There’s little doubt that iOS 26 stole the highlight at this 12 months’s Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC). Whereas Apple’s first presentation of the occasion was an summary of its new “Liquid Glass” design, it instantly segued into the iPhone working system and the way it’s benefiting from the fashionable new overhaul.
Nonetheless, Apple’s adjustments are coming to its whole ecosystem. Whereas watchOS 26 has much less want for a change — it already underwent a design overhaul two years in the past in watchOS 10 — it’s not being utterly disregarded of the social gathering. Liquid glass means extra translucent parts on the Good Stack, however these are removed from essentially the most vital adjustments on this 12 months’s wearable working system.
The rumors main as much as the debut of watchOS 26, which will get a brand new unifying quantity for the subsequent technology of Apple’s working methods, pointed extra to the Apple Watch gaining new AI options. Whereas some dreamed of full Apple Intelligence assist, that half all the time appeared unlikely as a result of lack of a sufficiently highly effective chip. Different Apple Intelligence gadgets require nothing much less beefy than an Apple M-series or A17 Professional or later, and even the S10 chip within the newest Apple Watch Sequence 10 is a far cry from that.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply it lacks the ability to assist some AI options. Two years in the past, with the Apple Watch Sequence 9, Apple launched a neural engine into its S-series chips to energy on-device Siri and privacy-focused well being queries. There’s undoubtedly extra this chip can do, and Apple confirmed us a few of that immediately in its watchOS 26 preview.
Exercise Buddy: Health Will get a Pep Discuss
The marquee characteristic for this 12 months’s watchOS 26 launch is what Apple calls “Exercise Buddy,” an AI coach supposed to encourage customers to remain match.
That is removed from the “AI physician” and full well being teaching service we’ve heard rumored. Apple continues to be reportedly exhausting at work on that; Exercise Buddy looks like a delicate first step towards that objective.
Exercise Buddy makes use of Apple Intelligence to investigate knowledge out of your earlier exercises and your health historical past. This contains the wealth of knowledge you see in your Well being app, comparable to tempo, miles logged, what number of occasions you’ve closed your rings, exercise coronary heart charge, VO2 max, and extra. It then takes the info out of your present exercise, rolls all of it into Apple Intelligence, and spurs you on utilizing a text-to-speech mannequin educated utilizing voice knowledge from an Apple Health+ coach of your selection.
Primarily, it’s like having a private coach in your wrist that is aware of your targets, remembers your previous exercises, and is aware of precisely when to push you by providing encouragement by means of your AirPods.
For instance, while you begin a exercise session, you’ll hear a pleasant recap of what you’ve carried out recently with some encouragement, comparable to “That is your second run this week. You are able to do it!” It should additionally cheer you on as you hit new targets and summarize your exercise on the finish, providing useful recommendations for enhancing your efficiency and striving to satisfy your aims.
From watching Apple’s WWDC25 keynote, we suspect individuals could also be divided on whether or not that is useful, annoying, or downright creepy. Nonetheless, the excellent news is that we think about will probably be fully optionally available.
It’s additionally value mentioning that this isn’t as “on-device” as you could suppose. As we talked about, the S10 chip within the Apple Watch isn’t all that highly effective, and that is doubtless properly past its capabilities. Because of this, you doubtless gained’t be capable to use this while you’re working with solely your Apple Watch; Apple says within the tremendous print that it requires an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone close by — which means an iPhone 15 Professional or iPhone 16 collection or later mannequin. It additionally solely works in English (for now), and also you’ll must be carrying Bluetooth headphones, even if you happen to’re utilizing an Apple Watch Sequence 10 with its built-in speaker.
Simplified Exercises and Higher Music
The Exercise app has additionally been simplified with a cleaner format, making it simpler to create and name up customized exercises.
Extra considerably, Apple can also be serving to you discover the proper beats to your run with a mode that robotically chooses an acceptable soundtrack to your exercises. You possibly can let the Exercise app shock you by choosing one thing by itself, or select from a listing of really useful playlists. In fact, it’s also possible to nonetheless name up your personal music.
