Apple’s watchOS 6 Launches With a New App Store, More

At WWDC today, Apple is taking the wraps off all its major new operating system updates. And watchOS is a part of that. The company is introducing watchOS 6 today, and it’s not a major update by any means, but it still introduces a number of important updates to the OS.

Apple Watch is getting a dedicated App Store where users will be able to browse apps made for the Apple Watch. The new store is different from the iOS app store, and it only includes apps for the Watch. That means developers will be able to make independent apps that don’t depend on the iPhone and are available directly from the App Store.

watchOS 6 also introduces a number of other new features, including:

• New Watch Faces and Taptic chimes every hour that gives you nice haptic feedback every hour. It’s also getting new Complications that let you display new info like weather on your watch.
• Voice Memos, Calculator apps.
• Activity Trends that let you keep track of your exercise trends, and give you automated feedback when you are slacking.
• Apple Watch can now identify loud environmental noise that can affect your hearing health. It doesn’t actually record or save your audio, and only periodically records to make sure you are not in a loud environment.
• Apple Watch is getting Cycle Tracking that will let women track their menstrual cycles with a new Cycle Tracking app. Apple Watch will even notify you when your period is due. The new Cycle Tracking app is going to be available on the iPhone, too.

watchOS 6 will be available to developers later today. Apple is also introducing some new summer-themed Watch bands and a new Pride-themed band just in time for Pride Month.