Something that surprised those of us who saw Apple's keynote last Monday, June 22, in the news of the watchOS 7 operating system was the arrival of the handwash detection function. In this sense, what Apple showed us was a tool to combat the amount of viruses that surround us And precisely and unfortunately we are suffering one that is taking too many lives around the world, the coronavirus.
It may seem that Apple was quick to have a tool to control one of the key points to stop the pandemic, good hand washing, but nothing could be further from the truth. This handwash detection feature was not developed quickly in response to today's needs, according to Apple, its development took several years.
In this case, the new version of watchOS 7 automatically detects when we are washing our hands and starts a 20-second countdown that allows us to know the approximate time for a good wash. The technology makes the motion sensors and microphones activate when we wash our hands so it activates the timer with the countdown. If you finish earlier than "required" the clock will warn you to continue washing.
This technology integrates the motion sensors and microphones of our Apple Watch. On the other hand, watchOS 7 will remind us to wash our hands when we get home, so that our hand hygiene is perfect wherever we are. It may seem that COVID-19 precipitated the arrival of this application or tool on the Apple Watch, but nothing is further from the truth according to the TechCrunch report that specifies that they were years of work.