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 Roundups: watchOS 11, watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

When Is iPhone 17 Coming Out?

Thursday July 24, 2025 9:11 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 16 New Features

Saturday July 26, 2025 5:50 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should launch in late September, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

Tipster: iPhone 17 Pro to Feature 8x Zoom, Pro Camera App, and More

Sunday July 27, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will have several new camera-related features, according to an anonymous tipster who contacted MacRumors today. The tipster claimed to be familiar with an iPhone 17 Pro commercial that is allegedly being produced by a film company that has publicly listed Apple as one of its clients. MacRumors has not independently confirmed any of the information shared ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Thursday July 24, 2025 7:08 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
Apple Partridge Creek

Apple Store in Michigan Permanently Closing Next Month

Saturday July 26, 2025 1:51 pm PDT by
Earlier this month, MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to permanently close its Partridge Creek store, just outside of Detroit, Michigan, and now the company has announced a closure date for the location. Apple Partridge Creek Apple Partridge Creek's final day of business will be Saturday, August 16, with the store set to close for good at 8 p.m. local time that day. All of ...
iOS 18

Apple Shares iOS 18.6 Release Notes

Thursday July 24, 2025 6:33 am PDT by
While the focus is now on iOS 26, there is still an iOS 18.6 update incoming. As noted by Aaron Zollo, Apple on Wednesday re-labeled iOS 18.6 Beta 4 as simply iOS 18.6, meaning that it is the Release Candidate version. This change effectively confirms that the update will be released to the public next week. Alongside the new label, Apple shared release notes for iOS 18.6, which is a...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Leaked

Friday July 25, 2025 6:20 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a Macworld report this month, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 16 New Features

Tuesday July 22, 2025 5:00 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...

Top Rated Comments

Baretta Avatar
40 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
40 months ago
Wish Apple would do away with having to utilize the charger to update.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thadoggfather Avatar
40 months ago
Apple should released an ultra violet Watch.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spartan1967 Avatar
40 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
40 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
40 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)