Apple yesterday announced the Apple Watch Series 6 with a new sensor that enables blood oxygen monitoring capabilities, but Apple did not clarify which countries the feature would be available in.
Some health capabilities, like ECG and irregular heart rate notifications, have been limited in availability because of regulatory requirements, but it appears that those requirements don't apply to the blood oxygen monitoring feature.
According to the Apple Watch Feature Availability page, blood oxygen monitoring is available in more than 100 countries, suggesting there are no health-related regulatory issues that Apple has to overcome. A support document on using blood oxygen monitoring does mention that it's only available in "certain countries and regions," however, so there may be some omissions.
Those who are interested in purchasing an Apple Watch Series 6 specifically for the feature should double check the availability page to make sure blood oxygen monitoring is supported in their country.
Measuring blood oxygen with the Apple Watch Series 6 is done through the new Blood Oxygen app. It uses a series of red and green LEDs and infrared light to measure the amount of light reflected by the skin, with advanced algorithms using this data to calculate the color of the blood to derive the blood oxygen level. Bright red blood has more oxygen, while darker red blood has less.
The Apple Watch Series 6 is available for purchase from Apple's online store, with orders set to arrive starting this Friday.
macOS Big Sur didn't launch alongside iOS 14, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14, and watchOS 7 today, with the update coming later this fall, but Apple did release the Safari 14 update for macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave users.
Safari 14 brings improved performance, customizable start pages, a Privacy Report to see which cross-site trackers are being blocked, and a new tab bar design that provides tab previews so you can see what you have open at a glance. Today's update also removes Adobe Flash. Apple's release notes for Safari 14 are below:
Safari 14.0 introduces new features, even faster performance, and improved security. - New tab bar design shows more tabs on screen and displays favicons by default - Customizable start page allows you to set a background image and add new sections - Privacy Report shows cross-site trackers that are being blocked by Intelligent Tracking Prevention - Removes support for Adobe Flash for improved security Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices. For detailed information on the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
The new Safari 14 update can be downloaded by opening up System Preferences and choosing the Software Update option.
Apple has released iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, the newest operating system updates designed for the iPhone and iPad. As with all of Apple's software updates, iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 can be downloaded for free. iOS 14 is available on the iPhone 6s and later, while iPadOS 14 is available on the iPad Air 2 and later.
The updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update. It may take a few minutes for the updates to propagate to everyone due to high demand.
While the update downloads, read on to see a description of all the new features found in iOS 14 and watch this "Getting Started" video on iOS 14 for some tips:
Getting Started With iOS 14 Video
Widgets
There are dozens of major new features and changes in the iOS 14 update, but the most notable change may be the redesigned Home Screen that adds support for widgets for the first time. Widgets are available in three sizes and can be customized through the new widgets gallery.
App Library
The App Library, a new feature, shows you all of the apps that are installed on your iPhone in one place, both in an icon view organized into smart categories and in an alphabetical list. Since all of the apps are listed in the App Library, app icons and Home Screen pages can be hidden for a cleaner look.
Compact User Interface
Apple has added new compact user interface elements. Incoming phone calls and FaceTime calls no longer take over the entire display of the iPhone (and iPad), and Siri requests have been minimized so Siri no longer takes over the display when activated.
Picture in Picture
A Picture in Picture mode lets you watch videos or use FaceTime while accessing other apps, so you no longer need to pause what you're doing on your iPhone or iPad during chats.
App Clips
A feature called App Clips lets you take advantage of some app elements without needing to go through the hassle of downloading an entire app, which is useful for quick actions like purchasing a coffee or making a restaurant reservation. App Clips can be scanned from QR codes, NFC tags, or Apple-designed App Clip Codes, and they can be shared in Messages or accessed from Safari.
Messages
The Messages app lets you pin your most important conversations to the top of the display, with circular icons for your favorite people or groups. An @mentions feature makes sure you never miss an important conversation in a group chat, and inline replies keep multi-person conversations better organized. Apple added new Memoji options, and group chats can be customized with new icons featuring photos, emoji, or Memoji.
Health App
In the Health app, there's support for the Sleep Tracking feature on the Apple Watch, along with the Bedtime and Wind Down options that are meant to help you get a better night's sleep. A Health checklist gives you a way to make sure all of your health settings are accurate, and the Weather app offers minute-by-minute precipitation reports and warnings of severe weather events.
Maps
The Maps app gains cycling directions that incorporate metrics like elevation, how busy a street is, and stairs, and for those who own electric vehicles, there are options to plan routes with EV charging stops. The Collections feature is now Guides, and Apple is offering curated guides created in partnership with trusted companies to provide you with suggestions on places to visit and restaurants to eat at when you visit a new city.
Translate
A dedicated Translate app provides text and voice translations to and from 11 languages, with spoken text options and a conversation mode that helps you chat with someone who speaks another language. Safari has a built-in translator in iOS 14 too.
Privacy
Apple always adds tons of new privacy features with each iOS update, and iOS 14 is no exception. You can now provide apps with approximate locations instead of exact locations, and there's an option to limit the number of photos that an app can see.
Safari has a Privacy Report that lets you know which websites have trackers, and how often trackers are being blocked by the built-in Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature. Icons at the top of the iPhone let you know when an app accesses the camera or the microphone, so no apps can use these in the background without your knowledge.
Apple Watch Family Setup
Alongside the watchOS 7 update, iOS 14 supports a new Family Setup feature that lets iPhone owners manage and set up Apple Watches for children or older family members who don't own iPhones. Parents control contacts and downloaded apps, there's a Schooltime mode to limit Apple Watch features when necessary, and location tracking with Find My is available.
