Apple has confirmed that its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) will take place from June 9 through June 13. The annual symposium of all things Apple software should give us our very first look at Apple’s latest software for the best Apple Watches in 2025, watchOS 12.
Apple has provided annual updates to its wearable software alongside iOS and macOS since the inaugural debut of the Apple Watch in 2015. Many of the features on the Apple Watch that we take for granted in 2025 were only added after the earliest models launched, including small features like Activity Sharing and even the App Store.
With WWDC 2025 on the horizon, watchOS 12 is almost certainly very close at hand. Rumors are scant as to what Apple might add to the software this year, with the biggest Apple Watch headlines for 2025 currently encompassing hardware upgrades to the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 rather than software tweaks to the whole lineup.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t make some educated guesses and start to piece together what we know so far. Inevitably, watchOS 12 leaks will probably emerge closer to the time, and we’ll get more rumors between now and the launch. Here’s what we know so far.
watchOS 12: Cut to the chase
- What is it? Apple’s next wearable software for Apple Watch
- When is it out? Expect betas from June, with an official release in September 2025
- Who will get it? Likely users of the Apple Watch Series 7 and later, plus Ultra users, and maybe Apple Watch SE 2 and Series 6 owners
watchOS 12: Potential release and unveiling date
Unless Apple breaks 10 years of watchOS release schedules, the company should unveil watchOS 12 at the WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9. Apple always showcases its latest and greatest software at the opening address on the morning of the first day, so we should see watchOS 12 alongside iOS 19, macOS 16, and iPadOS 19.
So, we have a good idea of when the new software will be unveiled. But what about the release date?
The Apple watchOS 12 beta should go through a series of staggered releases, if Apple continues form with its software rollouts.
Usually, it’ll release a developer beta immediately following WWDC 2025, often on the same day as the keynote announcement. This means we could see it in the wild as early as June 9. For the last two years, Apple has made the developer beta available to all of its customers, so you won’t need to be a paying account member to sign up.
Then, a public beta will follow, usually one month later. As the name suggests, this beta is also available to everyone. It tracks about a month behind the developer betas, so it doesn’t quite have as many new features but tends to be more stable as a result.
Finally, after months of testing over the summer, Apple will launch the software publicly for everyone to download. In 2024, this happened on September 16 alongside the launch of iOS 18, right between the pre-order date for the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 10 on September 13 and the official launch on September 20. As such, I’d expect the full release of watchOS 12 to coincide with the launch of the new Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3, as well as the iPhone 17.
Apple needs to push the software live before launching the new best Apple Watch models, and it also needs iOS 19 to go live at the same time, because you can’t have an Apple Watch without an iPhone. Generally, then, you can expect watchOS 12 to debut in mid-September.
watchOS 12 expected compatibility: Which Apple Watch models will get the new software?
While we won’t know about compatibility for certain until Apple unveils watchOS 12, we can make a very educated guess on which Apple Watch models will get the new software.
That’s because Apple’s chip progression and features usually move in lockstep. Let me explain: Each year, Apple adds more features to its watchOS software. More advanced features require more power and put more strain on battery life, which means that, inevitably, Apple drops support for a model or two each year. Last year, Apple watchOS 11 ended support for the Series 4, Series 5, and first-generation SE.
You can expect guaranteed support for watchOS 12 on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and original Ultra, as well as the existing Series 10, Series 9, Series 8, and probably Series 7. The Series 6 might be on the chopping block, owing to its older S6 chip.
The SE 2 has an S8 chip and is currently still on sale, so I’d expect support for that to persist for a year or two more.
Finally, and most obviously, we can expect watchOS 12 to be compatible with all three new Apple Watch models expected for 2025. Namely, the Ultra 3, Series 11, and SE 3.
If Apple does drop support for a model this year with watchOS 12, the Series 6 seems like the most obvious candidate because of its age.
watchOS 12: Rumored design, new features, and what we want to see
While we’ve heard that iOS 19 is set to usher in a major redesign and there are big plans for macOS and iPad OS, too, rumors about any new features or design changes for watchOS 12 are scant so far.
If Apple is planning a major overhaul for its other software platforms, that could indicate one of two things. Either, Apple will overhaul watchOS 12 to reflect the revised look and design of its other software, or watchOS 12 will be a very muted update because it’s spending so much time on its other software.
Obviously, we’d prefer if the former was the case, but there are a couple of other bits and pieces we’d like to see, as well as some potential updates we can guess at.
Blood pressure
Apple is expected to add high blood pressure monitoring to the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 in September. There’s no clear information to confirm whether this will be a hardware change or a software tweak. If it’s the latter, blood pressure monitoring could show up at WWDC in advance of its launch in September, also paving the way for support on other models.
If it’s exclusive to the new models, a mention is unlikely at WWDC, as Apple will reserve the announcement for the September iPhone event instead.
Apple AI health coach
Apple has reportedly been working on an Apple AI Health Coach app for at least two years. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has previously reported the company will revamp its health app, including a new AI-based coaching service. Gurman reported in January that Apple is “increasing its ambitions in the health realm” and that work continues on the app.
Any upgrade in this department is likely to include a significant Apple Watch component, so a reveal of this progress at WWDC 2025 for watchOS 12 isn’t out of the question.
Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence remains a glaring absence in watchOS. For better or worse, Apple has intentionally left its AI features out of its wearables lineup, reserving them for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
There’s some sense to this. Apple Intelligence is generally power-hungry, and would impact Apple Watch battery life and possibly performance. However, I think there are a few obvious integrations that we could see in the next watchOS iteration:
- Genmoji – Genmoji lets you create custom emojis on iPhone that you can send to your friends and family, and it could be a fun way to improve communication on Apple Watch.
- Notification Summaries – An Apple Watch that could give you AI-powered summaries of important notifications could be an excellent upgrade, especially on a device with a small screen designed to be glanced at quickly throughout the day.
- Priority notifications – Apple Watch notifications can be overwhelming; using Apple’s priority notifications could significantly improve how many notifications get pushed to your Apple Watch.
- Smart Reply – Apple Intelligence can write replies to messages. With the Apple Watch’s tiny screen and fiddly keyboard, this one could be a lifesaver.
- Siri upgrade – Either through ChatGPT or Apple’s own AI improvements, Siri needs a desperate upgrade, and it would be great to get the ChatGPT integration in Siri on Apple Watch while we wait for the 2026 upgrade.
watchOS: 2024’s most significant updates
There’s a good chance that watchOS 12 includes some tweaks and iterations of existing features, as well as new ones. Headline features from last year’s release include the new Vitals app, which gives you health metrics measured during your sleep.
There was also the new Training Load feature, customization in the Activity Rings and Fitness app, the new Smart Stack, improved pregnancy support, and new safety tools, including Check In. All of these newer features are prime candidates for further upgrades and changes, and my prediction is that we’ll get an upgrade for the Vitals app.
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stephen.warwick@futurenet.com (Stephen Warwick)
