At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced it used to be changing the sequential numbering for OS variations and with yr numbers. So as an alternative of watchOS 12, I’ve spent the previous two weeks with the general public beta of watchOS 26. The naming scheme shift is refined, yet useful — which is how I’d describe the upgrades the brand new device brings to the Apple Watch. The AI-powered Exercise Good friend higher contextualizes your Health information and an added gesture offers the watch a a laugh trick that’s if truth be told useful. Different upgrades — together with higher good replies and the Liquid Glass remedy — all mix to make the watch paintings and glance just a little higher than it did sooner than. It’s now not a game-changing shift, like different OS 26 releases, but it surely manages to make an ideal watch a marginally higher.
Luminous Liquid Glass
Each and every Apple running gadget were given the Liquid Glass remedy this yr, together with watchOS 26. The trade is much less noticeable at the Apple Watch than at the iPhone or iPad, although. You’ll understand the semi-transparent buttons and flowy motion when getting into your password and opening the regulate heart — the icons appear to be they’re surrounded in little drops of water, which is somewhat beautiful. You’ll see it at the Pictures watch face, too, particularly if you choose the “glass” colour for the time readout.
The Liquid Glass remedy for the Pictures watch face.
(Amy Skorheim for Engadget)
The Sensible Stack now has a liminal glow and the app icons are likewise a marginally extra luminous than sooner than. The impact is refined and properly unifies the glance of the watch and its better half iPhone. Like any design upgrades, Liquid Glass made me really feel like I used to be the usage of a brand new watch — although, like the entirety, the newness wore off after every week or two.
Remodeled Exercise app combines AI stats with a DJ
Along with the Good friend, the Exercise app has a brand new glance with icons in every of the 4 corners of the display screen that come up with more uncomplicated get admission to to regulate your information view, play song, set targets and tweak Good friend settings. My favourite new function is within the song menu and it’s restricted to Apple Song for now. In the event you faucet the song icon, you’ve gotten the way to auto-play song. From there, you’ll be able to additionally make a choice “Picked for you” or “Select media.” The previous will make a choice song that fits the kind of exercise you’re doing and what you prefer to hear. As any individual who will get derailed from just about all my duties when I’ve to engage with my telephone, I recognize the rest that may make selections for me and save you me from attaining for it.
I used to be introduced with peppy beats that matched the cadence of my run, from bands and artists that have been acquainted in addition to new-to-me picks that are compatible my tastes. Sadly, it didn’t all the time paintings accurately. Every now and then I’d get no song, different occasions the song would play however the Exercise Good friend would fall silent. I understand I’m trying out a public beta of watchOS 26, so I’m conserving out hope the function will paintings at release. As a result of when it labored, it used to be superb.
The brand new Exercise app format.
(Amy Skorheim for Engadget)
The brand new Exercise Good friend is most certainly the most important AI play in watchOS 26. It makes use of historic and real-time information accumulated through your watch to come up with a window into the way you’re appearing in the beginning, finish and all the way through a exercise. It really works for strolling, working, biking and different workout routines yet calls for headphones and a close-by Apple Intelligence-appropriate iPhone. That gave me pause. I hate sporting stuff and/or sticking issues in my ears after I run. However after obtaining some open earbuds and digging out my previous Spibelt, I made it paintings.
There are 3 voices to make a choice from as of this writing, a vibrant female possibility, a British male-sounding one and any other female-presenting model with a decrease sign up. Those have been constructed on vocal information from Health+ running shoes and feature an original sound to them. At first of a exercise, you’ll get a temporary pep speak together with some fresh milestones. My pre-game strolling and working talks incorporated references to the day of the week, my location and collected health information. For instance, “Option to get in the market on a Wednesday morning stroll in Albuquerque. To this point this week, you’ve achieved 3 strolling workout routines. Let’s get in some steps!”
Relying on the kind of workout, you’ll be able to set goal levels for cadence, center price, velocity, distance, energy (biking), time and others. All over a exercise, the AI will mean you can know should you’re at, under or above the ones ranges. The primary time I attempted Exercise Good friend, my run used to be somewhat lonely. I didn’t understand I needed to flip at the Good friend, in addition to the more than a few purpose metrics throughout the Exercise app. I did that and, on my subsequent run, the AI delivered cadence and center price updates, and let me know after I hit milestones like distance and period.
On the finish of a exercise, you’ll see a considering animation because the AI assembles a abstract. It’ll recap information like your tempo, distance, reasonable and height center price, in addition to growth for your Task rings. It’ll additionally indicate comparisons or cumulative milestones you’ll have hit. For instance, after an extended stroll, it instructed me that I’d simply burned probably the most energy on a stroll thus far. Some other day, it instructed me I’d walked ten miles thus far this week. It closes the replace through encouraging you to take the power into the remainder of your day or one thing in a similar fashion sure yet measured.
