How to download watchOS 10 for your Apple Watch now

(Image credit: Apple)

iOS 17:

- Compatibility: iPhone XR and later
- Release date: September 18
- How to download and install iOS 17
- How to make iOS 17 Contact Posters
- How to use StandBy on iOS 17
- How to leave a FaceTime video message on iOS 17

The latest version of the Apple Watch, which is watchOS 10, was announced earlier this year at WWDC 2023.

That's when Apple unveiled one of the biggest redesigns to the Apple Watch we've ever seen so far, with many of your favorite apps getting a redesign and the way you use your Apple Watch generally getting a significant upgrade.

It's been an exciting couple of weeks for Apple fans. The latest iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro handsets are here, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 have been announced and iOS 17 has launched.

For anyone with an Apple Watch – or anyone who plans to buy one of the newest models – watchOS 10 is available to download now too.

Luckily, upgrading to the latest watchOS is incredibly simple. But in this guide we'll walk you through the steps to make sure your Apple Watch is updated so you can test out all of the newest features for yourself.

How to download and install iOS 17

How to download watchOS 10 to your Apple Watch

watchOS features on Apple Watch — (Image credit: Apple)

Getting the latest version of watchOS on your Apple Watch is incredibly simple. You just need your iPhone and your Apple Watch close to hand.

First you need to open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone
Click My Watch
Next, go to General > Software Update
If an update is available (which it should be!), tap on Download and Install

The Apple Watch just evolved

Apple Watch face with Smart Stack — (Image credit: Apple)

Everything about watchOS 10 is shaping up to be a fantastic redesign and a huge update to watchOS 9. In fact, it might be one of the biggest upgrades we've ever seen to Apple's watchOS generally.

What's so different? Well, the new changes to the way we interact with our Apple Watch with watchOS 10 are very exciting for owners because Apple has decided to incorporate widgets into the way we use the device to make for a more streamlined and interactive experience.

The new approach to the design of watchOS has a focus on what the company is calling 'Smart Stack'. The feature is accessible from the Digital Crown and serves up more glanceable information when you look at your Apple Watch. The 'Smart Stack' is made up of small versions of your apps and widgets, like News, Weather, and Health. Tap on any of these and you're taken to the app itself where there are more new design elements to explore.

To find out more, read our watchOS 10 guide.

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself.

Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings.

John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019.

John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.