Big Upgrades Are Coming To Your Apple Watch - 8 Features I Can't Wait To Use On Watchos 26

3 days ago

Black Apple Watch Series 10 pinch bluish band

Your iPhone, Apple Watch, and different Apple-owned devices are getting a large overhaul soon. The champion part? You won't person to salary a dime for them. The tech elephantine precocious announced each of nan newest apps and updates coming to its devices complete nan adjacent fewer months.

Several caller features are coming to WatchOS 26, and nan beta package is now disposable for developers, pinch a nationalist beta rollout apt coming soon. Reddit users successful nan r/Apple Watch subreddit are already getting into nan latest update and providing commentary connected their astir and slightest favourite features. The features touch everything from Fitness to Messages, and see a awesome creation update crossed Apple's platforms for a much unified look and naming mechanisms that bespeak nan twelvemonth nan package debuts.

Also: The champion Apple Watch of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

In summation to WatchOS updates, Apple besides introduced AI characteristic developments, for illustration Live Translation and on-screen Visual Intelligence, for illustration Hold Assist for telephone calls and Polls for Messages, and more.

For those willing successful trying retired nan beta software, WatchOS 26 is supported connected nan latest Apple Watches. Owners of these devices tin download nan OS, though it whitethorn person immoderate bugs.

Here are nan features we're astir excited to effort retired connected WatchOS 26.

1. Liquid Glass creation update

Your Apple Watch interface, on pinch nan remainder of your Apple devices, is getting nan Liquid Glass creation treatment. Apple's "broadest creation update ever" introduces a fluid and clear across-platform show overhaul inspired by VisionOS's ocular interface.

Liquid Glass tin bespeak aliases refract immoderate is down aliases successful beforehand of it to create a transparent, glassy look.

Also: The 10 Apple Watch features that convinced maine to move to nan wearable full-time

This will alteration really your Smart Stack, notifications, icons, and much appear. Icons connected your watch's fastener surface aliases app page will look clear alternatively of their existent opaque appearance, reflecting nan ray connected your wallpaper aliases connected apps.

2. Apple Intelligence-infused Fitness

The adjacent clip you grounds a workout connected nan Fitness app, you'll person a individual fittingness coach waiting for you. AI-powered Workout Buddy uses your fittingness information history it has gathered done nan app, to supply you pinch real-time insights during your workout.

Workout Buddy quickly considers your fittingness history, paces, Activity Rings, Training Load, and much to present feedback and encouragement up of, during, and aft your exercise. It is disposable successful English for these workout types: Outdoor and Indoor Run, Outdoor and Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, and Functional and Traditional Strength Training.

It's astir clip Apple debuts an AI wellness characteristic that incorporates personalized information insights. Other wearables, for illustration Oura and Whoop, person wellness coaches aliases advisors that create reports aliases customize activity recommendations based connected a user's activity levels and behaviors. I'm excited to trial retired this characteristic and spot really it compares to nan competition.

Also: I switched to nan Apple Watch aft a four-year hiatus - here's why it's adjacent cleanable now

Workouts are besides getting a facelift pinch much customizable workout and title way features. The Workout app has 4 caller buttons for further customization, including Goals, Custom, Pacer, and Race Route. Apple Watch users tin additionally prime playlists aliases podcasts they regularly perceive to during workouts wrong nan Workout app.

3. Smart Stack improvements

Smart Stack's prediction algorithm is improving. The algorithm now includes much contextual data, for illustration sensor and regular data, to hint astatine definite apps aliases functionalities. For example, a hint for nan Functional Strength Training workout mightiness popular up erstwhile you participate your gym successful nan morning, aliases nan Backtrack hint mightiness popular up erstwhile Apple Watch registers you're successful a location pinch nary cellular connectivity.

4. Notifications

Apple Watch Notifications are getting, thankfully, self-aware. Instead of loudly pinging you successful silent environments -- thing that perpetually happens to maine successful my quiet agency -- nan caller characteristic interprets nan ambient sound of your situation to set your notification measurement while delivering a matter aliases app update.

5. Live Translation

Apple Intelligence brings Live Translation to Messages successful Apple Watch. The AI-powered characteristic translates conversations to a user's preferred connection connected their wrist.

Also: I was connected nan obstruction pinch nan Apple Watch 10, but these 3 features changed my mind

The characteristic is disposable connected Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2, and it presently supports English (US, UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).

6. Messages

Apple Watch will usage nan discourse clues from your Messages to propose applicable actions, for illustration sending a Check-In erstwhile a personification is connected their measurement location aliases an Apple Cash pop-up erstwhile a friend sends you nan meal bill. Apple besides says that Smart Replies are getting moreover smarter pinch its on-device connection model, which provides "precise" and "relevant" responses to conversations.

7. Wrist Flick

Move complete Double Tap. A caller manus mobility conscionable dropped for nan Apple Watch. Wrist Flick is designed for dismissing notifications and calls, aliases soundlessness pings. All a personification has to do is move their wrist.

8. More updates crossed nan board

The Notes app arrives connected Apple Watch. As does Hold Assist and Call Screening, 2 caller iOS characteristic that notify personification to return to a telephone connected a telephone telephone clasp and surface chartless numbers. Live Listen, an accessibility characteristic for those deaf aliases difficult of hearing, provides unrecorded captions connected your iPhone utilizing audio that Apple Watch monitors.

Also: Every iPhone exemplary you tin update to iOS 26 (and which ones don't support it)

The Watch acts arsenic a distant power to commencement aliases region these conversations. Lastly, watch faces will beryllium easier to customize pinch a redesigned watch look gallery, and photograph faces usage civilization contented to shuffle images connected your watch screen.

Which Apple Watch models support WatchOS 26?

You'll request an iPhone 11 aliases later aliases iPhone SE successful summation to pursuing Apple Watches. Keep successful mind that immoderate Apple Intelligence-powered features, for illustration Live Translation and Workout Buddy, require 1 of nan pursuing iPhone models: each iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Max pinch Apple Intelligence enabled.