That’s a large development over the primary few occasions I used the function. My first few pep talks have been cloying, telling me one thing alongside the traces of “It’s now not simple to get in the market early within the morning!” and “Your effort is inspiring!” Once I stopped a run early to fuss with settings, it instructed me I did a “Nice task!” on a three-minute run. Fortunately, Apple seems to be tweaking the Good friend in the back of the scenes, calibrating the AI’s “persona.” Contemporary pep talks have turn into noticeably much less sycophantic and due to this fact extra stress-free. I believe the Good friend will solely proceed to conform much more from right here.
The Exercise Good friend isn’t a trainer
The Exercise Good friend is a motivational enjoy that gives customized insights you’ll be able to use to gauge your efficiency. However I simply completed checking out Samsung’s AI working trainer at the Galaxy Watch and couldn’t lend a hand evaluating the 2. That trainer driven me to run 5 kilometers for the primary time in my lifestyles. The Good friend made me really feel like I’d achieved one thing particular simply by taking my canine on a walk. Each have their position, yet I’d say Apple’s model is most certainly best possible for many who already know what their targets are and what they want to do to hit them. Samsung’s model could also be higher for freshmen who need some lend a hand shaping their health adventure.
Along with the Good friend, the Exercise app has a brand new glance with icons in every of the 4 corners of the display screen that come up with more uncomplicated get admission to to regulate your information view, play song, set targets and tweak Good friend settings. My favourite new function is within the song menu and it’s restricted to Apple Song for now. In the event you faucet the song icon, you’ve gotten the way to auto-play song. From there, you’ll be able to additionally make a choice “Picked for you” or “Select media.” The previous will make a choice song that fits the kind of exercise you’re doing and what you prefer to hear. As any individual who will get derailed from just about all my duties when I’ve to engage with my telephone, I recognize the rest that may make selections for me and save you me from attaining for it.
I used to be introduced with peppy beats that matched the cadence of my run, from bands and artists that have been acquainted in addition to new-to-me picks that are compatible my tastes. Sadly, it didn’t all the time paintings accurately. Every now and then I’d get no song, different occasions the song would play however the Exercise Good friend would fall silent. I understand I’m trying out a public beta of watchOS 26, so I’m conserving out hope the function will paintings at release. As a result of when it labored, it used to be superb.
Extra hands-free a laugh with wrist flick
I like the double faucet gesture Apple offered with the Apple Watch Collection 9 — it’s a excitement to prevent timers, get started auto-detected workout routines and solution calls with out getting my different hand concerned. However it took some apply sooner than I may just reliably get the watch to acknowledge the gesture. (The trick is elevating your wrist in an exaggerated checking-the-time movement then briefly, yet now not too briefly, tapping your thumb and finger in combination two times.)
Fortunately, the brand new Wrist Flick movement offered in watchOS 26 takes almost no effort to get proper. It comes to briefly turning the again of your wrist clear of you and again up once more. Doing that may silence a decision, forestall a ringing timer, disregard notifications and go back you to the watch face from any app you open. It additionally makes the ones frustrating useful “Time to face!” reminders move away. The wrist flick doesn’t transparent indicators, simply dismisses them — so the crimson indicator dot disappears, however the notification stays and you’ll be able to see it should you swipe down. Simply be aware that it’s solely to be had to Apple Watch Collection 9, 10 and the Extremely 2.
An illustration of clearing notifications with the wrist flick gesture
(Amy Skorheim for Engadget)
Wrist flick is a brilliant function — although you need to be aware that Android wearables since WearOS 2 had a identical function for some time now. And I’d like to peer Apple undertake extra hands-free interactions like this. Apple already has many gesture-based controls as a part of its present AssistiveTouch function. Movements like fist clenches, wrist tilts and unmarried or double faucets can regulate many of the navigation at the watch. Sadly, turning on AssistiveTouch turns off the common double faucet function. I’d be considering seeing one thing that splits the adaptation. In all probability 4 or 5 gestures for elementary purposes that can be utilized along side display screen enter.
Smarter replies may just make Messages a usable watch app
The Apple Watch is superb for studying texts, yet replying is awkward. That tiny keyboard is an interface for ants — even talk-to-text enter is inefficient because it’s difficult to proper errors. Sensible Replies are little canned responses that seem as tips under the answer box. The ones aren’t new, yet now Collection 9 watches and later will use an progressed on-device language fashion to get a hold of related bits of textual content you’ll be able to ship with a faucet.
Along with the selections which can be all the time introduced — K, Sure, No, Thanks and Can I name you later? — I noticed such things as “Adequate, let me know” and “That’s so candy!” either one of which carried out to their respective conversations. I wasn’t all the time given Sensible Answer tips, and a few of them weren’t very related, yet once more, it’s an ideal function that may save time when it really works.
Some other Messages replace is a carryover from iOS 26 (and borrowed from numerous different messaging apps). You’ll be able to now set customized backgrounds for every of your (Apple-only) contacts. Simply be aware that no matter you place will probably be noticed through all contributors within the dialog, after they replace to iOS 26. For your watch, the photograph, gradient or trend you select carries over on your conversations. Now not solely does it glance pleasant, I in finding backgrounds lend a hand me not to unintentionally textual content my mother one thing I supposed to ship to my sister.
