Apple Releases watchOS 8.3 With Apple Music Voice Plan and App Privacy Report
Apple today released watchOS 8.3, the second major update to the watchOS 8 operating system that first launched in September. watchOS 8.3 comes more than a month after the launch of watchOS 8.1, and it is not known why Apple skipped version 8.2.
watchOS 8.3 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 8.3 update is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 3 and later like all watchOS 8 updates.
According to Apple's release notes, watchOS 8.3 adds support for the voice-only Apple Music Voice Plan, which is designed to allow users to ask Siri to play Apple Music songs, playlists, and stations.
The update also introduces support for App Privacy Report, a feature that monitors when apps access sensitive data and sensors that are restricted by privacy settings, such as location information, and it fixes an issue that could cause notifications to interrupt Mindfulness sessions unexpectedly. Though not included in the release notes, watchOS 8.3 expands AssistiveTouch to the Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5.
Details on what's included in the watchOS 8 update can be found in our watchOS roundup.
Popular Stories
Apple today announced it will be permanently closing three retail stores in the U.S. in June, including Apple Trumbull in Trumbull, Connecticut, Apple North County in Escondido, California, and Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland.
Apple Towson Town Center in Maryland
Apple issued the following statement to MacRumors:At Apple, we are constantly striving to deliver exceptional service...
Apple has released a minor iOS 26.4.1 update for the iPhone 11 and newer. While the release notes for the update only mention unspecified "bug fixes," we have since learned about two specific changes that are included in it.
First, 9to5Mac spotted an Apple Developer Forums thread suggesting that iOS 26.4.1 fixes an iOS 26.4 bug that affected iCloud syncing in some apps.
Second, an...
As we wait for WWDC to kick off next Monday, Apple today announced the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards, recognizing apps and games for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement.
The 2025 Apple Design Award winners are listed below, with one app and one game selected per category:
Delight and Fun - CapWords (App) and Balatro (Game)
Innovation - Play (App) and PBJ -...
Popular Stories
In addition to indicating that a new full-sized HomePod is in the works, and that the foldable iPhone will likely ship later than the iPhone 18 Pro models this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said he does not expect any major design changes for the next-generation Apple Watch models coming later this year.
Gurman revealed all of this information in a live Q&A call today on the Bloomberg...
Apple today released watchOS 26.4, the fourth major update to the watchOS 26 operating system that came out in September. watchOS 26.4 comes a month and a half after Apple released watchOS 26.3.
watchOS 26.4 can be downloaded for free on an iPhone running iOS 26.4 by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update, or initiating an update in the Settings app on the...
Apple's current blood oxygen sensing implementation in the U.S. does not infringe on patents owned by Masimo and Apple will not face a revived import ban, a U.S. International Trade Commission judge said this week (via Reuters).
After Apple was found to have violated Masimo's patents related to blood oxygen sensing, the Apple Watch faced a U.S. import ban that caused Apple to briefly pause...
