Apple has often promoted the health benefits of the Apple Watch with video testimonials from people who say the smartwatch saved or improved their lives. All Apple Watch models include a heart rate monitor and the Health app to display your health profile and Medical ID. Newer models allow you to take an electrocardiogram, contact emergency services after a fall, measure your blood oxygen levels, and more.
With each new version of watchOS, Apple also unveils new and improved features. For watchOS 10 in 2024, the company added a Live Activity option for cyclists, compass updates for hikers, a mood tracker, and a vision health monitor that measures the time you spend in outdoor sunlight. With watchOS 26 in 2025, Apple introduced hypertension alerts and a redesigned Workout app.
To make sure you’re able to take advantage of the newest features, open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to General > Software Update or open Settings > General > Software Update directly on the watch. If there’s a pending update, you’ll be prompted to install it or told that your watch is up to date.
1. View Your Health Information
The Health app allows you to enter your health information and view it on your watch. To set this up, open the Health app on your phone and tap the profile picture in the upper-right corner. Tap Health Details to add your gender, blood type, and other data. Tap Medical ID to enter information about your medical history, conditions, and medications. You can then view this information on your watch by going to Settings > Health > Health Details > Medical ID. You can even edit your Medical ID information from your watch by tapping the Edit Medical ID button at the bottom of the screen.
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2. Track Your Workouts
To record workouts on your Apple Watch, open the Workout app and swipe through the different types of workouts. At the bottom of the screen, tap the plus (+) icon and then select Add Workout to find more types in alphabetical order, including dance, fitness gaming, martial arts, Pilates, tai chi, and yoga. Then tap the one you want.
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To establish a certain goal or limit, tap the timer icon in the upper right and then select Goals. You’ll see settings for Time, Distance, and Calories with numbers already set based on prior workouts. If you want to stick with the existing number, tap the metric you wish to use. Otherwise, tap the plus (+) icon at the bottom. Next, tap Calories, Distance, or Time to change the numbers. When finished, tap Done. Go back to the Goals screen and tap the metric you want to use to kick off the workout.
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You can also create a custom workout based on specific parameters. At the screen showing your desired workout, tap the timer icon, then select Custom and the plus (+) icon. Tap Warmup and Open if you wish to add a warmup to the routine. Tap Add to add the actual workout. Tap Cooldown if you wish to add a cooldown period. Under Custom Title, you can create a title for your custom workout. Swipe down the screen to see the custom watch face views that will appear as you go through all the phases of the workout. When done, swipe to the bottom and tap the Create workout. Go back to the previous screen and select your custom workout to start it.
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You can further tweak your workouts with different watch face views. At the screen for any workout, tap the icon in the upper left. Swipe down the Workout Views screen and turn on the Include switch for any view you wish to see.
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If you like to listen to music during a workout, you can program that ahead of time. At any Workout screen, tap the musical note icon at the bottom left and enable Autoplay Media. Navigate to a playlist in the music library on your watch and pick a specific one. The playlist you choose then appears under selected media.
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After you kick off your workout, you’re able to control it during the session. To do this, swipe to the right. From here, you can pause the workout to take a break and then resume it when you’re ready to continue. You can also segment it, a helpful way to break up a single workout into different sections, each with its own time, distance, and other factors.
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When you’re done, swipe to the right and tap End to finish the workout session. The screen then displays your calories, distance, and other metrics for your workout. Go to Settings > Health > Health Data > Activity to check your activity and fitness results from your watch. Tap a category, such as Exercise Minutes, Flights Climbed, Stand Hours, and Workouts.
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If you’re a subscriber to Apple Fitness+, you can access certain Fitness+ programs on an Apple Watch to guide your workouts and meditations. Open the Workout app on your watch and tap the Fitness+ program at the top. Tap the program to start it or select the topic under Browse More to find past programs.
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3. Map Your Locations During a Hike
Hiking in unfamiliar territory can be challenging, especially if you’re alone. Starting with watchOS 10, the Compass app now generates waypoints as you hike. Saved waypoints will also use altimeter data to display a 3D view. If you need to contact someone, a Last Cellular Connection Waypoint marks the last place you had cellular access. A Last Emergency Call Waypoint will mark the last connection to a network in the event you need to place an emergency call. The app even gives you the option to create your own waypoints.