With Family Setup, kids can call and text their parents, talk to Siri, stream music, download apps, use the new Memoji app to create Memoji, and use Apple Pay with funds provided by parents. Family Sharing also includes Activity tracking options that provide Move minutes instead of active calories burned, and activity tracking has been optimized for children. For older adults, the feature supports managing health options like fall detection.
App Privacy Nutrition Label
App Store apps are getting a new privacy "nutrition label" that will let you know what kind of data will be collected before you download an app, and next year, Apple plans to require apps to ask you before tracking your device usage across different apps and websites.
Change Default Browser and Mail
Third-party browser and mail apps can be set as the default, and there are new capabilities for the AirPods. AirPods and AirPods Pro can automatically switch between iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch as you swap between devices, and the AirPods Pro are getting a new Spatial Audio feature that offers movie theater-like surround sound by taking advantage of the built-in gyroscope and accelerometer.
Fitness+ Service
Later this year, the Fitness app on the iPhone will include access to the new Fitness+ service that lets Apple Watch owners access guided workouts on Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. Videos are viewable on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, with the Apple Watch tracking progress and fitness achievements. Workouts span multiple categories, including yoga, dance, core, HIIT, rowing, strength, and more, with the app providing customized workout recommendations and customizable parameters like workout length, trainer, and music.
iPadOS 14
Many of these features are shared between iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, but the iPad lacks App Library and the Home Screen changes. It does get a few exclusive features of its own, such as expanded Apple Pencil support. The Apple Pencil can now be used in any text field, with the handwritten text converted automatically to typed text, a feature that Apple calls Scribble.
In the Notes app, you can handwrite text and have it converted into typed text, and neat features like Smart Selection let you select your written text and then copy it in typed text format into another app. There's a Shape Recognition feature that lets you draw a rough shape like a star that's then converted into a perfect geometric shape to make your notes look neater than ever, and there are new features for detecting handwritten addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and more.
Full iOS 14 Release Notes
Apple's full release notes for iOS 14 are below:
iOS 14 updates the core experience on iPhone, includes significant app updates, and other new features.
All-new widgets - Redesigned widgets can be placed right on the Home Screen - Small, medium and large widget sizes allow you to pick the amount of information to display - Widget stacks make the most of your Home Screen space and the Smart Stack uses on-device intelligence to surface the right widget at the right time - Widget gallery includes all available widgets to browse and choose from - Redesigned Apple widgets for Weather, Clock, Calendar, News, Maps, Fitness, Photos, Reminders, Stocks, Music, TV, Tips, Notes, Shortcuts, Battery, Screen Time, Files, Podcasts, and Siri Suggestions
App Library - The App Library automatically organizes all of your apps into categories - The Suggestions category uses on-device intelligence to show apps you’re likely to be looking for based on factors like time of day or location - The Recently Added category shows apps that were recently downloaded from the App Store, as well as App Clips that were recently launched Ability to hide Home Screen pages to get to the App Library even faster by tapping on the dots at the bottom of the screen while in jiggle mode
Compact design - Incoming Phone and FaceTime calls appear as a banner at the top of the screen - Siri has a compact design that allows you to refer to information onscreen and seamlessly launch into your next task - Picture in Picture enables watching a video or taking a FaceTime call while you use another app
Messages - Pinned conversations keep up to nine of your favorite message threads at the top of the list - Mentions let you direct a message to an individual in a group conversation - Inline replies let you reply to a specific message and see all related messages in their own view - Group photos can be customized for a shared group look
Memoji - 11 new hairstyles and 19 new headwear styles to customize your Memoji - New Memoji stickers to send a fist bump, hug or blush - Six added age options - Face covering options
Maps - Cycling directions provide routes along bike lanes, bike paths, and bike-friendly roads, taking into consideration elevation or how busy a street is - Guides offer recommendations for places to eat, meet friends, or explore, curated by a selection of trusted brands - Electric vehicle routing helps you plan trips with supported electric vehicles and automatically adds charging stops along your route - Congestion zones help you route around or through active zones in cities like London or Paris - Speed cameras let you know when you’re approaching speed and red-light cameras along your route - Refine Location enables a highly accurate location and orientation when in urban areas with a poor GPS signal
App Clips - An App Clip is a small part of an app that developers can create and that is discoverable at the moment you need it, and focused on a specific task - Small by design, App Clips are usable in a few seconds - Discover App Clips through tapping NFC tags or scanning QR codes, from Messages, Maps, and Safari - Recently used App Clips show up in App Library’s Recently Added category, and you can download the full version of the app if you want to keep it around
Translate - The new Translate app is designed for conversations and can work completely offline so your conversations stay private - A split-screen design in conversation mode has a single microphone button that automatically detects which of the selected languages is being spoken and transcribes the original and translated text on the correct sides of the screen - Attention mode shows translations in larger text so you can capture someone's attention - Voice and text translations are supported for any combination of 11 languages
Siri - A new compact design allows you to refer to information onscreen and seamlessly launch into your next task - Expanded knowledge brings 20x more facts than three years ago - Web answers help find answers to a broader set of questions using information from across the internet - Audio messages can be sent with Siri on iOS and CarPlay - Expanded language support for the new Siri voice and Siri translation
Search - One place where you can find everything: search for apps, contacts, files, quick information like weather and stocks, common knowledge questions about people or places, or even quickly start a web search - Top Hit results show the most relevant information including apps, contacts, knowledge, points of interest and websites - Quick Launcher allows you to launch an app or website by typing a few characters - As-you-type search suggestions show more relevant results as soon as you start typing - Web search suggestions to launch Safari and get the most relevant web results - Start a search in apps like Mail, Messages and Files