Good Stack Will get Smarter
Apple launched the Good Stack two years in the past in watchOS 10, successfully changing the Siri watch face (which in the end disappeared) to allow you to see data from any watch face at a look.
In watchOS 26, Apple is taking it one step additional by making it much more predictive. Good Stack already has some contextual consciousness, however now will probably be in a position to pull in additional on-device knowledge, location data, and traits out of your every day routine to supply much more useful prompts.
For instance, a Exercise widget will seem on the health club, or if you happen to stray off the crushed path, the Backtrack characteristic will quietly slide into view. Apple guarantees the recommendations will probably be extra well timed, providing widgets which might be instantly helpful in no matter second you’re in.
Do Extra With a Flick of Your Wrist
When you put on an Apple Watch Sequence 9 or later, you most likely already know the way helpful the Double Faucet gesture might be. Nonetheless, there are additionally occasions when it feels a bit restricted. As an example, a Double Faucet out of your watch face will name up the Good Stack and scroll by means of it, however there’s no solution to dismiss it.
Double Faucet followers will probably be completely happy to know that Apple has provide you with one other gesture to enhance the two-finger faucet: a wrist flick. With watchOS 26, you’ll be capable to do issues like mute incoming calls, silence timers, and dismiss notifications with merely a flick of your wrist.
It’s a small however considerate characteristic that makes it simpler to work together together with your Watch one-handed, particularly when the opposite hand is filled with groceries or gripping a subway pole. It should hopefully deal with all these complicated moments while you wish to use the Double Faucet gesture however notice the default choice isn’t the one you wish to activate.
Translation on Your Wrist
Apple is including Dwell Translation to the iPhone in iOS 26, and it’s bringing the Apple Watch alongside for the trip.
As with the Messages app on the iPhone, the watchOS 26 Message app will robotically translate incoming messages in a overseas language whereas additionally letting you reply in your personal language and have your outbound messages translated on the fly. Once more, that is all dealt with on-device for privateness, however on this case, the “gadget” isn’t your Apple Watch; just like the Exercise Buddy, you’ll must be utilizing an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone mannequin together with your Apple Watch.
Good Replies within the Messages and Mail apps may also get an AI enhance, so that you’ll get recommendations which might be truly related to the dialog, not simply “Okay” or “Thanks!”
Lastly, a Notes App
It solely took a decade, however Apple has lastly introduced the Notes app to the Apple Watch. You possibly can create new notes, verify off gadgets in a guidelines, and browse your pinned notes — all out of your wrist.
Whereas Reminders has been out there on the Apple Look ahead to years, some of us want to create extra free-form lists in Notes, so this lastly fills that hole. You can even inform Siri to begin a brand new observe while you’re on the go — one thing that solely type of works now and depends fully in your paired iPhone.
Will My Watch Run watchOS 26?
The excellent news is that watchOS 26 isn’t leaving any fashions behind this 12 months. In case your wearable runs watchOS 11, you’ll be capable to replace it to watchOS 26 when it arrives. Meaning an Apple Watch Sequence 6 or later, a second-generation Apple Watch SE, or an Apple Watch Extremely mannequin.
In fact, not all options will probably be out there to everybody. Some extra superior options — particularly something powered by Apple Intelligence — require a Sequence 9 or Watch Extremely 2, paired with an iPhone 15 Professional or later.
When Is watchOS 26 Coming?
Apple is sticking with its typical launch cycle this 12 months, which suggests we are able to count on to see a public launch of watchOS 26 this fall, alongside the Apple Watch Sequence 11. A developer beta is obtainable immediately, however we strongly suggest towards going anyplace close to it until you will have a spare Apple Watch mendacity round. Not like different Apple gadgets, there’s no going again when you replace an Apple Watch, and early betas might be notoriously unstable — on the very least, you’ll most likely discover elevated battery drain.
A public beta is anticipated in July, which is the purpose at which Apple deems its working system releases secure sufficient for normal consumption, with the same old caveats that they most likely gained’t brick your watch, however there are nonetheless no ensures.