Apple has unveiled WatchOS 26 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, bringing the most comprehensive update to the Apple Watch platform in years. The update introduces long-awaited features alongside artificial intelligence enhancements and a complete visual overhaul that will transform how users interact with their wearable devices.
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| The new Notes app on Apple Watch, offering quick access to important notes and checklists |
Notes App Finally Arrives on Apple Watch
After years of user requests, Apple is introducing a dedicated Notes app to the Apple Watch with WatchOS 26. The app functions similarly to the existing Reminders application, displaying a list of recent notes with the ability to pin frequently accessed items to the top. Users can view standard Notes formatting including headings, emojis, and images directly on their wrist. The app supports interactive checklists, allowing users to check off items without reaching for their iPhone. New notes can be created using voice dictation or the on-screen keyboard, though typing on the small display may prove cumbersome for longer entries.
Liquid Glass Design Transforms Visual Experience
WatchOS 26 introduces Apple's broadest design update ever with the new Liquid Glass interface. This visual overhaul creates a fluid, transparent appearance across the entire Apple ecosystem, drawing inspiration from VisionOS. Icons, notifications, and Smart Stack elements will appear with a clear, glass-like quality that reflects and refracts light from wallpapers and surrounding elements. The design change affects everything from the lock screen to app pages, replacing the current opaque appearance with a more dynamic, light-responsive interface.
AI-Powered Fitness Features Enhance Workouts
The Fitness app receives significant artificial intelligence integration through the new Workout Buddy feature. This AI coach analyzes users' fitness history, paces, Activity Rings, and Training Load data to provide real-time insights and encouragement during exercise sessions. The feature supports various workout types including outdoor and indoor running, walking, cycling, HIIT, and strength training. Apple has also added four new customization buttons to the Workout app: Goals, Custom, Pacer, and Race Route, along with integrated playlist and podcast selection for workout sessions.
Smart Features Improve Daily Interactions
WatchOS 26 enhances the Smart Stack with improved prediction algorithms that incorporate sensor and routine data for better contextual suggestions. The system can now suggest specific workouts when entering a gym or activate Backtrack functionality in areas with poor cellular connectivity. Notifications become more intelligent by automatically adjusting volume based on ambient noise levels, preventing disruptive alerts in quiet environments.
Communication and Accessibility Enhancements
Live Translation powered by Apple Intelligence brings real-time conversation translation to Messages on the Apple Watch. The feature supports nine languages including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Chinese. Messages also gains contextual awareness, suggesting relevant actions like Check-In notifications or Apple Cash payments based on conversation content. A new Wrist Flick gesture joins the existing Double Tap feature, allowing users to dismiss notifications and calls with a simple wrist turn.
Compatibility and Availability
WatchOS 26 supports Apple Watch Series 6 and later models, including both Ultra versions and the second-generation Apple Watch SE. Users need an iPhone 11 or later for basic functionality, while AI-powered features require iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model with Apple Intelligence enabled. The update will be publicly available in fall 2025, though developer and public beta versions are currently accessible with the usual stability warnings for watchOS installations.
