Apple today asked developers to begin building, testing, and submitting watchOS 6 apps for inclusion in the new standalone Apple Watch App Store.
Starting with watchOS 6, developers are able to distribute apps built solely for the Apple Watch without a companion app on iOS. Apple was not previously accepting standalone Apple Watch submissions and has also updated its watchOS site for developers.
Apple Watch apps can be installed from the Apple Watch App Store directly on the wrist even when an iPhone isn't available.
With watchOS 6, customers around the world can use the new App Store on Apple Watch to easily discover, browse, search, and install apps directly on their wrist. And for the first time, you can distribute an app just for Apple Watch, without a companion app on iOS. Build your watchOS apps using Xcode 11 GM seed, test them on devices running the latest watchOS 6 GM seed, and submit them for review.
Apple says that starting in April 2020, all new watchOS apps and app updates submitted to the App Store will need to be built with the watchOS 6 SDK and support the Apple Watch Series 4 or later.
watchOS 6 with standalone App Store is set to launch on the Series 3 and Series 4 Apple Watch models on Thursday, September 19. It will be available for Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch models later in the year.
The Apple Watch Series 5, which launches on Friday, September 20, will come with watchOS 6 installed.
Sunday February 22, 2026 9:48 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple will have a three-day stretch of product announcements from Monday, March 2 through Wednesday, March 4. In total, he expects Apple to introduce "at least five products."
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A week ago, Apple invited selected journalists and content creators to an "Apple Experience" in...
Friday February 20, 2026 3:21 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone this year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that Apple will release its first foldable device in 2026.
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Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about ...
Thursday February 19, 2026 7:38 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple Watch is now eleven generations in, and packed with useful features that are easy to miss at first glance. To help you get more out of your new device, we've rounded up 15 practical tips you might not have discovered yet, including a few that long-time users often overlook.
Bounce Between Two Apps
On your Apple Watch, double-press the Digital Crown to see a deck of all currently...
Sunday February 22, 2026 5:29 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's software engineers are testing iOS 26.3.1, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions.
iOS 26.3.1 should be a minor update that fixes bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, and it will likely be released within the next two weeks.
Last month, Apple released iOS 26.2.1 with bug fixes and support for the second-generation...
Friday February 20, 2026 7:36 am PST by Joe Rossignol
macOS 26.3 hints at Apple's rumored lower-cost MacBook, and two new Studio Display models, according to Macworld's Filipe Espósito.
Espósito found the following codenames within macOS 26.3's source code, and he revealed the upcoming products that they likely correspond with, based on previous reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and others.
The codenames:J700: Lower-cost MacBook
J427:...
Of course the temptation for 3rd parties to want to really monitor you (who wouldn't want to know your heart rate and give advertisements based on that) for monetization will be even greater - so Apple will have to watch apps carefully.
I hope Strava finally commits to making a decent standalone app compared to the current half assed attempt they've been running since the series 2 launched.
I'm wondering the same thing. for some reason the whole 'running apps on your wrist' seems to be have been forgotten in a weird way, despite them launching an App Store. ... I assume they will get there eventually. The Apple Watch is going to supplant the iPhone for all of the most rudimentary tasks. It's just a matter of time.
