watchOS 11 is the next Apple Watch operating system, expected later this year. Although it's still many months away from appearing on your watch, we can make some guesses and confirm rumors about what might be included.
WatchOS 11 release date
Apple hasn't mentioned any future product or software releases, so watchOS 11 is technically just a rumor. But assuming it comes later this year is a very educated guess. The company has been upgrading its smartwatch OS every year since the first version in 2015.
The general flow is as follows. Apple will announce the next watchOS at his 2024 WWDC in June. A beta version of watchOS 11 will be available shortly thereafter, and you'll be updated when it's generally available in the fall. Please install the clock.
Planned release date for Lifewire
watchOS 11 is expected to arrive in September.
WatchOS 11 price
All Apple operating system updates are free. If you have the right Apple Watch and the right phone (see below), you can get watchOS 11 for free.
WatchOS 11 features
The next WWDC will give us a glimpse of what's to come, but until then we can only guess what new features will arrive.
Programmable side buttons are a great addition to watchOS 11. This feature is completely software-based, so there are no technical issues preventing it. Currently, pressing the side button once opens Control Center, and pressing twice launches Apple Pay. I hope there is a setting to remap this button to a different button, like in the Apple Watch app.
Siri is expected to receive a major AI update across all Apple products, but it's unclear at this point how it will be implemented on the Apple Watch. Better voice dictation will always be appreciated on small screens, but there's probably more Apple can come up with.
Another thing I'd like to see is the ability to easily access Apple Notes on the Apple Watch. There are plenty of note-taking apps on the App Store that are compatible with the watch, and the benefits are so obvious that it's strange that Apple won't release them. This is one of the most important feature requests I've seen from Apple Watch users.
We don't expect watchOS 11 to support third-party watch faces, although some users want it. If anything, we'll probably see some new options coming directly from Apple like last year. 9to5Mac discusses why Apple doesn't allow third-party watch faces (hint: it's about uniformity).
As with most software updates, it wouldn't be surprising to see small improvements to the way the Apple Watch handles sleep and exercise data. This should translate into more accurate and reliable metrics. Speaking of which, I wonder how Apple will handle blood oxygen measurement now that it's been removed from the Series 9 and Ulta 2 watch lines.
We'll be updating this section as leaks and rumors come in throughout the year. In the meantime, check out our watchOS 10 article for last year's updates.
WatchOS 11 compatible devices
Apple has not published a list of watches that can run the next version of watchOS. I think the situation will be similar to last year, but the Apple Watch Series 4 was discontinued since it was released in 2018 (Apple typically updates watches for about 5 years).
- apple watch series 5
- apple watch SE
- apple watch series 6
- apple watch series 7
- apple watch series 8
- apple watch series 9
- apple watch ultra
- apple watch ultra 2
Phone calls are also important. I think you'll need an iPhone 11 running at least iOS 18.
Latest news about WatchOS 11
Lifewire is where you can find all the latest news on smartwatches and more. Below are some stories specifically about watchOS.
