watchOS 8 is the eighth release of watchOS, shipped September 20, 2021. A consolidation year aligned with iOS 15: Focus modes and redesigned notifications crossed to the wrist, Mindfulness absorbed Breathe with reflection prompts, respiratory rate tracked during sleep, and the Portraits face put depth-effect photos behind the time. Wallet added home, hotel, and car keys plus ID groundwork; Messages gained per-message editing of dictation.

Mindfulness with Reflect; respiratory-rate sleep metrics; Portraits face; Focus; Wallet keys; tai chi and pilates workouts; fall detection during workouts; multiple timers; and AssistiveTouch's gesture control — pinch and clench navigation — as a major accessibility landmark.

A steady year whose accessibility work outshone its headliners: AssistiveTouch's one-handed control previewed the Double Tap gesture Apple later marketed as hardware magic, and the Wallet-keys expansion quietly made the watch a keychain.