WWDC 2024 was a pretty loaded event, and perhaps owing to time restraints, Apple might have skipped out on a seemingly small but crucial update for the Apple Watch coming to WatchOS 11.
The new OS will finally feature automatic sleep detection when it rolls out in the fall of this year. This means you’ll no longer be required to manually enable Sleep Mode on your Apple Watch every time you hit the bed. It will be able to detect that on its own and start recording your sleep data. This will be incredibly helpful for short, unplanned naps.
Considering how game-changing this feature will be, it’s a surprise Apple did not mention it during WWDC. It became public knowledge very recently when a Reddit user posted about his sleep data being recorded while he took a nap. Another user added to the discussion by confirming that the Watch, in fact, does support sleep tracking without enabling Sleep Mode.
Another Redditor who contributed to the thread reported that the feature is “spotty and buggy” at the moment, but that could be attributed to the OS still being in developer beta right now. The public beta rolls out in July. Contributors on the thread seem very happy about the update and for not being punished for dozing off.
Another long overdue feature that finally made its way to the wearable last week is rest days. You can finally take days off for an injury, illness, or rest, and your Apple Watch won’t break your streak. I’m happy about the smartwatch getting more empathetic and looking forward to seeing how well these features perform.