During Apple’s WWDC keynote event today in Cupertino, company execs announced, among many other things, the latest Apple Watch software: watchOS 12, er, watchOS 26. Like iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the rest, the latest generation of watchOS will now be appended with the upcoming year, instead of a sequential number. What would have been watchOS 12, is now watchOS 26.
Aside from the new name, there’s a new look for watchOS, too. Apple gave its entire suite of software a redesign, one that takes aesthetic cues and draws on the “physicality and richness” of visionOS, the software used in the company’s VR headset, the Vision Pro. It’s the biggest redesign since iOS 7. The look is called “liquid glass” and dynamically reacts to movement and responds to the content on screen. Menus will better fit to the rounded corners of the hardware. Notifications and other information now involve translucent backgrounds, giving the interface a glass-like appearance.
The watchOS 26 also brings new features including Workout Buddy, an AI that will verbally talk you through your next run while also congratulating you on your accomplishments. The text-to-speech model is built on the voices of Fitness+ trainers and draws on data from your Workout and Health history. This is one of the first significant applications of Apple Intelligence to the Apple Watch. Workout Buddy will require an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby along with Bluetooth headphones connected to your watch.
Apple Intelligence upgrades will also make the Smart Stack more useful with a predictive algorithm that gathers information such as your location, time of day and routine to better bring up relevant apps in the Stack. The example given was showing you a workout card when you arrive at the gym in the morning.
In addition to the overall “liquid glass” revamp, the Workout app itself is getting a redesign with new buttons in each corner that should make it easier to customize your workouts. The app can also select an Apple Music playlist on your behalf based on the workout and your recent listening history.
Apple’s AI will make Messages smarter in watchOS 26. Now, an analysis of your incoming messages will generate suggested replies, expanding on the current suite of quick replies — meaning you may actually want to use one of the canned responses. That should make it easier to communicate without puling out your phone. That’s currently only available for devices with the language set to English.
Live Translation is also coming to Apple Watch. Incoming messages will be automatically displayed in your preferred language — and your outgoing messages will likewise translate for the person you’re chatting with.
A couple of minor, but fun, updates include a redesigned watch face gallery and an updated Photos face that focuses on Featured content from your Photos library.
A new gesture will also let you dismiss messages — or other notifications — that you’re not ready to deal with by flicking your wrist. A quick twist of your wrist away from you and back will return you to the watch screen. The wrist flick is available on the Series 9, Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
This latest suite of features join those announced during last year’s WWDC, in which Apple previewed watchOS 11. The best of the bunch (for me anyway) was the ability to pause your Rings for a day in the Activity app. Other features included a Training Load metric that rates your efforts during exercise, comparing it with your output over time, and the Vitals app, which tracks overnight health metrics for those who wear their watch to bed.
Comparatively, the new features for watchOS 26 seem a bit more substantial than last year, particularly now that we’re finally seeing Apple Intelligence making its way onto the wearable. Combined with the new liquid glass redesign, the new update feels significant this year, above just a general refresh.
The latest Apple Watch software will be available to those who are part of Apple’s Beta software program starting next month. Developers will have access staring today. Everyone else should see watchOS 26 as a free software update this fall. It’ll be available for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and both Apple Watch Ultra models. The update requires a paired iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26, but the features that rely on Apple Intelligence (Workout Buddy, Live Translation) will require a paired iPhone 15 Pro or Max or any iPhone 16.
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