automatically switch between swimming, cycling and running with WatchOS 9. This feature is especially exciting if you like to do triathlons.
• • The Health app on your iPhone has been revamped and can now show you your heart rate and breathing rate while you sleep.
• • When you receive notifications, they will now be displayed to you in a small banner if you are currently using your Apple Watch. However, if you are not, the message will appear on the entire display.
• • WatchOS 9 is available for Apple Watch Series models since Series 4, the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Ultra.