Apple's watchOS 10 changes may focus on widgets

Apple's major improvements to watchOS 10 will include more interactive widgets, a report claims, which could be similar to how the elements were introduced in iOS 14.

It is believed that, with a milestone number release on hand, Apple's updates to watchOS 10 will be considerable. It seems that a big focus of the changes will be widgets.

According to Mark Gurman's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg on Sunday, the widgets will be a central feature of watchOS 10. The widgets update will combine earlier watchOS Glances with widget styles used in iOS 14, Gurman believes.

The plan for the widgets will involve users scrolling through widgets, such as activity tracking, weather, stocks, and calendar appointments, rather than tapping them to launch apps.

This interface will also be "reminiscent" of the Siri watch face that was introduced back in watchOS 4. However, it will be usable as an overlay for any watch face, the report adds.

The widget system will in theory be similar to widget stacks used in iOS and iPadOS, which allowed multiple widgets to occupy the same space on the home screen.

Under the same batch of changes, Apple is potentially going to change how the Digital Crown works. While a press of it opens up the home screen at the moment, Apple is exploring whether the Digital Crown could be used to summon the widgets interface instead.

Gurman reasons that the move is an "admission" from Apple that an iPhone-like app format isn't necessarily that useful on a watch, which is a device where you need access to as much information as possible with the least effort.

While a plausible rumor, no-one outside of Apple will ultimately know what the company will introduce during WWDC, the usual venue where it introduces its operating system updates.

7 Comments

9secondkox2 3124 comments · 8 Years

About 1 year ago

Widgets on a watch? Please no. They’re already annoying on the iPad, cluttering the screen.

On a big screen, they’re pretty cool and useful. But considering one widget on a Mac or iPad is bigger than the entire watch screen size, it’s just a bad idea.

If the widgets have their own Home Screen “space” and are basically activated with thumbnail taps, that would be nice. Like Mac OS tiger. But scrolling through to find the right one, etc? Not so fun.

urahara 733 comments · 13 Years

Why are they cluttering your screen? Are you using just too many of them? More than you need? Try removing some of them. Maybe you will be less annoyed by them.

eightzero 3145 comments · 14 Years

urahara said:

Why are they cluttering your screen? Are you using just too many of them? More than you need? Try removing some of them. Maybe you will be less annoyed by them.

Yep. Just try.

I like my watch. I want it to be simple and reliable and easy. IOW...not complicated or confusing or some mysterious puzzle.

eightzero said:

urahara said:

Why are they cluttering your screen? Are you using just too many of them? More than you need? Try removing some of them. Maybe you will be less annoyed by them.

Yep. Just try.

I like my watch. I want it to be simple and reliable and easy. IOW...not complicated or confusing or some mysterious puzzle.

This. watchOS should be iOS in its simplest form, not a clutterfest.

What Gurman is talking about is feature-creep. And that’s not a good thing. Jobs warned about this kind of stuff and prided the company in saying “no” to such things.

Apple may feel like they have to do something, anything to make customers feel like the new watch is fresh, but tray they don’t. This isn’t the way to do it.

urahara said:

Why are they cluttering your screen? Are you using just too many of them? More than you need? Try removing some of them. Maybe you will be less annoyed by them.

Dude. It ships with a cluttered screen. That’s why. I don’t add widgets at all, so no - I’m not using too many of them. I set up my macs and iOS devices for workflow. I don’t need a bunch of stuff to fidget with taking over the screen.

It’s manageable since there is some real estate on the iPad, but it looks like a kluge from Android or Windows.

The Watch shouldn't have that. Period.