Apple watch 10th anniversary global close your rings day – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Apple picked a very fitnessy way to mark a decade of smartwatches

It’s called Global Close Your Rings Day and it’s got some data to nudge the skeptics.

It’s called Global Close Your Rings Day and it’s got some data to nudge the skeptics.

Person looking at the Apple Watch Series 10 from an angle
Person looking at the Apple Watch Series 10 from an angle
April 24th, 2025 marks 10 years of Apple Watches.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Victoria Song
is a senior reporter and author of the Optimizer newsletter. She has more than 13 years of experience reporting on wearables, health tech, and more. Before coming to The Verge, she worked for Gizmodo and PC Magazine.

April 24th will be the 10th anniversary of the day the first Apple Watch shipped to customers. A decade is a major milestone in the gadget world, but you won’t see a lot of anniversary-themed fanfare to mark the occasion. Instead, Apple is dubbing the 24th as Global Close Your Rings Day — and it has some research from its studies to convince people why they should partake.

Render of the limited-time badge for Global Close Your Rings Day
Image: Apple

Global Close Your Rings Day is exactly what it sounds like. If you close all three rings — move, exercise, and stand — you’ll get a limited edition badge and 10 animated stickers in the Messages app. You can also pick up a physical pin inspired by the award at Apple Stores while supplies last.

Apple has often used these types of limited edition award badges to motivate users, especially tied to holidays or other events. But for folks who are less motivated by fitness gamification, Apple is also throwing its own research data into the mix. Based on its Apple Heart and Movement Study, the company says people who close their rings most of the time were 48 percent less likely to have poor sleep and 73 percent less likely to have elevated resting heart rate levels. They are also 57 percent less likely to feel elevated stress.

All in all, this is a relatively low-key way to celebrate the Apple Watch’s 10th anniversary, especially since all Apple Watch owners know the device never takes a day off from poking you to close your rings.

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