Apple Watch users finally get a sick day function

WatchOS 11 will let Apple Watch wearers pause their activity rings, without losing their streak.
By Rebecca Ruiz  on 
An example of Apple's new Vitals app, which gives users health metric information.
Apple is finally giving Watch wearers the ability to pause their rings for a rest day. Credit: Apple

Apple Watch users have long asked for the ability to pause their activity rings without losing their hard-won streak, and Apple finally delivered.

The company announced Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) that Watch users who need rest or recovery because of illness or injury will be able to pause their activity rings for a day, week, month, or more.

Prior to this feature, there was no simple way for users to opt-out of activity goal without manually decreasing it, or losing their streak if they stopped activity altogether. Apple rewards activity streaks with digital notifications and badges.

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The new feature is part of watchOS 11, which is expected to launch later this year.

The update also includes the new Vitals app, which will notify users when two or more key health metrics, including heart and respiratory rate, indicate they're unwell or under physiological stress. Presumably, that insight will help users decide on whether to pause their rings.

Topics Apple Watch WWDC

Rebecca Ruiz
Rebecca Ruiz

Rebecca Ruiz is a Senior Reporter at Mashable. She frequently covers mental health, digital culture, and technology. Her areas of expertise include suicide prevention, screen use and mental health, parenting, youth well-being, and meditation and mindfulness. Prior to Mashable, Rebecca was a staff writer, reporter, and editor at NBC News Digital, special reports project director at The American Prospect, and staff writer at Forbes. Rebecca has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master's in Journalism from U.C. Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, watching movie trailers, traveling to places where she can't get cell service, and hiking with her border collie.


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