Not planning on working out? watchOS 11 has you covered with custom activity goals

Apple Watch
(Image credit: DMstudio House / Shutterstock)

Although Apple's WWDC 2024 event was mostly focused on Apple Intelligence and the presentation breezed past watchOS 11, there are plenty of features barely touched on, or not mentioned at all, worth diving into. 

Spotted by MacRumors, the new OS update for the best Apple Watches (unfortunately, Apple Watches 5 and older will not be supported)will contain the ability to pause your Activity Ring progress, or customize your daily goals. You'll be able to more easily tailor your fitness goals to the rest of your life with a handy new adjustment.

For example, if you know you'll be having a busy work day, or were traveling on a 14-hour flight, until now your watch would register your activity levels as below your goals for that day. That sounds like a small inconvenience for some, but for others, the catharsis of hitting those high streak numbers can only be matched by the devastation of it coming crashing down for others.

Now, you can set custom goals per day of the week to adjust your output. As an example, if you exercise on alternate days, you can ensure your activity levels are tailored appropriately. 

Apple watchOS 11 on a screen at WWDC 2024

(Image credit: Future)

In order to do this, MacRumors spotted that you can head to the Fitness app in iOS 18, select a ring and choose Summary > Custom to adjust your calorie burn goals. You can also pause the streak entirely, which is ideal for an injury or having to skip that gym session because you need to do the school run. 

You can pause a Move, Exercise or Stand ring for up to 90 days, picking up immediately where you left off. This is ideal for people looking to relax and rest during a week's holiday, or an extended period of injury or rest.

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Lloyd Coombes
Freelancer & Podcaster

Lloyd Coombes is a freelance tech and fitness writer for TechRadar. He's an expert in all things Apple as well as Computer and Gaming tech, with previous works published on TopTenReviews, Space.com, and Live Science. You'll find him regularly testing the latest MacBook or iPhone, but he spends most of his time writing about video games at Dexerto.

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