Watch Faces
Portraits face uses segmentation data from portrait photos taken on iPhone to create an immersive, multi-layered face (Apple Watch Series 4 and later)
Major OS release · watchOS
watchOS 8
Software history
Defining features
Feature summaries are anchored to the cited Apple first-party source.
Home
Status and controls for accessories in your home now appear at the top of the Home app
Wallet
Home keys let you tap to unlock a supported home or apartment door lock
Workout
New custom algorithms in the Workout app for Tai Chi and Pilates provide accurate tracking of calorie metrics
Fitness+
Guided Meditations can help you practice meditation, featuring audio sessions on Apple Watch and video sessions on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV that guide you through specific themes
Mindfulness
Mindfulness app includes an enhanced Breathe experience along with a new Reflect session
Sleep
Respiratory rate is measured by Apple Watch during sleep
Messages
Ability to compose or reply to messages by using Scribble, dictation, and emoji all from the same screen
Photos
Redesigned Photos app allows you to view and manage your photo library from your wrist
Find My
Find Items app allows you to locate items with an attached AirTag and compatible third-party products with the Find My network
watchOS
Device support
Archive-product links show the canonical products represented by this project. The full device-name list preserves the broader structured support evidence, including hardware refreshes that do not have their own archive node.
Supported archive products6 mapped products
Full device coverage23 device names
- Apple Watch SE (1st generation, GPS + Cellular, 44mm)
- Apple Watch SE (1st generation, GPS, 40mm)
- Apple Watch SE (1st generation, GPS, 44mm)
- Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular, 38mm)
- Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular, 42mm)
- Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 38mm)
- Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 42mm)
- Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular, 40mm)
- Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular, 44mm)
- Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS, 40mm)
- Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS, 44mm)
- Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular, 40mm)
- Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular, 44mm)
- Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS, 40mm)
- Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS, 44mm)
- Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular, 40mm)
- Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular, 44mm)
- Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 40mm)
- Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 44mm)
- Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular, 41mm)
- Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular, 45mm)
- Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS, 41mm)
- Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS, 45mm)
Support dropped at this major
No mapped archive product was fully dropped when this major version arrived.
Public releases
Public release history
Every canonical public release assigned to this major version, including the initial release and later point updates.
2021
- 8.0Initial major release
- 8.0.1Point update
- 8.1Point update
- 8.1.1Point update
- 8.3Point update
2022
- 8.4Point update
- 8.4.1Point update
- 8.4.2Point update
- 8.5Point update
- 8.5.1Point update
- 8.6Point update
- 8.7Point update
- 8.7.1Point update
2023
- 8.8.1Point update
2026
- 8.8.2Point update