All Apple Watch Apps Must Be Native Apps Starting on June 1 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

All Apple Watch Apps Must Be Native Apps Starting on June 1

watchos2betaApple today informed developers that starting on June 1, 2016, all watchOS apps submitted to the App Store must be native apps built with the watchOS 2 SDK or later.

When the Apple Watch first launched, watchOS apps were reliant on the iPhone to run on the Apple Watch, but with watchOS 2, Apple introduced support for native apps. With native app support, developers can build apps that are able to run on the Apple Watch, allowing apps to open more quickly and work more smoothly.

Apple's June 1 deadline for native apps hits two weeks before the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, where it is expected to show off new versions of iOS, OS X, watchOS, and tvOS.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11

Popular Stories

watchos 27

watchOS 27 Is Wiping Four Apps From Your Apple Watch

Monday June 22, 2026 8:17 am PDT by
Apple's watchOS 27, previewed at this month's WWDC, removes four built-in apps from all supported Apple Watch models, folding three of them into a single Find My app and dropping Walkie-Talkie entirely, based on the first developer beta released this month. The largest change affects Find My. watchOS 27 developer beta 1 replaces the separate Find Devices, Find People, and Find Items apps...
apple world surf league video

Apple Shares Video on How Pro Surfers Use Apple Watch During Competition

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:57 am PDT by
Apple today shared a video showing off the Apple Watch in use at the World Surf League Championship Tour, with surfers describing how they use the watch when competing. Surfers can be hundreds of meters away from the beach during competitions and can't hear announcements over the sound of the water and the wind. The World Surf League has adopted the Apple Watch to solve the problem, linking...
series 10 apple watch titanium digital crown

Report: Apple Watch Redesign Coming Next Year With New Band System

Tuesday June 30, 2026 8:45 am PDT by
A "major overhaul" of the Apple Watch's design is due to arrive next year with a new system for connecting bands, according to a known Weibo leaker. In a set of recent posts, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" linked the new claim to older rumors about an "Apple Watch X" model, which was said to introduce a fresh design and break compatibility with the existing watch band system. Citing...

Top Rated Comments

Aluminum213 Avatar
134 months ago
THANK YOU

This will help with the fact that 99% of watch apps are slow junk
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OneMike Avatar
134 months ago
But native apps are still slow...
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
134 months ago
I wonder if this is in preparation for a next Gen Apple Watch that is less iPhone reliant to be revealed at WWDC?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DFierce Avatar
134 months ago
Thank god. Slow apps make a really poor experience on the watch.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sirious Avatar
134 months ago
This is good news. I can't count how many times I've given up on an app due to its long load times and completed the task on my iPhone instead.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BvizioN Avatar
134 months ago
If I could use it as a phone I would buy an Apple Watch tomorrow. It's pain having to carry an iPhone everywhere I go.
The only time when I don't want to have my phone on me is when am running or swimming. Which makes less then 5% of my time. I feel that these should be 2 totally different devices and not replace each other.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)