watchOS 11 is now available with sleep apnea detection for the Series 9 and Ultra 2

Apple has just released watchOS 11, the latest version of its smartwatch operating system, alongside iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. The update, available for the Apple Watch Series 6 and later models, will finally allow users to take rest days without breaking their activity streak and introduces FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection.

Sleep apnea is a condition that can cause a person to stop breathing during sleep and can lead to an increased risk of hypertension and Type 2 diabetes if left untreated. Apple's sleep apnea detection feature, which uses the accelerometer to monitor for small wrist movements associated with sleep interruptions, was announced alongside the new Apple Watch Series 10 and is now available for both the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. If sleep apnea is detected, the Apple Watch will alert the user and provide additional information that can be shared with a doctor, who can make a formal diagnosis.

Other health features now available with watchOS 11 include Training Load, which compares the intensity and duration of workouts over the past week to the past 28 days so athletes can see if the strain on their body is above or below their previous efforts. Activity Rings can also now be paused, allowing users to take breaks for injury or illness without ending their streak, while the fitness app's summary tab can be customized so users can prioritize widgets showing the health metrics they care most about.

A new Vitals app provides an overnight summary of health metrics like heart rate, breathing rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen levels, and how long you slept, and the Apple Watch's Cycle Tracking will also display gestational age - the current length of a pregnancy - and adds the ability to track pregnancy symptoms.

The Apple Watch's double tap gesture can now be used to scroll through apps like Messages or Calendar, while the Translate app is now available on your wrist with support for 20 languages and will automatically pop up in the Smart Stack when traveling to an area with a language other than your own.

The Photos watchface has been redesigned for watchOS 11, too, and now uses machine learning to search through your library and recommend which photos would make for good watchfaces based on criteria like composition, aesthetics, and facial expressions. The clock will be framed around the selected image automatically, but you'll also be able to customize the layout of the face, including a preferred font for the time.