Home - Suggested automations help you set up automations with just a tap - A visual status at the top of the Home app gives you a summary of accessories that require your attention - Dynamic suggestions of the most relevant accessories and scenes appear in Home controls in Control Center - Adaptive Lighting automatically adjusts the color of your smart light bulbs throughout the day to maximize comfort and productivity - Face Recognition for video cameras and doorbells uses on-device intelligence to let you know who is there based on the people you’ve tagged in your Photos app and recent visitors you identify in the Home app - Activity Zones for video cameras and doorbells captures video or sends you a notification only when motion is detected in areas you define
Safari - Improved performance with an even faster JavaScript engine - A Privacy Report shows cross-site trackers that are being blocked by Intelligent Tracking Prevention Password monitoring securely screens your saved passwords for any that may have been involved in a data breach - Web page translation (beta) translates entire web pages in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Russian or Brazilian Portuguese
Weather - Next-hour precipitation chart shows a minute-by-minute forecast of the intensity of rain or snow over the coming hour for the U.S. - Severe weather information displays government-issued alerts about certain severe weather events including tornados, winter storms, flash floods and more, for the U.S., Europe, Japan, Canada, and Australia
AirPods - Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking on AirPods Pro places sounds anywhere in space, creating an immersive surround sound experience - Automatic device switching transfers audio from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac - Battery notifications let you know if you need to charge your AirPods
Privacy - A recording indicator is displayed whenever an app has access to the microphone or camera - Approximate location can now be shared with an app, rather than sharing your precise location - Limited Photos library access gives you the option to share only selected photos with an app whenever an app asks for access - App and web developers can now offer the option for you to upgrade your existing accounts to Sign in with Apple
Accessibility - Back Tap is a quick way to trigger accessibility features by tapping on the back of your iPhone - Headphone accommodations amplify soft sounds and adjust certain frequencies, customized for an individual’s hearing - Sign language prominence in FaceTime detects when a participant is using sign language and makes the person prominent in a Group FaceTime call - Sound Recognition uses on-device intelligence to detect and identify important sounds such as alarms, and alerts you to them using notifications - VoiceOver Recognition uses on-device intelligence to recognize elements on your screen to improve VoiceOver support for app and web experiences - Image descriptions read complete-sentence descriptions of images and photos within apps and on the web - Text recognition speaks the text identified within images and photos - Screen Recognition automatically detects interface controls to aid in navigating apps - This release also includes other features and improvements.
App Store - Important details about each app are displayed in a glanceable, scrollable view, including a way to see the games your friends are playing
Apple Arcade - Coming Soon gives you a sneak peek at upcoming Apple Arcade games and you can automatically download them as soon as they’re released - See All Games is improved with sorting and filtering by release date, updates, category, controller support and more - Achievements are browsable right from within the Apple Arcade tab - Continue Playing makes it easy to resume recently played games across devices - Game Center dashboard showcases your profile, friends, achievements, leaderboards and more, all from within your game
Apple Cash Family - Apple Cash can be enabled for up to five family members under 18 - Send money to your child through Messages or by asking Siri - Notifications for purchases or person to person payments as they occur - Parental controls to limit who your children can send money to - Option to turn off Apple Cash for family members under 18 - Shared oversight with another adult in your Family Sharing group
Augmented Reality - Location Anchors in ARKit 4 enables apps to place AR experiences at a specific geographic coordinate - Extended face tracking support is extended to the new iPhone SE - Video textures in RealityKit enable apps to apply video to any part of a scene or virtual object
Camera - Improved shot-to-shot performance speeds up the time to first shot and makes shooting photos even faster - QuickTake video can now also be captured on iPhone XS and iPhone XR when in Photo mode - Quick toggles in Video mode to change video resolution and frame rate from the Camera app - Updated Night mode capture experience on iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro provides guidance to help you stay steady throughout the capture, as well as an option to cancel the shot mid-capture - Exposure compensation control lets you lock an exposure value for an entire camera session - Mirror front camera lets you capture selfies that match the front camera preview - Improved QR code reading to scan codes, even if they are small or wrapped around objects
CarPlay - New categories of supported apps for parking, EV charging, and quick food-ordering - Wallpaper options - Share ETA and send audio messages with Siri - Horizontal status bar support for cars with portrait screens - Chinese and Japanese keyboard support gives users an additional option to search for points of interest
FaceTime - Improved video quality with up to 1080p resolution on iPhone X and later - New eye contact feature uses machine learning to subtly adjust the position of your eyes and face to make video calling more natural even - when you’re looking at the screen instead of the camera
Files - APFS encryption support for external drives
Health - Wind Down helps you create a pre-bedtime routine with apps and shortcuts, like listening to a relaxing playlist - Custom sleep schedules help you meet your sleep goals with bedtime reminders and wakeup alarms - Sleep mode minimizes distractions during Wind Down and Bedtime by turning on Do Not Disturb and simplifying your Lock screen - Health Checklist helps you track and manage health and safety features in one place - New Mobility category in the Health app, including metrics like walking speed, double support time, step length, and walking asymmetry
Keyboard and International - On-device dictation helps protect your privacy by performing all processing completely offline. Dictation in search uses server-based - dictation in order to recognize terms you may be searching for from across the Internet. - Search within the Emoji keyboard using a word or phrase - Keyboard displays AutoFill suggestions from Contacts for email addresses, phone numbers, and more in apps - New dictionaries for French-German, Indonesian-English, Japanese-Simplified Chinese, and Polish‑English - Wubi input method for Simplified Chinese - Autocorrection support for Irish Gaelic and Norwegian Nynorsk - Redesigned Japanese Kana keyboard with easier input for numbers - Mail supports email addresses using non‑Latin languages
