Headspace brings its mental health tools straight to your wrist. The company on Wednesday launched and updated the Apple Watch app that uses biometric data to determine when you should take deep breaths.
With your permission, the app analyzes your heart rate variability data from Apple Health to identify times when you might be more receptive to a mindful break. It can send a nudge to your wrist and guide you through a 60-second breathing exercise.
“While a single breath cannot resolve the unpredictability of what is happening in the world, it is an important micro-intervention that we often need to remember,” Fay Kallel, head of product and design at Headspace, said in a statement. The idea, she added, is to help members build resilience through small, consistent practices that fit seamlessly into their lives.
What’s new in the app
The update Headspace app the experience has a few main features:
- Every morning, personalized service meditation session surfaces directly on your watch.
- An SOS mode when you are in a stressful moment to identify what you are feeling. Options include “Panic,” “Burned,” and “Losing Your Temper.”
- Sleep Assist lets you start a relaxation session or stream a sleepcast (an audio tour of a peaceful environment) directly from your watch.
All sessions count toward your Headspace streaks and progress, and the app also updates mindfulness minutes in Apple Health.
Headspace app compatibility
The app is compatible with Apple Watch Series 6 through 11, Apple Watch Series SE (2nd and 3rd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra models, running watchOS 26.1 or later. You’ll also need an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.
Any paid Headspace subscription gives you full access. It costs $13 per month with seven days free or $70 per year with 14 days free. Users without a subscription can only access a haptic breathing exercise.
The update is now available in 190 countries. You can get it by updating the Headspace mobile app, which will automatically push the Apple Watch app onto your wrist.
