Your Apple Watch will soon track your hand washing, and 3 more updates from Apple's June event

(Image credit: Courtesy Apple)

published 22 June 2020

Apple is rolling out a new Apple Watch feature that couldn't come soon enough during this pandemic.

Apple's annual developer conference went fully virtual for the first time on Monday as CEO Tim Cook and other developers debuted new updates for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Mac computers. Here are four new features to expect within the next few months.

1. Apple WatchOS7. The next version of the Apple Watch's operating system, set to come out this fall, will come with enhanced health and fitness tracking features. That includes a new Sleep App, which will help remind users when to wind down and lets them track their sleep quality each night. Apple Watch users can also enable automatic hand wash detection, which will measure how long and how often they're washing.

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2. iOS 14. This latest edition of the iPhone's operating system will give the phones a redesigned homescreen that, for the first time, lets them bookmark more than just apps — widgets for weather and photos, are all on the table. "App Clips" — a smaller version of an app that only performs a piece of its functions, will be debuted with iOS 14 later this year. iOS 13 and 14 will also soon host a digital car key feature, though it only works with the BMW 5 Series for now.

3. AirPod improvements. Apple's signature wireless earbuds will soon seamlessly transition between whatever device is playing audio instead of requiring a manual transition. They'll also have enhanced spatial awareness to create a more immersive listening experience.

4. Apps on Mac. iPhone and iPad apps will run on Macs that have its new Big Sur operating system, expected for release later this year.

Find more of what's new at The Verge.

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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.