At its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple introduced the newest 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 primarily based on the yr when the software program will primarily be in use. The brand new replace, which can launch to the general public in September and stick with it till the next fall, is called watchOS 26 after the yr 2026.
Liquid Glass: The massive redesign
Earlier within the keynote, Apple introduced a broad venture referred to 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 screen in Cupertino’s secure 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 means of the interface. Specular highlights make all the things 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 modify dimension dynamically to swimsuit the obtainable house in numerous images. The translucent design additionally reveals up in buttons inside Apple’s apps, in addition to notifications, widgets within the Sensible Stack, Management Heart 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 will likely imply it’ll seem user-friendly at first. In time we must always all get used to it.
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Exercise Buddy
We’ve complained up to now that the Apple Watch was omitted of the Apple Intelligence social gathering although 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 because 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 route. There’s a brand new function referred to as Exercise Buddy that analyzes your utilization information and health metrics to create customized insights and pep talks. Apple offers the next for example of what Exercise Buddy may provide:
“Option to get out in your run this Wednesday morning. You’re 18 minutes away from closing your Train ring. Up to now this week, you’ve run 6 miles. You’re going so as to add to that at the moment.”
That’s your motivation forward of a exercise, however the function gives contributions whilst you train, too. It is going to notify you of break up instances and milestones, such because the time for the final mile or the overall variety of miles run within the yr to date, for instance, “Mile 4. You picked up the tempo and ran that final one in 8 minutes and 28 seconds,” and “Hey, test this out. Your whole operating distance for the yr simply crossed the 200-mile mark! That’s a whole lot of operating!”
Then on the finish the assistant recaps your stats (distance, time, common tempo, coronary heart fee) and gives congratulations for any milestones or private bests.
All of those interruptions may very well be motivational or they may very well be annoying. Lots of people wish 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 function will likely be elective, and a few exercisers will find it irresistible.
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 have to have an iPhone that helps Apple Intelligence for this, nevertheless, so presumably the work isn’t really occurring 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 solution 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 screen and drawing the attention with its glassy, shiny look.
New wrist flick gesture
It is a enjoyable and probably helpful new function: you may 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 whilst you’re in the course of a exercise or different exercise.
Exercise app
The all-important Exercise app has been redesigned. It’s very completely different, in reality, with new buttons within the corners of the display screen to entry customization choices. As a daily Exercise consumer, I’ve to say that it seems moderately sophisticated and intimidating, however I belief it’ll turn out to be acquainted in time, and certain a extra highly effective instrument for organising exercises the way in which I need them.
Apple
Now you can arrange music and podcasts from inside the Exercise app in order that they begin taking part in whenever you begin exercising. Or, if you happen to’d moderately not have to present this any thought, you may have Apple Music choose a playlist for you, primarily based in your listening historical past and the exercise sort. Or you may view solutions primarily based on what you’ve listened to when doing the identical exercise up to now.
Apple
watchOS 26 is out there now as a developer beta, and the general public betas will begin to roll out in July. It’s obtainable 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.
