watchOS 9 is an operating system that was designed and developed by Apple in 2022. The system has been released on September 12, 2022, and was preinstalled on the new Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE 2nd Gen, Apple Watch Ultra, and distributed as an update through the iPhone for the previous Watch models. This software gets the latest update (9.3) on January 23, 2023.
Key features in watchOS 9
watchOS 9 brings to Apple Watch new watch faces, sleep stages, a redesigned Compass app, an enhanced Workout app, an AFib History feature, and all-new Medications app.
When it comes to new watch faces in Apple Watch. watchOS 9 brings an all-new astronomy watch face that now displays current cloud coverage and star map. A lunar watch face now includes a Chinese, Hebrew, and Islamic lunar calendar wrapped around a moon with the live rendering of moon phases. Playtime watch face includes animated numbers. Metropolitan. watch face features a type-driven and dynamically changeable numbers style and weight when Digital Crown is moving.
Nike Run Club watch faces such as Nike Analog, Nike Swoosh, Nike Bounce, Nike Hybrid, Nike Digital, and Nike Compact are now available for all models of Apple Watch.
Watch faces now include rich complications, Chinese script options, a background color editor in Breathe, California, Typography, Modular watch faces, and more. Portrait watch face now supports portraits of dogs, cats, and landscapes with the ability to customize the color of the background or entire photo.
The workout app now contains Heart Rate zones, an Elevation view, a Running Power view, Custom Workouts, Pacer, Multisport Workouts, Workout alerts, improvements and changes in Fitness+, and much more.
The compass app has been entirely redesigned, and now presents in-depth information and zoomable views. Compass app now features Backtracks to track the user’s historic paths in case of getting lost or disorientation, and Compass Waypoints which allows marking the user’s position or point of interest.
Sleep app is now tracking sleep stages such as time spent in REM, Core, Deep sleep, and as well as awake time. A comparison chart provides a view of heart rate and respiratory rate alongside time asleep in the Health app on iPhone.
The medications app features reminders to log schedule medications, medications complications, and, medication schedules.
watchOS 9 features as well: AFib history, Low Power Mode, support for international roaming, expanded keyboard languages, accessibility improvements, Dock improvements, redesigned Notifications, redesigned Calendar app, updated Reminders app, enhanced Podcast experience, new Cardio Recovery metrics, and much more.
Today watchOS 9 is 24 months old!
watchOS 9 – General information
| Introduced | September 7, 2022 |
| Released | September 12, 2022 |
| Original Price | Free |
| System Requirements | Apple Watch Series 4 Apple Watch Series 5 Apple Watch Series 6 Apple Watch Series 7 Apple Watch SE 1st Generation Apple Watch SE 2nd Generation Apple Watch Series 8 Apple Watch Ultra iPhone 8 / iPhone 8 Plus or later iOS 16 or later |
| Distribution | Trough paired iPhone |
Versions
| Versions | Build | Release Date |
| watchOS 9.0 | 20R361 | September 12, 2022 |
| watchOS 9.0.1* | 20R8380 | September 22, 2022 |
| watchOS 9.02 | 20R8383 | October 10, 2022 |
| watchOS 9.1 | 20S75 | October 24, 2022 |
| watchOS 9.2 | 20S361 | December 13, 2022 |
| watchOS 9.3 | 20S648 | January 23, 2023 |