This 12 months at WWDC 2025, Apple launched a quite drastic change to its naming conventions. What ought to be the upcoming WatchOS 12 will now be WatchOS 26 when it launches within the fall, because the firm determined to cease labeling its working programs sequentially and as a substitute title them in response to the fiscal 12 months they’re launched. Each OS now additionally has a brand new, overhauled show aesthetic known as Liquid Glass, which makes sure apps, icons, buttons, and pop-ups appear to be frosted glass and different options appear to be raindrops.
Apart from that, anticipated new Apple Intelligence options to a lot of the firm’s product lineup have been small and measured quite than huge and sweeping—however for Apple Watch followers, the truth that there’s now Apple Intelligence in your wrist in any respect is likely to be sufficient. Right here, we stroll by a few of the new suggestions and tips that you’ll begin seeing in your Apple Watch this 12 months.
Is Your Apple Watch Appropriate?
WatchOS 26 shall be accessible for Apple Watches ranging from the Collection 6 or later. This contains the second-gen Apple Watch SE and all Apple Watch Extremely fashions. You will need to even have an iPhone 11 or later that may run the upcoming iOS 26. If you would like the Apple Intelligence options, you want to have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, which incorporates the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Professional Max, and all iPhone 16 fashions.
When Will WatchOS 26 Be Out there?
You possibly can obtain WatchOS 26 as a developer beta right this moment, however do not anticipate it to be good. A public beta will roll out subsequent month at beta.apple.com and WatchOS 26 shall be accessible as a free software program replace to suitable Watch fashions this fall.
The Prime WatchOS 26 Options
Liquid Glass
Courtesy of Apple
Sadly, a lot of the Liquid Glass redesigns have been optimized for the larger screens of the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. However hey, look, the numerals on the clock face now have a translucent frost! You may as well see slight specular highlights across the edges of the buttons while you look carefully. Good Stack—Apple’s layered widget system—will even make the most of Liquid Glass in order to not obscure the display screen.
Exercise Buddy
Exercise Buddy makes use of all of the train information amassed by the Apple Watch—coronary heart charge, tempo, distance, and so on.—and makes use of it to supply customized, upbeat encouragement (“you crushed it!”) throughout your train session. Apple Intelligence analyzes your information to supply these insights and to make use of voice encouragement derived from Health+ trainers. It may well additionally mark key moments, like working a mile significantly quick. It is accessible for just some workouts, like indoor and out of doors strolling or working, out of doors biking, useful and conventional power coaching, and HIIT—and sure, you possibly can flip it off if the thought of a cheerleader in your ear is hell for you too.
The Exercise app itself has additionally undergone a redesign, with 4 buttons within the 4 corners of the watch face to make it simpler to faucet on every characteristic. Customers can arrange music and podcasts throughout the Exercise app, and Apple Music can both choose music or present recommendations for an acceptable playlist.
Good Stack
Courtesy of Apple
Good Stack will now incorporate extra contextual information, like location and the consumer’s routine, to supply extra useful suggestions. For instance, in the event you arrive on the fitness center at your typical time, your Apple Watch could mark your location and slide a exercise routine to the highest of your Good Stack.
Messages and Notifications
Courtesy of Apple
In the event you personal a Watch Collection 9, Watch Collection 10, or Apple Watch Extremely 2, you’ll now be capable of use a brand new wrist-flick gesture (very like Double Faucet) to dismiss notifications or incoming calls, silence timers, and return to the clock face. A machine-learning mannequin makes use of information from the accelerometer and gyroscope to catch the consumer’s wrist motion.
The Watch now additionally helps Dwell Translation in Messages (once more, you will have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone). In case your language is about to English, the watch will supply prompts in Messages, like suggesting Apple Money if the consumer is requested for a donation. Name Screening and Maintain Help will even come to the telephone app on the watch, letting customers resolve whether or not to take or decline calls or ask for extra data.
As typical, there are new clock faces to select from. And you’ll lastly be capable of use the Notes app on the watch, which can be extra essential to a few of us than others.