Music - A new Listen Now tab for playing and discovering your favorite music, artists, playlists and mixes - Autoplay keeps music playing when you reach the end of a song or playlist by finding similar songs to play - Search now showcases music for your favorite genres and activities, and shows helpful suggestions as you type - Library filtering helps you find artists, albums, playlists and other items in your library even faster
Notes - Enhanced actions menu provides easy access to locking, scanning, pinning and deleting - Top Hits in search surfaces your most relevant search results - Pinned Notes list can be collapsed or expanded - Shape recognition enables drawing perfect lines, arcs and other shapes - Enhanced scanning captures sharper scans and more precise auto-cropping
Photos - Filter and sort your collection to more easily locate and organize your photos and videos - Pinch and zoom to quickly find your photos and videos in more places, like Favorites and Shared Albums - Photos and videos caption support - Live Photos taken using iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 will autoplay with improved stabilization in Years, Months and Days View - Memories enhancements provide a more relevant selection of photos and videos and a larger music selection for Memory movies - Redesigned image picker in apps uses the same smart search from the Photos app to help you easily find content to share - Podcasts - Listen Now is smarter and includes your personal episode queue and new episodes picked for you
Reminders - Assign reminders to people you share lists with - New reminders can be created from the lists screen without having to enter a specific list - Smart suggestions let you add dates, times and locations with a tap - Personalized lists with emoji and newly added symbols - Rearrange or hide smart lists
Settings - Option to set your default email and web browser
Shortcuts - Starter Shortcuts let you get started with a built-in folder of shortcuts, tailored for you - Shortcuts automations are suggested based on your usage patterns - Folders let you organize your shortcuts and can be added as widgets to the Home Screen - New compact design for running shortcuts keeps you in context while you use another app - New Automation triggers can run shortcuts based on receiving an email or message, your battery level, closing an app and more - Wind Down Shortcuts provide a collection of relaxing shortcuts to help you get ready for a good night’s sleep
Voice Memos - Folders help organize your Voice Memos recordings - Favorites lets you mark your best recordings and quickly access them later - Smart Folders automatically group together Apple Watch recordings, recently deleted recordings and recordings you marked as Favorites - Enhance Recording reduces background noise and room reverberation
More Details and Discussion
There are a ton of other features in iOS and iPadOS 14, so make sure to check out our detailed iOS 14 roundup and our iPadOS 14 roundup for a complete list of everything that's new.
Apple today released watchOS 7, the newest version of the watchOS operating system designed to run on modern Apple Watch models. The watchOS 7 update comes after several months of beta testing.
watchOS 7 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
The watchOS 7 update is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, and Series 5 models. It cannot be installed on the first-generation Apple Watch, the Series 1, or the Series 2 Apple Watch models.
With watchOS 7, Apple is introducing a number of new health, fitness, and style features for the Apple Watch. There's a new Face Sharing feature that's designed to let you share your watch faces and install watch faces shared by other people, though you still can't create your own watch faces.
Apple introduced several new watch faces, including GMT that shows multiple time zones, Count Up for tracking elapsed time, Chronograph Pro with a tachymeter, Typograph for displaying numerals in custom styles, Artist with art by Jeff McFetridge, Memoji for putting a Memoji on Apple Watch, and Stripes in customizable patterns.
Apple has also added support for multiple complications for a single app so you can better customize your watch faces to suit your needs.
A new Sleep app lets you track your sleep by wearing your watch at night, providing sleep analysis in a simple, easy-to-interpret format. The watch uses the accelerometer to detect subtle movements associated with breathing, so it knows when you're sleeping or awake.
A Wind Down feature helps you establish a healthy bedtime routine, while Sleep Mode automatically turns off your screen and enables Do Not Disturb. When you wake up, the Apple Watch plays soft sounds or uses a haptic alarm, and it offers up a weather report and battery information so you can get your day started.
As announced yesterday, watchOS 7 brings a Family Setup option that lets iPhone owners manage and set up Apple Watches for children or older family members who don't own iPhones. Parents control contacts and downloaded apps, there's a Schooltime mode to limit Apple Watch features when necessary, and location tracking with Find My is available.
With Family Setup, kids can call and text their parents, talk to Siri, stream music, download apps, use the new Memoji app to create Memoji, and use Apple Pay with funds provided by parents. Family Sharing also includes Activity tracking options that provide Move minutes instead of active calories burned, and activity tracking has been optimized for children.
There's a new handwashing detection feature that's useful because we're all washing our hands more often than usual. It lets the Apple Watch listen for sounds of water and then starts a 20-second timer to remind you to wash your hands for the appropriate amount of time.
The Activity app has been renamed Fitness and there's a refined interface, and later this year, the Fitness app will work with the new Fitness+ service that lets Apple Watch owners access guided workouts on Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. The new Fitness app also allows users to customize Activity goals, including Stand hours and Exercise minutes, and the Apple Watch is able to measure low-range VO2 max, stair ascent speed, stair descent speed, and six-minute walk estimate, all of which can be found in the Health app.
The Maps app features cycling directions in line with the new cycling feature on the iPhone, and Siri now provides spoken translations. Apple also introduced a new Siri Shortcuts app for the Apple Watch so you can access all your Shortcuts right on your wrist.
watchOS 7 does more to protect hearing health with a weekly listening notification and an option to automatically reduce loud sounds when you're wearing headphones. A max volume setting also helps to prevent hearing damage.
When paired with an Apple Watch Series 6, the Apple Watch offers a Blood Oxygen app that lets users take a blood oxygen reading. The Blood Oxygen app is limited to certain countries or regions and it requires an iPhone 6s or later to be paired with an Apple Watch Series 6.