To check out the new features, start and record your hike through the Workout app on your watch. Open the Compass app and tap the button in the lower left corner to create a waypoint. Name it, apply a symbol and color, and then tap the green checkmark to save it. Tap the icon in the lower right corner if you want to start retracing your steps. Tap the Info icon in the upper left and then tap Waypoints to view your saved waypoints. Starting in iOS 18, you can also download a map for offline use and send it to your watch.
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4. Monitor Your Cycling as a Live Activity
With watchOS 10 or higher (and iOS 17 or higher), you can view live data on your phone during a bike ride. Available through the Lock screen and the Live Activity feature on the iPhone’s Dynamic Island, the information includes your heart rate, average speed, elevation, distance, and time elapsed. To try this, position your iPhone in front of you on your bicycle (a phone bike mount works best for this). Start a cycling workout from your watch, then tap the workout timer on the Lock Screen or Dynamic Island on your phone. The first screen displays your burned calories and heart rate, but you can swipe to the right to see more information. Tap the down arrow to see icons to lock the controls, stop the viewing, or end the workout. After you end the session, the iPhone will display the final stats for your workout.
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5. Monitor Your Heart Rate
With the built-in Heart Rate app, you can open the app and measure your heart rate at any time. As long as your watch’s display is active, measurements are then taken and displayed periodically to record your rate. Swipe down on the screen to view other measurements, including a daily range, resting rate, walking average, and rates for any workouts or activities you’ve performed today. Alternative apps, such as Cardiogram, Heart Analyzer, HeartWatch, and Talking Heart Rate, offer more features than the built-in option.
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6. Take an ECG
If you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer, you can take an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your heart rhythm. It can then alert you if it finds any irregularities, such as atrial fibrillation. If you’re experiencing any chest pains or other symptoms, you should call emergency services immediately. However, if you do have a known condition, the app can help track your heart rhythm. To take an ECG with your Apple Watch, open the ECG app and hold your finger on the Digital Crown. The app will count down as it takes the ECG. After 30 seconds, the results display your sinus rhythm and heart rate. You can then add any symptoms you’re experiencing or contact your doctor or emergency services if you’re concerned.
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7. Protect Your Hearing
Consistent loud noises can damage your ears and even lead to hearing loss. The purpose of the Noise app is to monitor surrounding noise and warn you if sounds are above a safe level. First, set up the decibel threshold on your iPhone or watch and enable Environmental Sound Measurements to begin monitoring noise levels. From there, you can set a decibel level at which point you want to be warned if the surrounding sound gets too loud. Your watch will then notify you if the sound reaches or exceeds the level you set. You can also open the Noise app on your watch to check the current decibel level around you.
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8. Track Your Time in Daylight for Vision Health
Studies have indicated that increased time spent in outdoor daylight can reduce the risk of myopia, especially among children. With watchOS 10 or higher, your watch can measure the amount of time spent in daylight using its ambient light sensor. To set this up on your watch, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Health > Time in Daylight and enable Time in Daylight. To check how much time you’ve spent in daylight, open the Health app on your phone, tap the Browse icon in the bottom, and choose Other Data. Select Time in Daylight to view a history of this information.
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9. Track Your Menstrual Cycles
The Cycle Tracking app allows people who menstruate to track their menstrual cycle. To set this up on your iPhone, open the Health app and go to Browse > Cycle Tracking > Get Started. You’ll need to enter the date of your last period, indicate how many days your period usually lasts, and choose the typical length of each cycle. You can control features for Period Prediction, Period Notifications, Fertile Window Prediction, Log Fertility, and Log Sexual Activity, all of which can be helpful if you’re trying to conceive or avoid getting pregnant. To record and monitor your period, open the Cycle Tracking app on your watch. You can log your cycle and assign each stage a different color while also noting all your accompanying symptoms. You can even view the predicted length of each cycle.
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10. Detect a Fall
Start with the Series 4, the Apple Watch comes with a useful safety feature called Fall Detection. If you take a hard fall that renders you unconscious or unable to move, your watch can automatically call emergency services. You’ll need to set this feature up from the Watch app on your iPhone. Tap the My Watch tab, then choose Emergency SOS, and enable Fall Detection. You can opt to keep it on all the time or only during workouts. If you fall, the watch will detect it and display an alert. If you fail to respond, the watch will tap your wrist, sound an alarm, and then notify emergency services.
