watchOS 9 Brings Updated Compass App With Waypoints and Backtrack

Apple with the introduction of the Apple Watch Ultra showed off a redesigned and more expansive Compass app, which, as it turns out, is available to existing Apple Watch models in watchOS 9.

watchos 9 compass app
Available today, ‌watchOS 9‌ adds the redesigned Compass app to the Apple Watch Series 5 and later and the Apple Watch SE, though select features are limited to the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ and the Series 6 and later.

The redesigned Compass app features an analog compass that displays a digital view of your current bearing and direction. You can tap into a zoomed view that shows your bearing, elevation, incline, latitude, and longitude for more information.

If you have an Apple Watch Series 6 or later, you can mark points of interest in the Compass app using the Waypoints feature, which has customizable colors and symbols. The Waypoints app adds a little marker to your current coordinates, and all Waypoints show up on the main Compass view so you can find your way back to them.

watchos 9 compass app backtrack
You can also use a new "Backtrack" feature if you have a Series 6 or later. Backtrack uses GPS to record the path that you take, so if you get lost, you can find your way back later. ‌watchOS 9‌ is available on the Apple Watch Series 4 and later and it can be downloaded now.

Related Roundups: watchOS 10, watchOS 9
Related Forum: Apple Programming

Top Rated Comments

Stromos Avatar
14 months ago
Wait us peasants get a cool new compass feature? That’s the most unApple thing I’ve heard in a long time!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
averagenerd81 Avatar
14 months ago

Wait us peasants get a cool new compass feature? That’s the most unApple thing I’ve heard in a long time!
That was one thing I really liked from the Ultra, but I am not forking over $800 for a watch. Very happy this is coming to us peasants!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
14 months ago
Too bad battery runs out to backtrack…
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
14 months ago
Very cool! I thought this was only coming to the Ultra.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gund1234 Avatar
14 months ago

They know how many, which and what kind of watches are active currently and which one need to be forced to upgrade.
i don't think it is fair, Apple products last longer then most other products and Apple is working hard to support software upgrades to older devices in general.
Apple does somethings that i don't like (repairability/upgradability) but not supporting products and forced upgrades in not one of them. We have to give them credit where it is due.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chickeneaster Avatar
14 months ago

Huh? Since when does the apple watch has a compass app? My series 7 on the watchos 9 RC doesn't have a compass app
It's had one since the series 4 or 5
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
Apple WWDC23 macOS Sonoma hero

macOS Sonoma Launching This Week With These New Features

Sunday September 24, 2023 12:45 pm PDT by
Apple previously announced that macOS Sonoma will be released this Tuesday, September 26. The free software update includes many new features and changes for the Mac, including the five that we have highlighted below. In addition to these five features, we have shared the full release notes for macOS Sonoma below for a complete overview of everything new. Desktop Widgets macOS Sonoma...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912

watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

Thursday September 21, 2023 12:52 pm PDT by
The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD. The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month. Brownlee shared his impressions...