Taking a Blood Oxygen reading can be done by opening up the app, staying still, tapping start, and keeping the arm steady for 15 seconds. Blood Oxygen monitoring uses red and green LEDs and infrared light, with photodiodes measuring the amount of light reflected back to determine the amount of oxygen in the blood.
There are many other new changes and tweaks in watchOS 7, and Apple's complete release notes for the update are below:
watchOS 7 makes Apple Watch more powerful and more personal than ever before—with new ways to discover and share watch faces, sleep tracking, automatic handwashing detection, and new workout types. Stay connected to your loved ones by pairing an Apple Watch for a family member to your iPhone with Family Setup. And watchOS 7 includes the Memoji app, cycling directions in Maps, and Siri language translation.
Watch Faces - New Stripes face that lets you select the number of stripes you want, choose colors, and rotate the angle to create a watch face that reflects your style (Series 4 and later) - New Typograph face with numerals in classic, modern, and rounded type styles and displayed in Arabic, Arabic Indic, Devanagari, or Roman (Series 4 and later) - New Artist face created in collaboration with Geoff McFetridge that animates and morphs into a new creation with the time or when you tap the display - New Memoji watch face features all the Memoji you have created and all of the Memoji characters (Series 4 and later) - New GMT face that tracks a second time zone displaying a 12-hour inner dial with local time, and a 24-hour outer dial (Series 4 and later) - New Chronograph Pro face that records time on scales of 60, 30, 6, or 3 seconds, or measures speed based on time traveled over a fixed distance with the new tachymeter (Series 4 and later) - New Count Up face lets you easily track elapsed time by tapping the bezel (Series 4 and later) - Share watch faces with Messages and Mail, or post a link online - Discover and download curated watch faces from your favorite apps in the App Store or from websites and social media - Support for rich complications on the X-Large face - New color filters available to customize the Photos face - New World Clock, Moon Phase, Altimeter, Camera Remote and Sleep complications
Sleep - New Sleep app to help you meet your sleep duration goal with sleep tracking, custom sleep schedules, and a view of sleep trends over time - Uses data from the accelerometer to detect when you are awake and when you are asleep - Sleep mode minimizes distractions by turning on Do Not Disturb and turning off Raise to Wake and the display - Wake up with alarm sounds and haptics on your watch - Option to receive reminders to charge your watch before your scheduled bedtime and reminders when your watch is fully charged
Handwashing - Automatic handwashing detection using motion sensors and microphone - Once hand washing is detected, 20 second countdown starts - Receive encouragement to keep washing for the recommended 20 seconds when watch detects you’ve stopped early - Option to be reminded to wash your hands when arriving home - Review how many times and how long you washed your hands in the Health app on iPhone - Available on Apple Watch Series 4 and later
Family Setup - Use your iPhone to pair and manage a watch for your family members, with their own phone number and Apple ID - Screen Time and Downtime support for managing contacts, setting communication limits, and scheduling time away from the screen - Schooltime mode turns on Do Not Disturb, limits interaction, and replaces watch face with distinctive yellow clock - Set a custom Schooltime schedule and view times when watch exits mode - Users 13 and under can track Move minutes instead of active calories, and can track walking, running, and cycling workouts with more accurate metrics - Set up one-time, recurring, or time-based location notifications for family members - Send money to family members and review transactions of users under 18 with Apple Cash Family (US only) - Family members have the option to share their activity and health data, and will be notified when you create automatic location notifications - Requires Family Sharing and can be used with up to five family members - Available on cellular models of Apple Watch Series 4 and later
Memoji - New Memoji app to create new Memoji or customize existing Memoji - New hairstyles, more age options, and three new Memoji stickers - Use your Memoji creations in the Memoji watch face - Send Memoji stickers in Messages
Maps - Turn by turn directions with larger font sizes that are easier to read - Cycling directions provide routes along bike lanes, bike paths, and bike-friendly roads, taking into consideration elevation or how busy a street is - Search for and add places optimized for cyclists to your route, like a bike shop - Support for cycling directions is available in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Shanghai, and Beijing
Siri - On-device dictation for faster and more reliable request handling and further protecting privacy (Series 4 and later, US English only) - Translate phrases right on your wrist, with support for over 50 language pairs - Adds support for Announce Messages
Other features and improvements: - Change goals for exercise minutes and stand or roll hours in the Activity app - New custom algorithms in the Workout app for Dance, Functional Strength Training, Core Training, and Cooldowns for accurate tracking of relevant metrics - Redesigned and renamed Fitness app on iPhone with streamlined summary and sharing tabs - Manage health and safety features of Apple Watch in the Health app on iPhone with new Health Checklist - New Mobility metrics measured by Apple Watch available in the Health app, including low-range VO2 max, stair ascent speed, stair descent speed, and six-minute walk estimate - ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later now available in Colombia, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates - Irregular heart rhythm notifications now available in Colombia, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates - Support for additional interactions on Apple Watch Series 5 without having to wake the display including access to Control Center and Notification Center, the ability to change watch faces, and more - Create group threads in Messages - Inline replies let you reply to a specific message and see all related messages in their own view - New Shortcuts app to access and run shortcuts you have previously created - Add shortcuts to your watch face as a complication - Share your audiobooks with Family Sharing - Search now available in the Music app - Redesigned Wallet app - Digital car key support in Wallet (Series 5) - View downloaded media in Music, Audiobooks, and Podcasts apps - Current location available for World Clock and Weather apps
Apple today released tvOS 14, the newest version of the tvOS operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 14 comes after several months of beta testing.
The tvOS 14 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System -> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to tvOS 14 automatically.
tvOS 14 brings systemwide Picture in Picture, a feature designed to let you watch movies or TV shows in a small window in the corner of the TV screen while you do something else on the Apple TV.