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11. Track Your Sleep
With watchOS 7, Apple unveiled its own sleep tracker. The app can help you prepare for sleep, tell you how much actual sleep you got during the night, and reveal your sleep pattern over a set period of time. You’ll need to set this feature up from the Health app on your phone. Swipe down the Summary screen and tap the Get Started button next to Set Up Sleep. Follow the directions to set your various goals and schedules. Wear your watch to bed, and you can then turn on sleep tracking from your phone or from the Sleep app on your watch. The next morning, check the sleep data on your iPhone to see how much sleep you got.
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12. Set Up Hypertension Alerts
New with watchOS 26 is a hypertension monitor that can notify you if it detects signs of hypertension, or high blood pressure. Once you enable the setting, your watch will analyze the data gathered by the heart sensor and alert you during a 30-day evaluation period. To set this up, you’ll need a Series 9 or later. Open the Health app on your iPhone, tap your profile icon in the upper right, and select Health Checklist in the Features section. At the checklist screen, tap the Enable option for Hypertension Notifications. You’ll then receive a notification if your watch finds any signs of hypertension.
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13. Measure Your Blood Oxygen Level
A consistently low blood oxygen level could be a sign of respiratory or pulmonary issues. With an Apple Watch Series 6 or newer running watchOS 7 or later, you can measure your blood oxygen level using a built-in oximeter, which can tell if you’re getting enough oxygen to your brain. To set up this sensor, open the Watch app on your phone, go to Settings > Blood Oxygen, and make sure Blood Oxygen Measurements is turned on. You can also determine when the sensor takes background readings by enabling or disabling In Sleep Mode and In Theater Mode.
Ready to take a new reading? Open the Blood Oxygen app on your watch and tap the Start button to begin the scan. The sensor kicks off with a 15-second countdown and then displays the percentage of your blood oxygen level, which normally should be between 95% and 100%. For the best results, make sure your watch is not too low on your wrist and that the band is snug but comfortable. You should also keep your hand and wrist still during the reading.
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14. Unwind with the Mindfulness App
Feeling stressed out? Why not take a quick break from the daily grind through your watch’s Mindfulness app. Open the app on your watch and choose between two modes. Reflect mode asks you to think about something in your life—a memory, an idea, an emotion—and ruminate on it for a minute or longer. Breathe mode prompts you to breathe in and out for a minute to try to ease your mind and body.
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15. Track Your State of Mind
With watchOS 10 and higher, you can log your state of mind to track your moods and emotions. In the Mindfulness app on your watch, tap State of Mind. You’re asked to log how you’re feeling now or how you’ve felt all day. Swipe up and down the screen to select a state of mind, from Very Pleasant, Pleasant, Slightly Pleasant, Neutral, Slightly Unpleasant, Unpleasant, or Very Unpleasant. You’re then asked why you feel this way. Choose an emotion such as Angry, Anxious, Overwhelmed, Ashamed, Frustrated, Drained, or Sad. Next, choose the item with the greatest impact on your state of mind, such as Health, Fitness, Family, Work, Travel, or Money. You can even type or dictate a note here to add to your log.
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About Our Expert
Lance Whitney
Contributor
Experience
I’ve been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Beyond PCMag, I’ve written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including , ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, PC World, Time, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I’ve also written two books for Wiley & Sons—Windows 8: Five Minutes at a Time and Teach Yourself Visually LinkedIn.
I’ve used Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products for years so I’m well versed in that world. I also know the Mac quite well. I’m always working with iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and Android on my various mobile devices. And these days, I write a lot about AI, so that’s become another key area for me.
My wife always jokes about all the tech products we have around the house, but I manage to put them to good use for my articles. I like Lenovo computers, so I own a couple of Lenovo desktops and several laptops. I have three MacBooks and a Mac mini. For my mobile life and work, I use an iPhone 16 Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad mini as well as an Apple Watch. But since I write about Android, I own several Android phones and tablets. Like any tech person, I have a cabinet full of cables, wires, and assorted mysterious gadgets. And when it’s time to take a break from writing, I have an old Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, both of which I use for exercise and fitness games.
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