Apple’s Next watchOS Update To Offer Automatic Nap Detection: What It Means

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WatchOS 11 update is going to help with better sleep tracking.

Apple is bringing new range of health features with the new watchOS 11 update later this year for select Apple Watches.

Apple announced the latest version of the watchOS operating system, watchOS 11, at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Apple claims that this new watchOS 11 comes with features built on the company’s sensor technology, science-based approach, and advanced algorithms. It also packs several enhancements over its predecessor, including fitness upgrades, live activities, health tracking, new watch faces, and translation apps. The watch also allows you to customise ringtones on the Apple Watch as well.

Now a post of Reddit suggests that Apple has introduced a new feature called the automatic nap detection feature with watchOS 11. Unlike before, when sleep tracking only functioned in Sleep Mode, an Apple Watch user can now reportedly detect and log the nap times in the health app without manually activating it.

Earlier, Apple Watch sleep tracking only worked when users enabled sleep mode, which often left users with an incomplete picture of their overall sleep health as afternoon naps often went unrecorded. But now, the new automatic nap detection in watchOS 11 bridges this gap and eliminates the need to manually activate sleep mode, according to a report by MacRumours.

Sharing the update, the Reddit user wrote, “I took a nap yesterday, and it looks like that sleep data was recorded. I’ve not seen this mentioned anywhere. Has anyone else seen this? I’ve confirmed the data was from my Apple Watch.”

It seems that watchOS 11 leverages the watch’s built-in motion sensors and sleep detection algorithms to identify naps. This lets users see their nap duration and quality within the health app’s sleep section, providing insights into their overall sleep patterns.

While details are still emerging, this new feature seems to function seamlessly. Watch users do not have to take any specific actions. Simply wear the Apple watch, take your power nap, and the watch will handle the rest seamlessly. This approach makes it incredibly user-friendly and marks a significant stride towards expanding the Apple Watch’s focus on convenience, sleep-tracking capabilities, and catering to diverse sleep patterns and behaviours.

So, if you are eager to try out the watchOS 11’s automatic nap detection feature on the Apple Watch, keep in mind that it is only available on three models: Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 5, and the original Apple Watch SE (2020). The tech giant has also confirmed that watchOS 11 will be coming later this year as a free software upgrade for Apple Watch Series 6 or later models.

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