At its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple introduced the most recent watchOS replace for the Apple Watch. The brand new software program sees extra AI parts than ever land on the watch, in addition to a significant aesthetic redesign.
And sure, as anticipated Cupertino has switched from conventional model numbers (the earlier replace, watchOS 11, was the eleventh yearly replace) to ones based mostly on the yr when the software program will primarily be in use. The brand new replace, which is able to launch to the general public in September and keep on till the next fall, is called watchOS 26 after the yr 2026.
Liquid Glass: The large redesign
Earlier within the keynote, Apple introduced a broad undertaking known as Liquid Glass, a sweeping cross-platform redesign affecting the interfaces of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV… and Apple Watch. So the smallest display in Cupertino’s steady will get a brand new look concurrently the bigger and costlier merchandise.
Liquid Glass takes its inspiration from Imaginative and prescient Professional and encompasses a spread of visible and interactive adjustments. Extra UI parts than earlier than are translucent, with menus and buttons constructed as layers that refract and replicate the colours and shapes beneath. Furnishings is rounded and dynamic, shrinking and increasing as you navigate by the interface. Specular highlights make the whole lot look shiny.
The Apple Watch has much less house to showcase this new design than the opposite affected merchandise, however watchOS 26 nonetheless seems distinct from earlier iterations. The numerals on watch faces have the signature glassy look, and within the Pictures face, they regulate dimension dynamically to go well with the accessible house in several images. The translucent design additionally reveals up in buttons inside Apple’s apps, in addition to notifications, widgets within the Sensible Stack, Management Middle toggles and extra.
In brief, watchOS 26 seems beautiful. But it surely additionally appears considerably unfamiliar as a result of so many parts have been redesigned, and this may increasingly imply it’ll seem user-friendly at first. In time we must always all get used to it.
Apple
Exercise Buddy
We’ve complained up to now that the Apple Watch was omitted of the Apple Intelligence social gathering regardless that it appears the most suited to benefit from the expertise. The arrival of watchOS 26 doesn’t give the watch the complete Apple Intelligence expertise, presumably on account of a scarcity of processing energy, however there are extra AI parts than ever earlier than.
This being a fitness-focused product, it’s no shock that Apple Intelligence is principally aimed in that course. There’s a brand new characteristic known as Exercise Buddy that analyzes your utilization information and health metrics to create personalised insights and pep talks. Apple provides the next for example of what Exercise Buddy may supply:
“Technique to get out in your run this Wednesday morning. You’re 18 minutes away from closing your Train ring. To this point this week, you’ve run 6 miles. You’re going so as to add to that immediately.”
That’s your motivation forward of a exercise, however the characteristic affords contributions when you train, too. It would notify you of cut up instances and milestones, such because the time for the final mile or the overall variety of miles run within the yr up to now, for instance, “Mile 4. You picked up the tempo and ran that final one in 8 minutes and 28 seconds,” and “Hey, verify this out. Your complete operating distance for the yr simply crossed the 200-mile mark! That’s a number of operating!”
Then on the finish the assistant recaps your stats (distance, time, common tempo, coronary heart price) and affords congratulations for any milestones or private bests.
All of those interruptions might be motivational or they might be annoying. Lots of people prefer to get within the zone when exercising and audio backdrop is a key a part of that–both silence, a favourite playlist, or perhaps a podcast. However we’re fairly positive the characteristic will likely be non-compulsory, and a few exercisers will like it.
Reside Translation in Messages
Speaking of Apple Intelligence, that is additionally used to energy Reside Translation in Messages on the Apple Watch. When a textual content is available in and it’s not in your native language, the system will translate proper there in your watch; the response you enter in your individual language will then be translated again to the unique.
You do must have an iPhone that helps Apple Intelligence for this, nonetheless, so presumably the work isn’t truly taking place on the watch.
Apple
Sensible Stack
Apple says the Sensible Stack watch face is getting smarter, too. It incorporates extra information to energy its predictive algorithms, sucking in data from sensors and your every day routine, and has a brand new strategy to make hints about actions you would possibly wish to take. These will seem as what Apple describes as a “mild visible immediate,” popping up on the backside of the display and drawing the attention with its glassy, shiny look.
New wrist flick gesture
It is a enjoyable and doubtlessly helpful new characteristic: you’ll be able to dismiss notifications and calls, in addition to turning off timers and alarms, by flicking your wrist. It ought to make life simpler when your watch tries to get your consideration when you’re in the midst of a exercise or different exercise.
Exercise app
The all-important Exercise app has been redesigned. It’s very totally different, actually, with new buttons within the corners of the display to entry customization choices. As an everyday Exercise person, I’ve to say that it seems somewhat sophisticated and intimidating, however I belief it’s going to grow to be acquainted in time, and sure a extra highly effective device for organising exercises the way in which I would like them.
Apple
Now you can arrange music and podcasts from throughout the Exercise app in order that they begin enjoying whenever you begin exercising. Or, for those who’d somewhat not have to offer this any thought, you’ll be able to have Apple Music choose a playlist for you, based mostly in your listening historical past and the exercise sort. Or you’ll be able to view solutions based mostly on what you’ve listened to when doing the identical exercise up to now.
Apple
watchOS 26 is on the market now as a developer beta, and the general public beta will begin to roll out in July. It’s accessible for the Apple Watch Sequence 6 and later, the 2nd-gen Apple Watch SE, or any Apple Watch Extremely, the identical fashions supported with watchOS 11.
