WhatsApp finally launches official Apple Watch app for iPhone users

WhatsApp has officially launched its long-awaited Apple Watch app, allowing iPhone users to receive new message alerts, view full messages, react with emojis, and send voice notes directly from their wrist. The rollout follows several weeks of beta testing and is available for users with Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 10 or newer.

The new app extends most of WhatsApp’s popular features to the Apple Watch, reducing the need for users to frequently check their iPhones. Users can now view call notifications, read entire messages—even longer ones—send voice messages, and react to chats with emojis. The app also supports displaying images and stickers, while a broader portion of chat history is visible on the watch screen for easier conversation tracking.

WhatsApp explained that the Apple Watch app offers a more integrated experience than simple phone pairing, but voice and video calls remain unavailable for now. This limitation could stem from Apple’s system restrictions or WhatsApp’s gradual rollout of watchOS functionalities.

In line with its security focus, WhatsApp confirmed that end-to-end encryption remains enabled by default for all messages and calls on the Apple Watch. The company has also introduced a new method for users to secure encrypted chat backups using passkeys, allowing authentication through Face ID or Touch ID for added privacy.

The arrival of the Apple Watch app marks another major step in Meta’s expansion of WhatsApp’s ecosystem. It follows the company’s recent rollout of a native iPad version, a move that had been long requested by users of Apple devices.