Apple has been refining the Apple Watch year after year by introducing new functions that improve user experience. However, with every major update are highly anticipated promises that seem to linger on the horizon, never quite making it to the final release. Let’s take a step back—here are some features that you won’t see on watchOS 11 this 2024.
Features You Won’t See in WatchOS 11 This Year
1. Native Third-Party Apps on the Apple Watch Face
Despite growing demand for more customization, watchOS 11 won’t be adding support for third-party apps directly on the watch face. Apple has kept the watch face limited to native apps like Activity, Weather, and more and hasn’t yet expanded this to allow third-party apps for a more personalized experience.
2. Touch ID or Face ID for Unlocking
Despite some rumors, watchOS 11 won’t bring Touch ID or Face ID for unlocking your Apple Watch. Apple has kept things secure with your passcode or the automatic unlock when paired with an iPhone, and this seems to be sticking around for now.
3. Built-in Video Streaming Support
While you can listen to music or podcasts directly from your Apple Watch, you won’t be able to stream video directly from the watch in watchOS 11. If you were hoping for the Apple Watch to double as a tiny streaming device, that’s not happening this year.
4. Blood Pressure Monitoring
Although there have been discussions around the possibility of integrating blood pressure monitoring into the Apple Watch, this feature is notably absent in watchOS 11. Despite advancements in health technology, Apple has yet to implement this function. In the meantime, you’ll have to use third-party devices for this particular health metric.
5. AI Integration
AI is becoming a key player in many consumer technologies, but don’t expect deep AI integration in watchOS 11. While the Apple Watch does use machine learning to power some of its health and fitness features, a more advanced AI experience, such as predictive behavior, smarter interactions, or even most Apple Intelligence features, is still not a part of the watchOS ecosystem in this update.
Now that you have tempered your expectations for the year, here’s a list of features you CAN expect from watchOS 11.2.