The Apple Watch offers a variety of features that can help you maintain and enhance your health and wellbeing, from heart rate monitoring to hearing protection to sleep tracking.
Apple has often promoted the health benefits of the Apple Watch with video testimonials from people who say the smartwatch saved or improved their lives. All Apple Watch models include a heart rate monitor and the Health app to display your health profile and Medical ID. Newer models allow you to take an electrocardiogram, contact emergency services after a fall, measure your blood oxygen levels, and more.
With each new version of watchOS, Apple also unveils new and improved features. For watchOS 10 in 2024, the company added a Live Activity option for cyclists, compass updates for hikers, a mood tracker, and a vision health monitor that measures the time you spend in outdoor sunlight. With watchOS 26 in 2025, Apple introduced hypertension alerts and a redesigned Workout app.
To make sure you’re able to take advantage of the newest features, open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to General > Software Update or open Settings > General > Software Update directly on the watch. If there’s a pending update, you’ll be prompted to install it or told that your watch is up to date.1. View Your Health Information
The Health app allows you to enter your health information and view it on your watch. To set this up, open the Health app on your phone and tap the profile picture in the upper-right corner. Tap Health Details to add your gender, blood type, and other data. Tap Medical ID to enter information about your medical history, conditions, and medications. You can then view this information on your watch by going to Settings > Health > Health Details > Medical ID. You can even edit your Medical ID information from your watch by tapping the Edit Medical ID button at the bottom of the screen.2. Track Your Workouts
To record workouts on your Apple Watch, open the Workout app and swipe through the different types of workouts. At the bottom of the screen, tap the plus (+) icon and then select Add Workout to find more types in alphabetical order, including dance, fitness gaming, martial arts, Pilates, tai chi, and yoga. Then tap the one you want.
To establish a certain goal or limit, tap the timer icon in the upper right and then select Goals. You’ll see settings for Time, Distance, and Calories with numbers already set based on prior workouts. If you want to stick with the existing number, tap the metric you wish to use. Otherwise, tap the plus (+) icon at the bottom. Next, tap Calories, Distance, or Time to change the numbers. When finished, tap Done. Go back to the Goals screen and tap the metric you want to use to kick off the workout.
You can also create a custom workout based on specific parameters. At the screen showing your desired workout, tap the timer icon, then select Custom and the plus (+) icon. Tap Warmup and Open if you wish to add a warmup to the routine. Tap Add to add the actual workout. Tap Cooldown if you wish to add a cooldown period. Under Custom Title, you can create a title for your custom workout. Swipe down the screen to see the custom watch face views that will appear as you go through all the phases of the workout. When done, swipe to the bottom and tap the Create workout. Go back to the previous screen and select your custom workout to start it.
You can further tweak your workouts with different watch face views. At the screen for any workout, tap the icon in the upper left. Swipe down the Workout Views screen and turn on the Include switch for any view you wish to see.
If you like to listen to music during a workout, you can program that ahead of time. At any Workout screen, tap the musical note icon at the bottom left and enable Autoplay Media. Navigate to a playlist in the music library on your watch and pick a specific one. The playlist you choose then appears under selected media.
After you kick off your workout, you’re able to control it during the session. To do this, swipe to the right. From here, you can pause the workout to take a break and then resume it when you’re ready to continue. You can also segment it, a helpful way to break up a single workout into different sections, each with its own time, distance, and other factors.
When you’re done, swipe to the right and tap End to finish the workout session. The screen then displays your calories, distance, and other metrics for your workout. Go to Settings > Health > Health Data > Activity to check your activity and fitness results from your watch. Tap a category, such as Exercise Minutes, Flights Climbed, Stand Hours, and Workouts.
If you’re a subscriber to Apple Fitness+, you can access certain Fitness+ programs on an Apple Watch to guide your workouts and meditations.
