iOS 8.2 beta SDK, WatchKit beta SDK mean you can start making Apple Watch apps

November 19, 2014

Starting today developers can start making their own apps for the upcoming Apple Watch, well before it's expected to go on sale. Apple today announced the availability of the first version of their WatchKit dev tools as part of the iOS 8.2 developer SDK release.

This first WatchKit release includes "programming guides, human interface guidelines, templates and more." Apple said that developers will be able to make "fully native apps for Apple Watch" starting sometime in 2015. Apple offered some examples of the kind of apps developers can make with Apple Watch:

Developers can create notifications that allow users to take action or respond right from their wrist such as turning the lights off after they've left the house, quickly accessing flight details at the airport, and rerouting their transit when a train or bus is late. Developers can incorporate Glances, which quickly show users information they care about most, such as the latest news and sports scores, alarm system status or the next step of a favorite recipe.

A few companies are already announcing the types of features they will offer with their Apple Watch apps. Kevin Systrom, the co-founder and CEO of Instagram, said:

With actionable notifications you can see and instantly like a photo or react with an emoji. The Instagram news and watch list allows you to see your friends' latest photos, follow new accounts and get a real-time view of your likes and comments.

Source: Apple