Apple Releases watchOS 8.7 With Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements

Apple today released watchOS 8.7, the sixth major update to the watchOS 8 operating system that launched in September 2021. watchOS 8.6 comes around two months after the launch of watchOS 8.6, an update that expanded ECG functionality to Mexico.

Apple watchOS 8 feature 2
watchOS ‌8.7 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 needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌.

According to Apple's release notes, there are no new prominent features in watchOS 8.7. Instead, the software focuses on under-the-hood "improvements," along with bug fixes and important security updates.

Related Roundup: watchOS 11
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
apple c1

Apple Unveils 'C1' as First Custom Cellular Modem

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:08 am PST by
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e. The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most...
Apple Northbrook

Apple Store Permanently Closing at Struggling Mall in Chicago Area

Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:46 pm PST by
Apple is permanently closing its retail store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago area. The company confirmed the upcoming closure today in a statement, but it has yet to provide a closing date for the location. Apple Northbrook opened in 2005, and the store moved to a larger space in the mall in 2017. Apple confirmed that affected employees will continue to work for the...

Top Rated Comments

Baretta Avatar
34 months ago

Problem is, if the watch runs out of power because you didn’t charge it enough before the update, it will brick the watch. So, charger is needed. Because some people are stupid and others make mistakes.
So how about a 80+% battery check
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dk001 Avatar
34 months ago
Wish Apple would do away with having to utilize the charger to update.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thadoggfather Avatar
34 months ago
Apple should released an ultra violet Watch.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spartan1967 Avatar
34 months ago

Wish Apple would do away with having to utilize the charger to update.
Definitely a prominent new feature that is needed.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
34 months ago

Apple should released an ultra violet Watch.
Is that watch in the picture a real color? That one would be a hit I’d think.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Toratek Avatar
34 months ago

Updated earlier this afternoon. I hope the Hand Washing notification is now fixed up. It was pretty glitchy and random.
I don’t need a watch to tell me to use reasonable hygiene- and contact COVID was debunked quite a while ago.


So how about a 80+% battery check

I have a few different smart watches. The AW is the only one that has to be connected to its charger.

True but I can update my other devices off the charger if they have greater than 50% battery. My watch was at about 90% today when the update came out. Charger anyway.

They already have the requirement for it to be at greater than 50%, in addition to being on the charger. Only possible reason to require both is if there’s a watch model out there for which processing the update would eat up a large percentage of battery despite being on the charger.

I assume there’s a good reason for it but it seems a little overly cautious.
All of you have reasonable points. I can only assume this is the requirement because they are taking a “belt and suspenders” approach, because the consequences of a power problem while updating are so unfixable.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)