Apple launches watchOS 7.3 with Unity Watch Face, extended ECG availability and more

Apple today released watchOS 7.3, the third major update to the watchOS 7 operating system released in September. watchOS 7.3 comes more than a month after watchOS 7.2, an update that supported Apple Fitness +

The “watchOS 7.3 update” can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone, by going to General> Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch must have at least 50% battery, must be placed on a charger, and must be within range of the “iPhone”.

watchOS 7.3 adds a “Time to Walk” feature for Apple Fitness + subscribers, adding an audio experience to the Workout app, where walkers can listen to inspired stories during their walks. Time to Walk offers stories from music artists, athletes and other influential people that Apple Watch owners and Apple Fitness + subscribers can listen to while walking.

Each episode lasts 25 to 40 minutes and features guests such as country music star Dolly Parton, musician Shawn Mendes, actress Uzo Aduba and NBA player Draymond Green. Speakers share “lessons learned, meaningful memories, intentional thoughts and gratitude, moments of ease, and other thought-provoking topics.” Time to Walk is available to Apple Fitness + subscribers. Apple technically released Time to Walk before watchOS 7.3, but it is listed in the release notes for the update and is considered a watchOS 7.3 supplement.

With the watchOS 7.3 update, ECG functionality expands to Japan, Mayotte, the Philippines and Thailand, while irregular heart rate notifications come to Japan, Mayotte, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.

The update adds a new Unity Watch face inspired by the colors of the pan-African flag (black, red and green), with shapes that change throughout the day with the movement. The face also has black, red, green and yellow color options, along with a black / gray color option.

watchOS 7.3 also includes a bug fix for an issue that may cause the Control Center and Notification Center to stop responding when Zoom is enabled, with full notes about the version below:

watchOS 7.3 includes new features, enhancements, and bug fixes, including:

– Unity watch face – inspired by the colors of the pan-African flag, the shapes change throughout the day as you move, creating a unique face for you.
– Time to Walk for Apple Fitness + subscribers – an audio experience in the Workout app, where guests share inspiring stories as you go
– ECG application on Apple Watch Series 4 or later in Japan, Mayotte, Philippines and Thailand
– Irregular heart rate notifications in Japan, Mayotte, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand
– Fix an issue where the Control Center and Notification Center may not respond when Zoom is on

For more information on everything included in the OSwatchOS 7OS operating system, we have a dedicated watchOS 7 summary.