WhatsApp has released its long-anticipated Apple Watch companion app, giving users direct access to key messaging features from their wrists. The update allows users to receive call notifications, read complete messages, and record and send voice messages without needing to reach for their iPhones.
“This new experience will help you stay on top of your chats without needing to pull out your iPhone,” WhatsApp wrote in a blog post. The company said the Apple Watch version now includes many frequently requested features, such as message reactions and the ability to view more chat history on the screen while reading messages. Users will also see clearer images and stickers, improving visual clarity on the smaller display.
WhatsApp confirmed that personal messages and calls remain protected with end-to-end encryption, consistent with its existing privacy framework. The company added that additional features for Apple Watch are planned for future updates.
The app requires Apple Watch Series 4 or later, running watchOS 10 or newer. While Tuesday’s announcement formalized the launch, WhatsApp had been testing the watch app last week, suggesting an imminent release.
The new Apple Watch experience builds on WhatsApp’s broader expansion beyond mobile and desktop devices. In May, the company launched its long-awaited iPad app, allowing users to make video and audio calls with up to 32 participants, share screens, and use both the front and rear cameras. Before this release, iPad users could only access WhatsApp through the web browser version.
WhatsApp’s rollout of the Apple Watch app follows Snapchat’s launch of its own watchOS app, which enables users to preview messages and reply through keyboard, Scribble, Dictation, or emoji inputs. Unlike WhatsApp, Snapchat’s version focuses on quick text responses rather than viewing multimedia content.
Featured image credits: Public Domain Pictures
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