A new Home section in the Control Center on the Apple TV allows HomeKit-connected devices to be controlled from the television set, plus there's an option to view HomeKit camera feeds on the larger screen of the TV or in Picture in Picture mode so you can keep an eye on your house while you watch TV.
Apple Arcade on Apple TV supports multiple users, letting each tvOS user keep track of their individual game levels, leaderboards, and invitations. Additional gaming controllers are supported, including the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers. Apple TV games are also now able to take advantage of haptic feedback and other features built into controllers.
There's an option to manually choose a screensaver category in tvOS 14, and for those who watch YouTube, tvOS 14 supports watching YouTube videos in 4K for the first time. The Apple TV now supports Audio Sharing with the AirPods so two people can connect their AirPods to the Apple TV at the same time.
Later this year, the Apple TV will gain a new Fitness app that will be compatible with Apple's new Fitness+ service, priced at $9.99 per month. Fitness+ offers access to workout videos with Apple-picked trainers across a variety of categories like yoga, dance, cycling, core, HIIT, and more.
With iOS and iPadOS 14 available as of today, Microsoft has updated its Outlook app for iOS devices to enable support for the new iOS 14 feature that lets third-party mail and browser apps be set as default apps (via The Verge).
After installing the new version of the app, Outlook can be set to be the default mail app on your iPhone or iPad, so when you click a mail link to compose an email, it will be opened up in Outlook rather than the standard Mail app.
To set Outlook as the default, download Microsoft Outlook, open up the Settings app, scroll down and select Outlook, tap on Default Mail App, and then choose Outlook.
Expect to see other mail and browser apps implementing support for third-party details in the near future. Chrome has already updated its iOS app with support and it can now be set to replace Safari as the default browser.
Rumors suggest that the high-end over-ear Apple-branded headphones that Apple has had in the works for some time are set to launch before the end of 2020, and today, an image of the "AirPods Studio" as they might be called surfaced on Twitter.
Shared by Fudge, a leaker that has provided accurate details on Apple's plans in the past, the image features black headphones with large oblong ear cups and gray fabric padding at the top of the headband, which Fudge says is HomePod mesh. There's also a separate video of a white version.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurmanpreviously said that Apple is working on two versions of the AirPods Studio, one that's a higher-end premium version and one that's fitness-focused and made from lighter weight materials, and Fudge suggests this is the lighter "sport" variant.
Gurman at the time described headphones with a retro-like look with ear cups that swivel along with a headband connected with thin metal arms, which does appear to describe the headphones in the image.
The AirPods Studio are expected to have swappable ear pads and headband padding that will attach to the frame magnetically, allowing users to swap in different colors and variants for customization purposes.
Along with these design features, the AirPods Studio are expected to feature Active Noise Cancellation, head and neck detection, orientation detection, and more, with details available in our roundup.
There's no word yet on when the AirPods Studio might launch, but with iPhones set to come out in October, Apple could unveil the AirPods Studio alongside new iPhone models.
During its "Time Flies" event yesterday, Apple announced that iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 will be widely released today, providing developers with just one day's notice to submit their optimized apps for review.
While developers have had access to beta versions of the software updates since June, many were caught off guard by Apple's much shorter notice of the final releases. By comparison, Apple started accepting apps built for iOS 13 on September 10 last year, over one week before the software update was released on September 19.
A big WTF at Apple dropping iOS 14 tomorrow without giving developers any notice, or final tools to submit their apps 😂
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) September 15, 2020
Apple randomly dropping iOS 14 in one day without any prior notice is very on brand with 2020.
— Shihab (JPEGuin) (@JPEGuin) September 15, 2020
I would like to thank @apple for giving developers less than 24 hours notice on the release of iOS 14. Zero time to submit our apps that support iOS 14’s features. 😕
— Aaron (@AaronTunney) September 15, 2020
Time flies, when you have no notice to submit app updates for iOS 14 🤣
— Dom (@domzy) September 15, 2020
Apple announcing the iOS 14 release date 24 hours ahead of time as a summer ending gift to developers 🤣
— Ben Thompson (@benthompson) September 15, 2020
I wouldn’t say that. It’s two eternal problems:
- Apple’s hardware release dates dictate their software release dates, not the software quality or readiness.
- Most of Apple seems to have *far* too little of an idea of the challenges and conditions faced by outside developers. https://t.co/uWGwlkYEvl
— Marco Arment (@marcoarment) September 16, 2020
iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 should be released to the public around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time today. We've shared a list of compatible devices for each software update here. Note that Apple has yet to announce a release date for macOS Big Sur.
In an email to developers, Apple said that all iOS and iPadOS apps submitted to the App Store will need to be built with Xcode 12 and the iOS 14 SDK starting in April 2021. Likewise, Apple said all watchOS apps submitted to the App Store will need to be built with Xcode 12 and the watchOS 7 SDK starting in April 2021.
During Apple's "Time Flies" event on Tuesday, Apple played a heartwarming video depicting stories of how Apple Watch has changed, and in some cases saved, the lives of some people who wear the device.
The short video has since been shared on Apple's official YouTube channel, and we've embedded it here below.
The video includes an athlete with Type-1 diabetes who uses Apple Watch to check insulin readings, which has given them a newfound sense of liberation from their condition.
Another person in the video was able to come off expensive medication for high blood pressure and hypertension by getting into shape with the help of Apple Watch, while a 26-year-old was alerted by Apple Watch to a high heart rate which led them to seek medical help before they went into cardiac arrest, potentially saving their life.
