The Apple Watch could finally get a native sleep tracking feature in watchOS 7, due out later this year, according to code spied in purportedly leaked code for iOS 14.
9to5Mac, which this weekend discovered that there’s probably a blood oxygen meter on the way, has now delved further into the iOS 14 code and spied potential for a raft of new features.
The headline is the sleep feature, which will apparently allow Apple Watch owners to set a sleep goal within the Health app on a companion iPhone.
The discovery is in line with previous reporting what predicted a Sleep app for Apple Watch was coming in 2020. Apple itself has previously leaked its sleep app by accident, while leaks have pointed to a “time in bed tracking” feature.
Of course the major obstacle to sleep tracking on the Apple Watch is the 24-hour battery life, which means most Apple Watch users end up charging their wearable device over night. According to previous reports, Apple will remind users to charge their watch if they intend to use it for sleep tracking.
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Elsewhere in the newly leaked code, the report says the ability to share watch face configurations, while adding a new Infogram face called Infogram Pro, showing a tachymeter. The company is also planning to enable users to create watch faces with photos from shared albums.
The firm is also planning to launch a Kids mode within watchOS 7, enabling parents to manage the watch from their own iPhone. A planned Schooltime feature is also on the way, according to the report, which will limit the use of apps and complications, while kids are in the classroom.
watchOS 7 is likely to be announced during WWDC in June this year, while the next-generation Apple Watch 6 could arrive in September, alongside new iPhone models. Whether any of the features discussed above will require improved hardware or will work across current models remains to be seen.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.