Apple Releases watchOS 7.6, Bringing ECG and Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications to 30 New Regions

Apple today released watchOS 7.6, the sixth major update to the watchOS 7 operating system that was released in September 2020. watchOS 7.6 comes two months after the release of watchOS 7.5.

7
‌‌The watchOS 7.6 update‌‌ 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.

According to Apple's release notes, the watchOS 7.6 update brings support for the ECG app and irregular heart rhythm notifications to 30 additional regions.

No other new features were discovered during the beta testing process, and it's likely that watchOS 7.6 will be one of the final updates to the watchOS 7 operating system as Apple works to transition to watchOS 8.

Related Roundup: watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Update for iPhones Coming Soon — Here's What to Expect

Thursday September 25, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. MacRumors has also seen evidence of iOS 26.0.1 in its visitor logs in recent days. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple More Personal Siri Ad

Apple Responds to U.S. Class Action Lawsuit Over Delayed Siri Features

Friday September 26, 2025 6:57 am PDT by
In March, Apple delayed the launch of its personalized Siri features, and soon after the company was hit with multiple class action lawsuits over the situation. The plaintiffs said they never would have purchased an iPhone 16, or would have paid less, had they known Apple's marketing about the Siri features was false. In the U.S., all of the complaints were consolidated into one class...

Top Rated Comments

Regbial Avatar
55 months ago
Is it still a hassle to upgrade in an s3...? (my guess is... yes.)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Octavius8 Avatar
55 months ago
The update bricked my S6 with GPS!. The touch screen does not respond and since my watch has a password I cant use it!. The crown and button still work. A power cycle did not help!. Be aware...
3 hard resets and did not work, but tapping on the "i" in "My watch" section for some reason made the screen responsive again. Go figure... Happy camper now. :)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ISprainedMyUvula Avatar
55 months ago

Is it still a hassle to upgrade in an s3...? (my guess is... yes.)
I really can't believe they still sell that trash.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
55 months ago
System 7.6, the irony.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RealPhone Avatar
55 months ago

I did that 2 times so far ... let me try again.

Edit: Nope. Toggled off an on again, confirmed code on the watch. Doesn't unlock with iPhone after taking it off and putting it on again.
Edit 2: Tried switching to "simple passcode" and turning passcode off completely and setting it up again. Still doesn't work via "unlock with iPhone".
I must confess that the behavior associated with unlocking the Watch with the iPhone is inconsistent. Works sometimes, in other cases not. Probably a bug.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Syzyg1y Avatar
55 months ago
The update now makes it possible to monitor air quality in Canada… and not a moment too soon: smoke from fires upwind of Montréal making our air very smoggy (AQI is 7 or “high risk”).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)