What you need to know

  • Apple reminds developers to submit their watchOS apps to the new Apple Watch App Store.
  • The deadline is April 2020.
  • Apps submitted by then must be built on watchOS 6 SDK and support the Apple Watch Series 4 or later.

Apple today sent out a reminder to developers to submit their watchOS apps for the new Apple Watch App Store. Starting with watchOS 6, developers will have the option to create apps that are solely for the Apple Watch and do not require a companion iPhone app.

Here's Apple's statement to developers:

With watchOS 6, customers around the world can use the new App Store on Apple Watch to easily discover, browse, search, and install apps directly on their wrist. And for the first time, you can distribute an app just for Apple Watch, without a companion app on iOS. Build your watchOS apps using Xcode 11 GM seed, test them on devices running the latest watchOS 6 GM seed, and submit them for review.

The deadline is April 2020, at which point all new watchOS apps submitted to the App Store will need to be built with watchOS 6 SDK and support the Apple Watch Series 4 or later.

Apple is releasing watchOS 6 to the public on September 19 which will include the new standalone App Store available for the Series 3 and Series 4 models.

watchOS 6: Everything you need to know

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