Sleep is one of the most popular health metrics that smartwatch users like to track. But Apple Watches have been playing catch-up in this area for a while.
That's always where devices like Fitbit always had the upper hand.
But watchOS 11 might finally fix this as it looks like users can automatically track sleep regardless of what mode their watch is in.
This feature has shown up in the first developer beta of watchOS 11 which was released on June 10 – the same day as WWDC 2024.
Advert
It might seem like this update slipped under the radar but back at WWDC 2024, Apple didn't have enough time to discuss every new feature in its wearable tech.
Plus the launch was primarily focused on iOS 18 and its abundance of features, large and small.
This means some upgrades of the beta are just coming to light now.
One Reddit user jahshua06 noticed watchOS 11 could contain a form of automatic sleep tracking.
'I took a nap yesterday and it looks like that sleep data was recorded,' they explained.
And it doesn't appear to be a one-off, another user commented: 'Yes iOS 18 automatically tracks sleep without sleep mode. Finally!'
X user Max Weinbach also tweeted about Apple's sleep tracking, writing: 'Update: Can confirm, does auto track naps' on the back of his original tweet: 'Apple Watch sleep tracking on watchOS 11 is now automatic! No longer need to set sleep focus'.
Which is good news - this means if you crash out outside your usual sleep schedule or oversleep, the watch will continue to monitor your z's.
But if you like the do-not-disturb features of Sleep Focus, you should keep setting up a sleep schedule.
Before this update, you had to manually set a sleep schedule on your iPhone or Apple Watch to get accurate sleep data, so this is a major improvement.
But it's also far from the only health-tracking improvement users will find via watchOS 11.
The new Vitals app will give you detailed info on things like temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and sleep. You can even customise activity rings to include rest days.
The beta version of watchOS 11 is out now, but the full version will roll out likely in September, along with Apple's new gen of devices.