Apple is pitching the Apple Watch Series 6 as a health, fitness, and safety device like never before, and with the introduction of blood oxygen measuring, it is joining forces with researchers to conduct health studies in the hope that signals from apps on Apple Watch could serve as early signs of respiratory conditions like influenza and COVID-19.
Blood oxygen level is a key indicator of overall wellness and can help you understand how well your body is absorbing oxygen, as well as the amount of oxygen delivered to your body. The new sensor and app in the Apple Watch Series 6 enables users to take on-demand readings of their blood oxygen as well as background readings, both during the day and at night.
Apple says the Blood Oxygen app is only available in certain countries and regions, but we're still waiting to learn where the Blood Oxygen app is available.
Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) starts at $399 and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) starts at $499. Preorders are currently being taken with availability starting Friday.
Apple's official public release of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 dropped on Wednesday, September 16, just a day after the company released the Golden Master to third-party developers. Also set to be made available to the general public for the first time are watchOS 7 and tvOS 14.
Getting Started With iOS 14 Video
Click image to watch iOS 14 Getting Started
While that's left a lot of developers scrambling to test and submit their apps to Apple for review – a process that can sometimes take days if not weeks – that doesn't change the fact that plenty of Apple device users will be eager to download and install the new software as soon as it comes out.
There are tons of native features in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, all the details of which you can find in our iOS 14 roundup and iPadOS 14 roundup.
Release Date and Time
Apple's iOS 14 was released on September 16th right before 4pm Eastern / 1pm Pacific time. The update should be available worldwide by the time you read this.
How to Install
The update is available on all eligible devices (see below) over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update.
Ideally, plug your iPhone or iPad into a power outlet
Go to Settings > General > Software Update
Tap Download and Install
For full details on all the new features, visit our release article which lists all the many new features found in iOS 14.
Device Compatibility
iOS 14 is compatible with the same iPhones as iOS 13, including older devices like the original iPhone SE and iPhone 6s. iOS 14 compatible devices are listed below.
watchOS 7 can be installed on Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, and Series 5 models. It is not compatible with the original first-generation Apple Watch, Apple Watch Series 1, or Apple Watch Series 2.
tvOS 14 is designed to run on the fourth- and fifth-generation Apple TV models. It is not compatible with earlier versions of the Apple TV, as those models do not support tvOS.
The new watchOS 7 update includes a new Apple Watch feature that's designed to let users customize all of their Activity goals, setting not only calorie targets, but also Stand hours and Exercise minutes.
In watchOS 6, there is no option to customize Stand hours or Exercise minutes, with Apple requiring at least 12 stand hours and at least 30 minutes of exercise to complete an Activity goal. Goals will be much more customizable with watchOS 7.
The Exercise goal can be set for as low as 10 minutes or as high as 60 minutes, while the Stand goal can be dropped to six hours. Twelve hours continues to be the maximum.
Activity goals can be changed by opening up the Activity app on the Apple Watch and scrolling down to get to the "Change Goals" option. Under Change Goals, you can set new Move, Exercise, and Stand goals.
Apple released the watchOS 7 GM earlier today, and plans to release the new update to the public tomorrow.
At today's media event, Apple announced Family Setup, a new feature coming tomorrow as part of watchOS 7 that will allow kids, elderly relatives, and others take advantage of many of the capabilities of the Apple Watch without the need for their own paired iPhone.
Compatible with Apple Watch Series 4 and later and the Apple Watch SE, Family Setup requires a cellular Apple Watch model and an active carrier plan for the watch. The primary user can then use the Watch app on their iPhone to set up an Apple Watch for another family member, managing access to various features and capabilities and receiving reports on activity.
One interesting feature of Family Setup is "Apple Cash Family," which lets a parent securely load money onto their child's Apple Watch and allows the child to then purchase items wherever Apple Pay is accepted.
With the new Apple Cash Family, parents can securely send their kids money to spend on their watch using Apple Pay. Parents can choose to receive notifications when their kids pay, and view their child’s purchases right in Wallet on their own iPhone.
Apple Cash Family helps parents give kids a limited amount of funds to spend at their discretion without needing to worry about cash that can be easily lost or stolen.
Apple Cash Family can be enabled for up to five family members, and oversight can be shared with another adult in your Family Sharing group. Parents can not only view activity and receive notifications of purchases and person-to-person payments, but also restrict access to Apple Cash balances if needed and limit who money can be sent to.
Family Setup offers other helpful tools for parents and kids, with Schooltime and Downtime features that offer controls over when and what kids can do with their Apple Watch, kid-focused Activity rings, and more. And for older adults, Family Setup helps deliver key tools like fall detection, automatic emergency calling, and health features without the need for them to have an iPhone.
Apple today made its Apple Card interest-free monthly installment payment plan option available for the Apple Watch for the first time, allowing U.S. Apple Card holders to pay for the Apple Watch over time with interest-free payments.
When purchasing an Apple Watch using Apple Card Monthly Installments, users will make one installment payment each month for twenty four months, which is the same purchase plan available for iPhone. Apple Card users also earn the three percent standard Daily Cash back for purchases through Apple.
Apple in June made interest-free monthly installment plans available for Macs, iPads, and other Apple products, but the Apple Watch was not included as an eligible purchase option until today, as noted in a new support document.
The new Apple Card Monthly Installment option for Apple Watch is prominently displayed when making an Apple Watch purchase from the online Apple Store or the Apple Store app.
A standard $399 Apple Watch Series 6, which is the entry-level pricing, costs $16.62 per month when using the Apple Card payment option.
Following the debut of the new Apple Watch Series 6, the refreshed iPad Air, and the low-cost eighth-generation iPad, Apple has extended its Back to School sale in the United States, with the promotion now ending on October 12 instead of September 29.
