# watchOS 10: Release Date, Compatibility, Features, and More
**watchOS 10** served as Apple’s main operating system for Apple Watch devices from September 2023 until September 2024. It brought a fresh interface, new functionalities, and enhancements to various elements of the Apple Watch experience. Below is an extensive overview of all you should know regarding watchOS 10, covering its release date, supported devices, and notable features.
## Main Features of watchOS 10
### 1. **Revamped Interface and New Watch Faces**
Apple completely overhauled the interface for watchOS 10, enhancing usability, particularly for larger Apple Watch displays. The redesign features:
– **Full-Screen Apps**: Applications now utilize the entire display, enabling users to view more content and engage more effectively.
– **New Watch Faces**: Two fresh watch faces—**Pallet** and **Snoopy**—have been introduced, providing additional personalization choices for users.
### 2. **Smart Stack Widgets**
The **Smart Stack** capability permits users to retrieve vital information straightforwardly from the watch face by rotating the Digital Crown. This stack encompasses widgets like timers, upcoming meetings, and music controls, aiding in staying organized.
### 3. **Overhauled Control Center**
The **Control Center** can now be accessed by pressing the side button, allowing quicker access to key features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Do Not Disturb. The App Library has also undergone a redesign for improved navigation.
### 4. **Enhanced Cycling and Hiking Workouts**
Apple made significant upgrades to **Cycling** and **Hiking** workouts:
– **Cycling**: Automatically connects to Bluetooth-enabled devices and estimates your **Functional Threshold Power** when a power meter is identified. Cycling workouts also show as **Live Activities** on your iPhone.
– **Hiking**: Features like **Elevation Views** and **Topographic Maps** provide hikers with detailed trail exploration, while alerts for elevation shifts and cellular connectivity waypoints are included.
### 5. **Focus on Mental Health**
watchOS 10 enhances mental health functionalities, allowing users to **record their mood** throughout the day. This information is integrated with the **Health app** on iPhone, assisting users in tracking correlations between their emotional state and lifestyle elements.
### 6. **Custom Plans in Apple Fitness+**
Users can now develop **custom workout plans** on Apple Fitness+, allowing for personalized routines based on individual objectives, such as weight loss or event preparation. These plans can be tailored by choosing workout types, trainers, and music preferences.
### 7. **Innovative Gestures**
watchOS 10 introduces new gestures aimed at enhancing user interaction:
– **Swipe up**: Accesses the Smart Stack.
– **Swipe down**: Displays notifications.
– **Double press the Digital Crown**: Shows all currently open applications.
– **Double tap gesture**: Available on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, enabling users to navigate the watch with a simple tap of the index finger and thumb.
## Postponed Features
Certain features were delayed but eventually became available in following updates:
– **On-device Siri requests**: Offered on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, enabling users to log health data and make quicker, more private requests.
– **Swipe for changing watch faces**: Reintroduced in watchOS 10.2 after being excluded in the initial rollout.
## watchOS 10.1 to 10.6 Updates
During its lifecycle, watchOS 10 experienced multiple updates:
– **watchOS 10.1**: Introduced **Double Tap gestures** and **NameDrop** for sharing contact details between iPhone and Apple Watch.
– **watchOS 10.2**: Restored the ability to swipe between watch faces and included **on-device Siri** for health-related inquiries.
– **watchOS 10.3**: Added the **Unity Bloom Watch Face** to honor Black History Month.
– **watchOS 10.4**: Included new emoji and enhancements to Siri.
– **watchOS 10.5**: Introduced the **2024 Pride Watch Face**.
– **watchOS 10.6**: Focused on security upgrades and bug fixes.
## Compatible Devices
watchOS 10 is compatible with these Apple Watch models:
– Apple Watch Series 4 (2018)
– Apple Watch Series 5 (2019)
– Apple Watch SE (2020)
– Apple Watch Series 6 (2020)
– Apple Watch Series 7 (2021)
– Apple Watch SE (2022)
– Apple Watch Series 8 (2022)
– Apple Watch Ultra (2022)
– Apple Watch Series 9 (2023)
– Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023)
To install watchOS 10, users will need an iPhone XR.
