WatchOS 2 released: delayed Apple update brings real apps, communication improvements

After a slight delay because of a bug, the update has just been pushed out to Watch owners

Apple Watch (AFP) (AFP)

Apple has released WatchOS 2, addressing many of the criticisms that have been made of the wearable through a software update.

Slightly delayed by a bug that was found in development, the update is now being pushed out to Watch owners. It can be downloaded through the Watch app on the phone, which will then push it onto the wearable itself.

WatchOS 2 can only be downloaded on phones that are running iOS 9. That new iPhone update came out last week.

The update's headline feature brings native apps to the Watch, allowing them to be run from the wrist rather than borrowing information from the phone. That lets them run more quickly, as well as giving them access to the phone's sensors and other hardware.

It also brings third-party complications to the Watch. Complications are small little pieces of information that sit on the face – meaning that the Watch can show updates like sports scores without clicking into apps.

Those complications also respond to a new feature called Time Travel. That allows users to scroll back or forward through time, seeing what the Watch was showing earlier or later.

Other new features include updates to Siri, support for third-party workouts, new communications tools like replying directly from email notifications, and a nightstand mode that lets it work as an alarm clock when it's charging.

It also gives the Watch extra functions when it's not attached to the phone. That includes the ability to receive iMessages and calls, as well as keeping the phone more secure by allowing it not to be paired with a new phone without a password.

The Watch update had been scheduled for release on September 16, alongside iOS 9. But Apple said that day that it had found a bug in the software and that it would be delaying the release.

Apple released the Watch in April. It showed off the second version of its operating system at the Worldwide Developers' Conference in June.