How the autumn update promises new ways to stay connected, active and healthy with your Apple Watch

• Image credits: Apple Inc

Apple has continued to build on the core operating system that is watchOS with version 9.0. As with the previous updates, it remains similar in terms of the majority of interactions, but with tweaks and changes that should improve the experience and offer more flexibility whenever you strap your Apple Watch on.

A sprinkling of new watch faces brings new looks which you can enable at any time, and some of them offer genuine usability which will give instant information every time you lift your wrist. Heart Rate Zones in workouts could completely change how you exercise and help to lift the watchOS system to be more competitive with dedicated fitness watches from the likes of Garmin. You can also now customise your workouts in different ways and race specified routes that you create. Instant medication tracking will prove super useful for some and Apple has spent time improving the sleep tracking setup.

As ever with watchOS, there are many extra tweaks that are not promoted, but we will do our best to cover the entire set of changes here so that you know what’s new and can check it all out.

New watch faces

For a long time there has been a clamour for Apple to open up watchOS so that third-party developers can create watch faces. This would offer more choice to the user, but the list of available faces is now very long – and it just got more varied in watchOS 9.

1 To the moon!

The Lunar face not only looks smart, it offers true functionality for those who need to understand moon phases and their effects. It’s also highly customisable.

2

Your lunar calendar

Chinese, Hebrew and Islamic calendars are supported to suit as many Apple Watch owners as possible. As ever, the implementation is subtle.

3 Time to play

The artist Joi Fulton has collaborated with Apple to bring us the Playtime watch face. The amusingly animated digits can be presented in almost any way you prefer.

4 The tradition continues

Apple has always leaned towards the Apple Watch retaining genuine watch functionality and the Metropolitan face is a perfect example.

5 Amini world

The Astronomy face has been updated to take advantage of the larger Apple Watch displays. Even real-time cloud coverage can be displayed when you lift your wrist.