Apple introduced its newest wearable software program platform, watchOS 26, at WWDC 2025 at a keynote on Monday. The most recent iteration of watchOS options the Liquid Glass design, bringing enhancements similar to Good Stack, Management Centre, the Photographs watch face, and extra. Apple has added an AI-powered Exercise Buddy to watchOS 26, which makes use of the wearer’s health information historical past to offer real-time, personalised insights throughout a exercise. The replace introduces a brand new structure for the Exercise app and an improved prediction algorithm for Good Stack. The watchOS 26 gives a wrist flick gesture to dismiss notifications.
WWDC 2025: Right here Are the High Options in WatchOS 26
watchOS 26 comes with Apple’s new Liquid Glass design. Good Stack widgets, Good Stack hints, notifications, Management Middle, and in-app controls and navigation incorporate the brand new design. The Photographs watch face could have numerals fabricated from Liquid Glass. Apple is introducing this new design language throughout its software program this .
Apple Intelligence-powered Exercise Buddy makes use of a consumer’s exercise information and their health historical past to generate personalised, motivational insights throughout their session. This function supplies a pep speak and marks key moments, similar to their mile splits. When a consumer finishes a exercise, Exercise Buddy will recap their exercise stats and congratulate them on their achievements.
Exercise Buddy will roll out on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones and wishes an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone close by. It helps fashionable exercises, together with indoor and out of doors working, strolling, biking, HIIT, and energy coaching, and can initially be accessible in English.
Additional, watchOS 26 provides 4 new buttons within the corners of the Exercise app. This may enable wearers to entry options to customize exercises, like Exercise Views, Customized Exercise, Pacer, Race Route, and extra. It additionally permits customers to arrange music and podcasts within the Exercise app to play throughout a exercise session. Apple Music will now counsel playlists primarily based on the kind of exercise and private style of the consumer.
Apple states that Good Stack is enhancing its prediction algorithms in watchOS 26 by incorporating extra contextual information, sensor information, and information from a consumer’s routine to offer Good Stack hints. The Good Stack hints undertake the Liquid Glass design, and it’ll seem on the show as a visible immediate.
watchOS 26 brings Dwell Translation to Messages to Apple Watch with Apple Intelligence. This AI-based function routinely interprets incoming texts right into a consumer’s most well-liked language proper on their wrist. This function might be accessible on Apple Watch Collection 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone.
Apple Watch now helps Dwell Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence
Photograph Credit score: Apple
With watchOS 26, Apple Watch suggests sensible actions in Messages primarily based on dialog context. Customisable backgrounds set on the iPhone will sync to the Apple Watch. Additional, customers can reply to polls immediately from their wrists. Good Replies are additionally getting enhancements in English, with the help of an improved on-device language mannequin that generates extra related responses primarily based on the content material of a dialog.
Notifications might be managed with a easy wrist flick gesture with the most recent replace. This function, designed for dismissing notifications and calls, silencing timers and alarms, and returning to the watch face, will work on the Apple Watch Collection 9, Apple Watch Collection 10, and Apple Watch Extremely 2.
Different notable updates embody bringing the Notes app to watchOS. This enables customers to pin, create, and unlock notes. Options like Maintain Help and Name Screening are additionally coming to Apple Watch with the most recent replace. Moreover, Dwell Hear helps reside captions, providing improved accessibility for customers who’re exhausting of listening to.
The Photographs face will now shuffle photographs primarily based on Featured content material from Photographs in watchOS 26. Watch faces will seem on the redesigned watch face gallery on Apple Watch and within the Watch app on iPhone.
The watchOS 26 replace might be accessible for builders in a beta model in the present day by way of the Apple Developer Program, whereas a public beta might be launched subsequent month. The watchOS 26 might be accessible this fall for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd technology), and all Apple Watch Extremely fashions, paired with iPhone 11 or later, working iOS 26.