14 DAY TRIAL // One of the new features coming to the Apple Watch with the release of watchOS 7 is a hand-washing tool, which is supposed to help users determine if they’re washing their hands correctly.
Needless to say, this is a feature that comes just at the right time, as one of the recommendations coming from the WHO in the fight against the new global health crisis is washing the hands thoroughly after going out.
So naturally, this made many believe that Apple rushed to make the whole thing happen, which at some level actually makes sense. Everybody is aware of the handwashing recommendation, so Apple probably started the work on a watchOS feature that comes just at the right time.
But this isn’t actually the case, as Apple actually decided to bring such a capability to its smartwatch many years ago. In other words, it’s something that just didn’t happen overnight, as Apple claims in an interview with TechCrunch that it took years of work to bring the feature to its smartwatch.
watchOS 7 going live in September
VP of Technology Kevin Lynch explained that the feature was thoroughly tested before including it in watchOS 7, so technically, it should work pretty accurately once it becomes available for all.
There’s a good chance that many other smartwatches would be updated with similar features in the coming months, especially after this functionality goes live on the Apple Watch.
This is something similar to the debut of the ECG feature, which is now available on several other smartwatch models available out there after it originally debuted on the Apple Watch.
Apple itself is working on refining the performance of its hand-washing tool, and users are even allowed to configure the smartwatch to remind them to wash their hands every hour. Other improvements could be included in the coming months by the time watchOS goes live in September.