Apple’s WatchOS 10 gets new APIs and frameworks to create apps for the next watch

Apple’s WatchOS 10, the latest software that powers the Apple Watch, will be available to the public this fall. Along with new features such as redesigned apps to use the entire display, a new Smart Stack with intuitive widgets, and Workout Mirroring on the iPhone, Apple has released a number of new APIs in the WatchOS 10 SDK to help developers use the new capabilities. announced at WWDC 2023.

Also: Apple also updates WatchOS with widgets, new fitness and health features, and more

ZDNET spoke with Apple to learn how this new set of Apple Watch APIs can help developers create the next generation of Apple Watch apps.

“We’re very excited about what we’ve announced in WatchOS 10 it will mean for manufacturers,” Eric Charles, Apple Watch marketing director, told ZDNET. “What we’re seeing is more room for things and more focus so that the Apple Watch is easier to use… and can display complex information in a much simpler way.”

New Apple Watch APIs

Apple has announced new APIs for WatchOS 10, including:

• Workout Mirroring API – Shows the progress of the Workouts app in a live widget on the iPhone
• Custom Workouts API – Allows third-party apps like Training Peaks to add routines to the Workouts app for the first time
• High Frequency Motion API – Takes advantage of the advanced sensors of the Apple Watch Series 8 to monitor metrics that help improve golf or tennis performance, for example.
• Cycling Metrics API — They can now connect to bicycles with Bluetooth-enabled sensors to provide the highest level of information for cyclists

These are designed to enhance the fitness experience, but developers can use any API for any purpose they can think of within the Apple Watch app.

WatchOS developers use HealthKit as a central hub for keeping track of the health and wellness of their apps. Developers can write code in HealthKit, but now Apple says that developers can get new features and upgrades to SwiftUI, such as web placement and view distribution in motion.

Developers who already code in SwiftUI have an advantage, as their apps are automatically updated when they are rebuilt with the WatchOS 10 SDK. Developers can easily share code between iOS and WatchOS, which is a bonus for developers.

New design for Apple Watch apps

WatchOS 10 apps will have new features to enhance the look of the Apple Watch. Apple says that nearly every app in WatchOS 10 will be redesigned to use the entire Apple Watch display for faster access to information.

One of the biggest changes to the interface is that when you turn the digital crown of the Apple Watch, you now get a Smart Stack, where widgets appear – up to 10 of them. A new feature of WatchOS 10 is that it encourages you to use the Digital Crown to avoid blocking the Watch’s display with your finger, allowing developers to define important features from their widget.

According to Apple, three new app layouts will change the way Watch users interact with apps:

• Call works best for ring-based programs, such as fitness and goal-setting.
• Infographic it displays real-time information from apps like World Clock.
• List allows you to quickly view text-based applications such as Mail and Messages.

See the complexities, where developers can display valuable data for users to look at, will be supported by WidgetKit in WatchOS 10, to be able to appear in many places. Developers can reuse many of the iPhone Lock screen widget codes for the Apple Watch, according to Apple.

Also: Apple releases VisionOS SDK, Developers can register for Vision Pro hardware

Developers interested in developing apps for WatchOS can join the Apple Developer Program for $99 a year to access the tools needed to develop, test, and distribute apps for iOS 17, WatchOS 10, iPadOS 17, MacOS Sonoma, and VisionOS.