How do I code for watchOS?

To code for watchOS, you can leverage several tools and frameworks provided by Apple. Here are some key points and sessions from WWDC 2024 that can help you get started:

SwiftUI: SwiftUI is a powerful framework that allows you to build user interfaces across all Apple platforms, including watchOS. It provides a common set of high and low-level components, but also includes specialized APIs for each platform. For example, you can use the digital crown for navigation in watchOS. You can learn more about this in the session SwiftUI essentials.
Live Activities: If you have an iOS app with live activities, you can extend this functionality to watchOS. Live activities provide a glanceable way to track the progress of an event or task. You can customize the live activity view for the Apple Watch to make it more relevant and informative. This is covered in the session Bring your Live Activity to Apple Watch.
Widgets: watchOS 11 introduces expanded capabilities for widgets, allowing you to create interactive widgets using the same APIs as on iOS and macOS. You can specify relevant contexts to ensure your widgets appear when they are most useful. This is discussed in the session What’s new in watchOS 11.
Concurrency and Data-Race Safety: When migrating your app to Swift 6, you can take advantage of new concurrency features to ensure data-race safety. This is particularly important for watchOS apps to maintain performance and reliability. The session Migrate your app to Swift 6 covers enabling complete checking in the watch extension.
Platform-Specific Features: Each platform has unique design considerations. For watchOS, you can use features like the digital crown for navigation and the smart stack for displaying relevant information. The session Platforms State of the Union provides an overview of new features in watchOS 11.

Relevant Sessions:

These sessions will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of how to develop and optimize your apps for watchOS.