In addition to extending the dates of the sale, Apple has also updated its Terms and Conditions [PDF] to exclude the new iPad Air from the promotion. Customers who purchase one of the new $599 iPad Air models (which are not available for sale yet) will not be eligible to get free AirPods.
Prior to today's update, both the iPad Pro and the iPad Air were eligible products that customers could purchase to take advantage of the free AirPods promotion.
The Back to School Sale in the United States initially launched on June 15, and it provides a $159 credit toward the purchase of AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods with Wireless Charging case for those who purchase a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, or iPad Pro.
Apple launched Back to School promotions in Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the Middle East in July and the new iPad Air exclusion may also apply in other countries that previously allowed free AirPods with the purchase of an iPad Air.
Apple has not provided an exact date for when the new iPad Air models will become available for purchase, but they're expected to be available next month. Given that Apple specifically excluded the iPad Air from the Back to School sale but also extended it for two weeks, we could see the iPad Air become available before October 12.
Apple today updated its AppleCare+ protection plan for Apple devices to cover two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months. Prior to now, AppleCare+ covered two incidents of accidental damage every 24 months.
The AppleCare+ changes apply to the new Apple Watch models as well as the iPhone, a change made ahead of the launch of the new iPhone 12 models. Macs and iPads also offer the same updated coverage.
Accidental damage is subject to service fees that vary based on the damage and the device. For the iPhone, for example, screen damage requires customers to pay a $29 deductible, while other accidental damage requires a $99 fee.
Apple's separate Theft or Loss plan for the iPhone also has a lowered deductible that's now $149 for all iPhones. Previously, replacing a stolen or lost iPhone cost $149 to $269 depending on the device, so it's much more affordable to get a lost iPhone replaced under the new terms.
Apple also recently changed its AppleCare+ policies to make it possible for customers in the United States and Canada to purchase Apple Care for up to a year after buying a new device. The year-long purchase window is available for all devices eligible for AppleCare+ (iPhones, iPads, Macs, iPods, HomePods), AirPods, Apple Watch, and Pro Display XDR) and for AppleCare+ subscriptions.
Like the Folio Touch for the iPad Pro, the iPad Air version includes a full-size keyboard with backlit keys and, most notably, a trackpad that works with the trackpad gestures included in iPadOS.
The Folio Touch, which is priced at $160, is available as an alternative to the Magic Keyboard, which Apple is also offering for the iPad Air. The Folio Touch is made from a soft gray fabric with a shell to fit the iPad into. It connects to the Smart Connector on the iPad Air so there's no need to charge it.
The Folio Touch for iPad Air appears to be identical to the Folio Touch for iPad Pro, with the exception of a smaller camera cutout, a power button cutout to allow for Touch ID, and being fitted to the iPad Air, which measures in at 10.9 inches. We reviewed the Folio Touch for iPad Pro earlier this year and found it to be a great alternative to the more expensive Magic Keyboard.
Logitech plans to begin selling the Folio Touch for iPad Air in October 2020. It will be available from the Logitech website and the Apple online store.
Apple today announced the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE, both of which will be compatible with new watch faces that are being introduced in the watchOS 7 update set to be released tomorrow.
Apple has provided a video highlighting all of the new Apple Watch faces, with details on each one.
GMT - The GMT face shows multiple time zones at once, while also taking into account your physical location. 12-hour time is displayed on the inner dial with local time, while the outer dial displays 24-hour time.
Count Up - The Count Up face lets you start tracking elapsed time by tapping the bezel.
Chronograph Pro - This face was previously available in the watchOS 7 betas and features multiple time scales (60, 30, 6, or 3 seconds) along with a tachymeter to measure speed based on time travel over a set distance.
Typograph - The typograph face displays numerals in three custom type styles (custom, modern, and rounded) and four different scripts ( Arabic, Arabic Indic, Devanagari, and Roman) with each combo tailored to fit the face perfectly.
Artist - For the Art watch face, Apple collaborated with artist Geoff McFetridge to create an Apple Watch face that features artistic animated faces with the time overlaid.
Memoji - The Memoji face brings animated Memoji to the Apple Watch that react to touch.
Stripes face - Features different striped patterns in a variety of colors for supporting sports teams, matching what you're wearing, and more. You can choose the number of stripes, the number of colors, and rotate the stripes in any angle.
According to Apple, the Stripes, Typograph, Memoji, GMT, Chronograph Pro, and Count Up watch faces are limited to the Series 4, Series 5, and Series 6 Apple Watch models, along with the Apple Watch SE.
The new watch face options are available in the watchOS 7 golden master that was released earlier today, and will be available through the public release of watchOS 7 tomorrow.
Apple today held its annual September event, but this year was a bit different because no new iPhones were announced. The "Time Flies" event focused on the Apple Watch Series 6 and the iPad Air, and saw the debut of a new Apple One services bundle.
It took Apple an hour to introduce the new devices, but we've recapped the event in just seven minutes for our readers who would like a no-frills but thorough overview of all of the announcements.
The new $399 Apple Watch Series 6 offers a faster S6 chip for better performance and battery efficiency, a next-generation always-on altimeter, and, most notably, a new blood oxygen monitoring feature. Apple is also selling it in two new aluminum colors: blue and (PRODUCT)RED.
Apple also announced a lower-cost $279 Apple Watch SE without blood oxygen monitoring, or ECG, and there's a new iPad Air with an all-screen display, new colors, and a Touch ID power button. A new Fitness+ service offers Apple Watch-guided fitness videos for $9.99 per month, and the Apple One bundle lets you purchase several services for one monthly price to save some cash.
All of our event coverage is available below, so make sure to check out our articles so you don't miss any of the updates.
