SAN JOSE—Just three years after the release of the first Apple Watch, Apple announced the fifth iteration of its wearable operating system at WWDC 2018.

Unlike iOS updates, most watchOS updates haven’t brought drastic changes to Apple’s device in terms of look and feel. WatchOS 5 doesn’t radically alter the experience of using an Apple Watch, but it does add a number of helpful features across different use categories like fitness, communication, and general life organization. We spent some time demoing the software update to learn more about the changes.

Workouts and Activity

My colleague Samuel Axon and I were immediately excited by the announcement of workout auto detection. (Auto detection allows the Apple Watch to know when you’ve been working out even if you haven’t officially started a workout on the watch.)