One of the most limiting things in early versions of Apple Watch software were graphics, given that a processor designed for a wristwatch can’t reasonably be expected to deliver the graphics performance of a full-fledged computer. In watchOS 1 and 2, animated sequences in Apple Watch apps needed to be delivered in individual static images, reproduced in stutter-step fashion on the Watch’s two-inch display.

It was a frustrating limitation for third-party iOS app developers who wanted to deliver fluid and beautiful experiences in their watchOS apps, and added to the perception that Apple Watch was not powerful enough to support those experiences. On its other platforms, Apple has been bullish on animation, introducing a wide range of developer tools like SceneKit, SpriteKit, and Metal to power everything from high-performance games to simple and elegant animated sequences within iOS apps. This helps the best iOS app developers easily integrate animation and motion into even the simplest iOS apps, elevating the user experience and aiding in delight and perceptibility.

In watchOS 3, Apple is bringing the graphics capabilities of its iOS and macOS platforms to Apple Watch, building SceneKit and SpriteKit into the operating system to power a new class of animated experiences. Just as many of Apple’s first-party watchOS apps have delivered engaging animations since launch, now the best third-party watchOS app developers can deliver graphical illustrations more easily than ever before. With watchOS 3, the divide between iOS and watchOS capabilities is narrowing, and Apple seems to be setting the next phase of Apple Watch apps into motion.

The divide between iOS and watchOS capabilities is narrowing, and Apple seems to be setting the next phase of Apple Watch apps into motion.

Animatronic animations for a small screen, after all

Animations on iOS, and most other mobile platforms, are a useful tool in UX designers’ arsenals at adding interest and legibility to their interfaces. An element as simple as a progress indicator can be imbued with vitality through a subtle animation, while animations accenting the transition between or completion of tasks helps users understand the actions they’re taking. Animation is a critical component of user experience design for any platform—and with watchOS 3, Apple Watch app developers can finally make full use of it.

Most simply, animations make mobile user experience more fun. The spinning rings of the Activity app or the radiating radar pulses when signaling an Uber add delight and excitement to in-app user experiences. These are the elements of an app that users remember and recognize, and tasteful, targeted use of animation can become a core component of a mobile app’s brand.

Animation is a critical component of user experience design for any platform—and with watchOS 3, Apple Watch app developers can finally make full use of it.

Beyond pure joy, animation plays a crucial role in helping users better understand and interact with an interface. Cascading menus help users understand their place within a hierarchy of options, transitions help users maintain place within an in-app flow. Whereas these tricks were effective at making digital user interfaces perceptible in desktop and mobile app design for decades, these new tools in watchOS 3 bring those capabilities to millions of Apple Watch users’ wrists.

Notifications are a core pillar of Apple Watch UX—and now they’re fun, too

App notifications have been a core component of the watchOS user experience since watchOS 1, and represent one of the most frequent and seamless places Apple Watch users can interact with third-party apps. Notifications on Apple Watch were originally much more sophisticated than those on iOS, allowing third-party app developers to add images and a longer set of interactive options to watchOS notifications than those displayed on the Watch’s accompanying iPhone.

In iOS 10, Apple has broadened the scope of what notifications can do, borrowing images and deeper interactivity from watchOS and adding new 3D Touch–specific features and fully custom views within the notification container. In watchOS 3, notifications can include much more than the stock two lines of text, adding new SceneKit animations that make them more interesting and instantly recognizable.

Notifications in watchOS 3 take a core component of the Apple Watch user experience and elevates it with animations and media.

Like animations within Apple Watch apps themselves, these animated components within watchOS notifications don’t only make the occasional third-party app push notification more interesting and fun, but also help make the information they convey more instantly useable and understandable. Given that notifications are a core component of the Apple Watch user experience, this enhancement continues the theme of making everything about watchOS feel quicker, more glanceable, and ultimately more useful. Now, users can truly get rich information and updates from their notifications without having to launch a watchOS app or reach for their iPhone—the dream of Apple Watch users since watchOS 1.