The big watchOS 10 update is now available for your Apple Watch

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple announced the watchOS 10 software update way back in June and now, it's finally available for everyone to download.

The big unveiling took place on June 5 as part of the WWDC 23 shenanigans and while watchOS 10 might have been somewhat overshadowed by the announcement of the Vision Pro headset, it's actually a pretty nice update. And as ever, it's a free one — everyone with a compatible Apple Watch can now download it without spending a penny.

We'd definitely suggest that you do that given the changes this update brings to the most popular watch in the world.

Time for change

Some might argue that the watchOS 10 update is the biggest change to the way the Apple Watch works in years, and they might have a point. The update brings with it the usual array of new watch faces, updated apps with a new look, and new workout types. But it goes deeper than that, with some fundamental functions changing once watchOS 10 has been installed.

One example of that is the new Smart Stack, a feature that makes widgets instantly available, no matter the watch face you're using. Just turn the Digital Crown and they're there.

Control Center has changed, too. Now you press the Side button and it'll appear, while other features like offline maps, improved medication reminders, and more are all included.

The big watchOS 10 update is now available for the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer and can be installed via the Watch app on your iPhone. You do need to have iOS 17 installed on that iPhone, but you already did that, right?

The watchOS 10 update is also the software that comes preinstalled on the latest Apple Watches — the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.