WWDC 2021: Apple announces watchOS 8 with new health, mindfulness features

watchOS 8 is the next version of the watchOS operating system, which will be available this fall and may launch alongside the Apple Watch Series 7.

At its WWDC 2021 event, Apple announced the all-new watchOS version, which comes with tons of new health features and other improvements. During the keynote, Apple said that the Breathe app on the Apple Watch received massive traction last year due to the pandemic and is now getting a new avatar, the Mindfulness app. It is said to be an extension of the Breathe app. The company also announced new ways users can interact with their Apple Watch devices. watchOS 8 is getting support for portrait mode photos, which can be set as a watch face and the option to custom a face with the date and time being behind the main subject in a photo. The new watchOS version is also getting an all-new app called Find Items, a standalone app on the Apple Watch. It integrates with the company's Find My network and allows users to locate and find lost items. Not to forget, the Find My now includes AirTags, so the new app makes more sense than ever. Apple also announced a bunch of health features like the Apple Watch would gain support for measuring respiratory rate during sleep tracking. The Fitness app is also getting two new workout modes - tai chi and pilates. During the keynote, Apple confirmed that the Apple Watch with watchOS 8 would be able to notify users if the respirator measurements are out of the normal pattern.