Apple has released watchOS 9 to millions of Apple Watch users and with it come a wide array of new features. Here's what's new in this substantial update.
As it typically does, Apple released the watchOS 9 update alongside iOS 16. If you'd like to learn more about the best iOS 16 features, check out our dedicated post.
New watch faces
With watchOS 9, Apple has added three entirely new faces to Apple Watch. They're called Lunar, Playtime, and Metropolitan.
Lunar is a moon phase watch face that can show the Islamic, Chinese, and Hebrew calendars around the celestial body. It supports four complications and has a variety of customization options including the color of the secondhand and a digital versus the analog clock.
The Playtime face is a lighthearted design created in partnership with Chicago-based artist Joi Fulton. It features a set of on-screen characters that react to your taps.
The characters will bounce away from the screen as you tap them, grimacing at your touch. If you tap them repeatedly, they'll bounce back towards the screen and then react as they run into the glass screen of your Apple Watch.
Metropolitan is our personal favorite of the new faces. It has plenty of color options and background color options as well as adjusting the style of the numbers on the face. It supports four corner complications.
While not technically new faces, the Nike faces are now available on all versions of the Apple Watch. Previously they were artificially limited to the Nike versions of the Apple Watch.
- New Lunar face
- New Playtime face
- New Metropolitan face
- Nike Analog, Nike Bounce, Nike Compact, Nike Digital, Nike Hybrid now available on all models
Updated watch faces
Several faces received updates with watchOS 9, even if not wholly new. For example, the Astronomy face got a major overhaul.
The Astronomy face has all-new visuals of the earth, moon, and solar system that are more detailed than before. They also can show the current cloud coverage when viewing.
Modular, Modular Compact, XL, and the Breathe face have new background options to choose from. Apple has added more colors and introduced a series of gradient options that look fantastic.
Simple and Utility both now support additional complications. The portrait face supports dogs, cats, and landscapes. Faces can be tied to Focus modes too and change automatically.
- Astronomy was updated with new graphics and can show cloud coverage
- Modular, Modular Compact, XL, Breathe have new background options including gradients
- Simple and Utility support new complications
- Portrait face now supports photos of dogs, cats, and landscapes
- Watch faces can change with Focus mode
Workouts
Workouts received the largest overhaul with watchOS 9 with new metrics, capabilities, and workout types. No matter what you do for workouts, Apple Watch and watchOS 9 will have you covered.
Thanks to this update, there are new views during a workout. You can see mark splits and segments, see your Activity Rings and track your heart rate zones.
Heart rate zones are very cool and calculated for you automatically based on your body metrics entered into the Health app. If you prefer, you can set your heart rate zones in settings.
