watchOS 7 adds Battery Health Management and Announce Messages with Siri to Apple Watch

Apple announced watchOS 7 with various new features, including more watch faces, sleep monitoring, and more. However, there are some changes the company didn’t mention during yesterday’s keynote, including the addition of Battery Health Management and Announce Messages with Siri to the Apple Watch.

Just like on the iPhone, Apple Watch users can now check Battery Health data with watchOS 7. The maximum capacity of a battery is 100% when it’s new, and this level drops as the battery gets worn out. A lower level indicates that the Apple Watch battery will not last as long as when it was new.

Here’s how Apple describes the Battery Health data:

Apple Watch batteries, like all rechargeable batteries, are consumable components which become less effective as they age. This is a measure of battery capacity relative to when it was new. Lower capacity may result in fewer hours of usage between charges.

On iPhone, Apple reduces performance when the maximum capacity is reduced to sustain battery life and avoid unexpected shutdowns, but we still don’t know if watchOS 7 does the same with Apple Watch.

In addition to the new Battery Health data, watchOS 7 also brings Optimized Battery Charging to the Apple Watch. With the Optimized Battery Charging enabled, Apple Watch learns your routine usage to interrupt the battery recharge when you’re not using it for a long period of time. The same option is now available for AirPods with iOS 14.

With watchOS 7, users can now also use the “Announce Messages with Siri” feature on Apple Watch. With the AirPods in your ears, you can listen and respond to incoming text messages using voice commands. Siri reads the message so you can hear the text and then ignore or reply without having to say, “Hey Siri.”

watchOS 7 beta is now available to developers, with a public beta release coming in July.

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