Backgrounds are actually to be had in Messages.
(Amy Skorheim for Engadget)
Notes have arrived
The Notes app is now on Apple Watch. I in truth hadn’t spotted the shortage sooner than this — I do know there are many Notes fanatics in the market, yet in my global, Alexa handles all reminder and buying groceries checklist tasks. Nonetheless, I will be able to see how the brand new integration may just come in useful. After making a easy buying groceries tick list within the iOS Notes app, I opened the checklist on my watch whilst I used to be buying groceries and located it a ways more uncomplicated to test issues off on my wrist than dragging out my telephone each time I caught one thing in my cart.
I’m curious to peer whether or not Apple’s progressed prediction algorithms for the brand new OS will ultimately upload Notes to my Sensible Stack tips when I open the Notes app a couple of occasions on the grocery retailer. Because it stands now, the Notes widget will pop up first within the Sensible Stack if that’s the final app you used.
The remainder of the brand new stuff
Face Gallery
The iPhone Watch app has a brand new glance and now organizes watch faces through class as an alternative of through title. Groupings come with New, Blank, Information-rich, Pictures and Well being and Health, amongst others. It’s surely an development, yet person who makes you marvel why it wasn’t all the time like this.
The Watch Face gallery is categorised now.
(Amy Skorheim for Engadget)
Adaptive sound
Some other nice-but-obvious replace adjusts the amount of pings and beeps to suit the surroundings — quieter in a noiseless place of work and louder at a raucous BBQ. I set a timer to head off when I used to be quietly operating at my table and alternatively with loud song enjoying and I couldn’t in point of fact inform the adaptation. However that’s a troublesome metric for the common-or-garden human ear to pass judgement on. Once more, it is a function reserved for Collection 9 fashions and later.
Sensible Stack
The Sensible Stack will now upload a small steered on your watch face when it detects sure eventualities. For instance, should you open the digital camera app for your telephone, a small digital camera icon seems on the backside of your watch display screen, as an offer to open the faraway shutter. Apple offers different examples, equivalent to appearing the exercise icon while you arrive at your same old pilates studio or the Back down navigation function while you adventure clear of mobile connectivity.
I didn’t see the steered very frequently, yet I did understand that the Sensible Stack rearranged itself in step with my behavior — equivalent to placing the drugs widget on the best of the stack proper across the time it used to be time to take my prescription, or shuffling Shazam to the highest when it hears song enjoying.
Siri remains to be Siri
Coming contemporary off of reviewing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, I will be able to’t lend a hand yet understand a stark distinction between that wearable’s totally built-in, AI-powered Gemini and Apple’s same-old Siri. Gemini at the Samsung watch helped me in finding new stuff in my town, carried out convoluted duties and spoke back some beautiful esoteric questions. I take advantage of Siri on my watch to reliably set timers, textual content folks and upload occasions to my calendar. However it’s now not somewhat at the stage of Gemini’s contextually-aware, generative features that may engage with a couple of apps. Asking one thing like “The place must I’ve lunch?” gave me a listing of companies with lunch within the title adopted through Siri asking me: “Which one?” Now not certain what that supposed. Gemini, then again, gave me native and related concepts for puts I’d if truth be told need to consume.
Even sooner than AI swallowed everybody’s thoughts, I had a cushy spot for virtual assistants. When Alexa sings the “You’re very, very, oh so very welcome” music, I am getting a dopey smile on my face. I’ve attempted to like Siri, yet I am getting annoyed through being misunderstood, misdirected, misheard and flat-out omitted. I do know Apple doesn’t love to unencumber new tech till it’s totally as much as snuff, and I’m having a look ahead to seeing what after all occurs with new Siri. However for now, the disparity presentations.
Wrap-up
The adjustments watchOS 26 brings to the Apple Watch are possibly now not as grand as the ones for different Apple gadgets. Liquid Glass right here isn’t as all-encompassing as it’s at the iPhone. The brand new watch options don’t make the wearable after all understand its complete doable like iPad OS 26 does for the pill. And there isn’t one primary function improve that transforms the watch enjoy, like macOS 26 does with Highlight on Macs.
However the updates do push the enjoy of the usage of the watch ahead. Liquid Glass is beautiful and properly ties the wearable with its better half gadgets. The Exercise app, which used to be already excellent at monitoring health metrics, is even higher with the Exercise Good friend, offering stat summaries and automatic playlists. Advanced good replies for Messages and the addition of the Notes app repair two of the watch’s earlier shortcomings. And the wrist flick provides an alternative choice for hands-free interplay and — I am hoping — is a precursor to extra such application. I’m nonetheless conserving out hope for an progressed, personable and useful Siri as soon as Apple is in a position, yet for now, those are all welcome upgrades for what’s already the business’s best possible general smartwatch.
