Apple has officially announced watchOS 26, the next major software update for Apple Watch with AI-powered Workout Buddy, Smart Stack hints, Live Translation on Messages, and more. With an aim to deliver a consistent design across its platforms, Apple is also introducing a refreshed design with floating menus, rounded buttons, and other subtle UI tweaks for a more cohesive feel.
The stable version is set to arrive this fall, and a developer beta will be available starting today, shortly after the keynote event.
What’s New in watchOS 26
All-new Liquid Glass Design
For the first time ever, Apple introduces a universal design language across its platforms for a more consistent and unified experience. Taking the aesthetics cues from visionOS, watchOS 26 boasts a new design with Liquid Glass that offers a fresh and beautiful look to your Apple Watch. The new design dynamically reacts to the movements and the content on the screen. Menus now match the watch’s rounded corners, and the translucent backgrounds give a glass-like appearance to the interface. The Cupertino tech giant expands this redesign across the apps for a more vibrant and expressive experience.
Apple Intelligence Comes to the Workout App
With watchOS 26, Apple Intelligence finally comes to compatible models. The Workout app gets a big update with a redesigned layout, new corner buttons for quicker access, and personalized music suggestions. Powered by Apple Intelligence, there’s a new Workout Buddy, a text-to-speech model designed on the voices of the Fitness+ trainers and uses from your health & fitness history. It will verbally walk you through your next workout, congratulate you on your accomplishments, and provide motivational insights during your workout sessions. All of these are based on important data like heart rate, distance, pace, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more.
Smart Stack Hints
With Apple Intelligence, Smart Stack also becomes more useful and proactive than before. It now lets you access important information from any watch face. With watchOS 26, Smart Stack gets smarter by incorporating more data from the user’s routine to provide Smart Stack hints. They appear as a gentle visual prompt for actionable suggestions. For instance, you may see a hint for a Pilates workout when you arrive at a studio location at your usual time.
Live Translation and More in Messages
Apple Intelligence also brings added convenience in Messages with Live Translation. On the Apple Watch Series 9 and newer, the incoming messages will be automatically translated into your preferred language, right on your wrist. Likewise, your outgoing messages can be translated for the person you’re chatting with.
In addition, Apple Watch can now suggest relevant actions based on the context of your conversations. For instance, you’ll be prompted to start a check-in if a friend asks you to share when you reach home. This brand-new addition should allow you to communicate without pulling out your phone. It’s worth knowing that this feature is currently exclusive to devices with the language set to English.
A New Wrist Flick Gesture
watchOS 26 also brings a handy wrist flick gesture on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. It will allow you to dismiss incoming calls, messages, silence timers and alarms, or other notifications that you aren’t ready to respond to. All you have to do is quickly turn your wrist over and back to dismiss the notification and return to the watch face.
This gesture uses Machine Learning, the accelerometer, and the gyroscope to analyze the user’s wrist movements.
Other updates and improvements
- Apple Watch can now automatically adjust the speaker volume based on the ambient noise in your surroundings.
- The new watchOS 26 also brings the Notes app to Apple Watch, allowing you to quickly access important notes right on your wrist.
- The redesigned watch face gallery offers an easy way to explore watch faces.
- The updated photo face will now focus on Featured content from your Photos app, so you can see the most meaningful moments every time you raise your wrist.
- When an iPhone is nearby, Hold Assist and Call Screening will also work on Apple Watch.
- For users who are deaf or hard of hearing, Apple Watch can display live captions and offer remote controls when using Live Listen.
How to Update to watchOS 26
Apple will roll out the watchOS 26 developer beta starting today, with public betas likely to drop next month. The stable release will arrive later this fall, bringing all the new features and refinements to compatible Apple Watch models.
If you’ve already enrolled in the Apple Beta Program, you can check for the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update in the Watch app on your iPhone.
Along with watchOS 11, Apple also announced new Apple Intelligence features, iOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, and other major OSes.