Apple today reminded developers to update their Apple Watch apps to take advantage of features introduced in watchOS 4 and Apple Watch Series 3, like increased performance, new background modes for navigation and audio recording, direct connections to Core Bluetooth, and more.

Apple also announced that starting on April 1, 2018, updates to watchOS 1 apps will no longer be accepted. All updates must be native apps built with the watchOS 2 SDK or later. Newly submitted watchOS apps should be built with the watchOS 4 SDK or later.

apple watch series 2 bb deal
Apple first began requiring new apps to use the watchOS 2 SDK in June of 2016, and now that will also apply to app updates that are submitted. watchOS 1 apps that are not rebuilt using watchOS 2 SDKs or later will no longer be able to be updated after the April 2018 deadline.

Apps built with the native support features that were first introduced in watchOS 2 are able to run more quickly and operate more smoothly on the Apple Watch.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Don't Buy)

Top Rated Comments

farewelwilliams Avatar
farewelwilliams
87 months ago
watchos 1 apps were a mistake.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
OldSchoolMacGuy
87 months ago
Good. Developers shouldn't be using a 3 year old SDK anyways. Chances are this won't impact many.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dwaltwhit Avatar
dwaltwhit
87 months ago
Makes sense. I’m still convinced that the MLB app hasn’t been updated yet, it runs incredibly slow
if at all! I spend $130 a year for mob at bat and the watch app isn't worth a nickel!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
dannyyankou
87 months ago
Makes sense. I’m still convinced that the MLB app hasn’t been updated yet, it runs incredibly slow
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
44267547
87 months ago
Hopefully WatchOS 5 will drop support for them all together helping clean some of the crud out the operating system
I'm actually thinking watchOS 5 will no longer support the first generation Apple Watch altogether.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad Mac Maniac Avatar
Mad Mac Maniac
87 months ago
Should have required this long ago. These apps were a joke
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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