WWDC 2016: watchOS 3 brings faster performance, fitness focus, Breathe app and more

Apple announced the latest update to the watchOS with watchOS 3 at its WWDC 2016 keynote . The watchOS 3 has been updated with many new features, but the major focus was on improved performance to ensure near instant app opening. The watchOS 3 will be available to Apple Watch users from this Fall onwards, whereas developers editions will be released today.

According to Apple, the watchOS 3 lets you perform common tasks more quickly, such as replying to messages, starting a Workout or controlling songs. Pressing the side button lets you access the Dock with your recent and favourite apps, from where you can launch these apps. watchOS 3 also brings in a new control centre which can be accessed by swiping from the bottom upwards, swipe top downwards to access Notification centre and more.

Apple has released a lot of features on watchOS 3 keeping in mind the fitness enthusiasts. You can now share, compare and compete with friends or family members. You can get notifications about your friends’s progress about completed notification rings, achievements and more. You can even share your Activities. Wheelchair users will get a time-to-roll notification and there are dedicated wheelchair specific workouts as well.

Apple also announced a Breathe app, to encourage users to take some time out to do short deep breathing exercises. The deep-breathing sessions can be a minute to five-minute long, after completing which you get a heart-rate summary.

Watch faces have got an upgrade with more personal touches added on. You can launch more apps straight from the watch face including Workout, Music or Messages. You can even customise watch faces and add third-party apps with new Faces Gallery in the Watch app on your iPhone.

Just like Messages app on iOS 10, the Messages app in watchOS 3 lets you respond with stickers, handwriting, full screen effects and invisible ink - which reveals the message only after the receiver swipes over the message. Scribble feature lets the Apple Watch convert your handwriting into text.

Another major addition in watchOS 3 has been the SOS feature, which lets you initiate a call to emergency services using your iPhone or while on Wi-fi or notify emergency contacts by pressing and holding the side button.

WatchKit for watchOS 3 is available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com .