watchOS 27 adds perimenopause and menopause support to Cycle Tracking on Apple Watch. Users 40 and over will get a notification when changes in their cycle suggest perimenopause, and the app adds notifications for postmenopausal bleeding. The update arrives free on Monday, September 14, 2026, though Apple says the feature is not available in all regions.
It is one of a handful of watchOS 27 additions alongside Siri AI, the new Siri Modular face and the Smart Stack changes, and it arrives the same day as iOS 27, whose redesigned Health app includes cycle tracking in its new Insights summaries.
What the perimenopause notifications do
Apple’s release describes the feature in two parts, each tied to a specific trigger.
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- Users 40 and over receive a notification when cycle changes suggest perimenopause.
- Users receive a notification for postmenopausal bleeding.
Apple has not published which cycle changes it treats as a perimenopause signal, how many cycles of data it needs before issuing a notification, or what the notification recommends the user do next. It has also not said whether users under 40 can turn the perimenopause notifications on manually.
Postmenopausal bleeding notifications
The second notification is aimed at users whose periods have already stopped. Apple’s release states only that Cycle Tracking will notify users of postmenopausal bleeding; it does not explain how the app determines that a user is postmenopausal or whether that status has to be logged by hand.
Apple has not characterized either notification as a diagnosis. Elsewhere in the same announcement, Apple notes that the Vitals app is for wellness rather than medical use, and it has not published separate guidance for the Cycle Tracking notifications.
Which watches and regions get it
Apple lists the feature under watchOS 27, which runs on the models below and requires an iPhone 11 or later or iPhone SE (3rd generation) on iOS 27.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Software | watchOS 27, free on September 14, 2026 |
| Apple Watch models | Series 9 and later, SE 3, Ultra 2 and later |
| iPhone | iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE (3rd generation), on iOS 27 |
| Age for perimenopause notifications | 40 and over |
| Regions | Not available in all regions; Apple has not published the list |
Apple has not said whether the feature is limited to a subset of the watchOS 27 models, or whether it depends on the new Health Sensing System in the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. Since the announcement places it in the software update rather than the hardware releases, it should not require a new watch, but Apple has not confirmed that.
What happens next
watchOS 27 ships on September 14, and Series 12 and Ultra 4 reach stores on September 18. Apple has not given a date for the regions that miss the initial launch. Our event recap covers everything else announced alongside the new watches.
