If you were intrigued by the idea of widgets on your Apple Watch at this year’s WWDC, good news! Apple’s watchOS 10 is live and ready to download.
That said, before I tell you how to install it, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First off, watchOS 10 is a substantial update. Not only does it reintroduce widgets to the platform, but it also completely redesigns Apple’s native watch apps and reimagines how you interact with the device. The controls you’re used to have changed. Pressing the side button, for instance, now brings up Control Center while swiping up is how you access widgets. I go into what changes you can expect in my watchOS 10 preview.
Widgets are back, baby.
Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
Here’s what you need to do.
- Check that you have a compatible Apple Watch. watchOS 10 is available for the Series 4 or later, including both generations of the Apple Watch SE.
- If you haven’t already, install iOS 17. (Here’s our guide on how to do that.)
- Once that’s done, stick your Apple Watch on its charger. For the new version to install, you need to be in range of your iPhone and Wi-Fi. If you’re low on battery, you’ll have to wait until you have at least 50 percent charge. This can be a lengthy process, so do this at a time when you won’t need your iPhone or Apple Watch on hand.
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone and head to the My Watch tab.
- Head to General > Software Update.
- Underneath the Automatic Updates toggle, you should see a new watchOS 10 download ready to go. Tap Download and Install. If you have automatic updates on, it may have already started updating!
Troubleshooting tips
- If you’re not seeing any options appear, go to Automatic Updates in the Software Update menu and try toggling it on and off.
- In the Updates menu, double-check that the Apple ID listed is the correct one.
- If all else fails, try turning your iPhone on and off again.
