Your Apple Watch Is Getting A Big Upgrade For Free - 8 Watchos 26 Features I'm Using Now

1 month ago

Black Apple Watch Series 10 pinch bluish band

Your iPhone, Apple Watch, and different Apple-owned devices are getting a large overhaul. The champion part? You won't person to salary a dime for them -- conscionable update your software.

Several caller features are coming to WatchOS 26, and nan nationalist beta package is now disposable for willing users to effort now, if you don't want to hold until nan charismatic motorboat later this fall.

Reddit users successful nan r/Apple Watch subreddit are already digging into nan latest update and commenting connected their astir and slightest favourite features. The features touch everything from Fitness to Messages, and see a awesome creation update crossed Apple's platforms for a much unified look and naming mechanisms that bespeak nan twelvemonth nan package debuts.

Also: The champion Apple Watch of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

In summation to WatchOS updates, Apple besides introduced AI characteristic developments, for illustration Live Translation and on-screen Visual Intelligence, for illustration Hold Assist for telephone calls and Polls for Messages. If you want to effort it out, make judge your Apple Watch supports WatchOS 26, and beryllium judge to backmost up your instrumentality beforehand.

Here are nan features we've enjoyed utilizing connected WatchOS 26 now that nan nationalist beta is live.

1. Liquid Glass creation update

Your Apple Watch interface, on pinch nan remainder of your Apple devices, is getting nan Liquid Glass creation treatment. Apple's "broadest creation update ever" introduces a fluid and clear across-platform show overhaul inspired by VisionOS's ocular interface. The thought is that nan Liquid Glass reflects aliases refracts immoderate is down aliases successful beforehand of it to create a transparent, glassy look.

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This will alteration really your Smart Stack, notifications, icons, and much appear. Icons connected your watch's fastener surface aliases app page will look clear alternatively of their existent opaque appearance, reflecting nan ray connected your wallpaper aliases connected apps.

Personally, I emotion nan measurement Liquid Glass appears connected my Series 10 smartwatch and find nan creation innovative and futuristic.

2. Apple Intelligence-infused Fitness

The adjacent clip you grounds a workout connected nan Fitness app, you'll person a individual fittingness coach waiting for you. AI-powered Workout Buddy uses your fittingness information history it gathers done nan app to supply you pinch real-time insights during your workout.

Workout Buddy quickly considers your fittingness history, paces, Activity Rings, Training Load, and much to present feedback and encouragement up of, during, and aft your exercise.

Also: I ran pinch nan Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch - here's nan amended AI coach

I tried retired nan characteristic connected a fewer runs, and was delighted by really subtle (and not annoying!) nan characteristic was. When Apple first announced it, I expected location would beryllium a sound successful my receptor passim my full workout, but it only pings maine during important moments of my workout, for illustration erstwhile I've tally different mile, aliases erstwhile my bosom complaint reaches a precocious zone.

I tin customize these features wrong nan Workout app, which besides sewage a small redesign itself. Each workout appears larger connected nan Apple Watch screen, truthful you tin easy click connected your workout of choice, group your Workout Buddy preferences, and customize nan Workout View for only nan astir applicable accusation astatine a glance.

Also: I compared nan champion smartwatches from Samsung, Google, and Apple - here's really Galaxy Watch 8 wins

It's astir clip Apple debuts an AI wellness characteristic that incorporates personalized information insights. Other wearables, for illustration Oura and Whoop have wellness coaches that create reports aliases customize activity recommendations based connected a user's activity levels and behaviors. I'm excited to trial retired this characteristic and spot really it compares to nan competition.

Workouts are besides getting a facelift pinch much customizable workout and title way features. Apple Watch users tin besides activate their Apple Music playlists successful nan Workout app by tapping nan euphony statement successful nan bottommost corner. This enables nan Autoplay feature, which automatically turns connected your tunes erstwhile you statesman your workout. I tin spot Spotify aliases Soundcloud adding support successful nan future.

3. Smart Stack improvements

Smart Stack's prediction algorithm is improving. It now includes much contextual data, for illustration sensor and regular data, to hint astatine definite apps aliases functionalities. For example, a Functional Strength Training workout mightiness popular up erstwhile you participate your gym successful nan morning, aliases nan Backtrack hint mightiness popular up erstwhile Apple Watch registers you're successful a location pinch nary cellular connectivity.

This characteristic is 1 of those elemental but effective examples of Apple Watch learning your routine, monitoring really you usage its technology, and implementing adjuvant suggestions conscionable erstwhile you request it.

Also: I was connected nan obstruction pinch nan Apple Watch 10, but these 3 features changed my mind

4. Notifications

Apple Watch Notifications are getting, thankfully, self-aware. Instead of loudly pinging you successful silent environments -- thing that perpetually happens to maine successful my quiet agency -- nan caller characteristic interprets nan ambient sound of your situation to set your notification measurement while delivering a matter aliases app update.

I've been wearing nan watch since updating to WatchOS 26 and I tin opportunity that this alteration has been truthful subtle that I haven't moreover noticed, but also, that mightiness beryllium nan full point.

5. Live Translation

Apple Intelligence brings Live Translation to Messages successful Apple Watch. The AI-powered characteristic translates conversations to a user's preferred connection connected their wrist.

The characteristic is disposable connected Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2, and it presently supports English (US, UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).

6. Messages

Apple Watch will usage nan discourse clues from your Messages to propose applicable actions, for illustration sending a Check-In erstwhile a personification is connected their measurement location aliases an Apple Cash pop-up erstwhile a friend sends you nan meal bill. Apple besides says that Smart Replies are getting moreover smarter pinch its on-device connection model, which provides "precise" and "relevant" responses to conversations.

7. Wrist Flick

Move over, Double Tap. A caller manus mobility conscionable dropped for nan Apple Watch. Wrist Flick is designed for dismissing notifications and calls, aliases soundlessness pings. All a personification has to do is move their wrist. I've utilized this a fewer times to disregard messages I don't want to reply to aliases calls from random numbers, and it's worked easily.

8. More updates crossed nan board

The Notes app arrives connected Apple Watch. As does Hold Assist and Call Screening, 2 caller iOS characteristic that notify personification to return to a telephone connected a telephone telephone clasp and surface chartless numbers. Live Listen, an accessibility characteristic for those deaf aliases difficult of hearing, provides unrecorded captions connected your iPhone utilizing audio that Apple Watch monitors.

Also: Every iPhone exemplary you tin update to iOS 26 (and which ones don't support it)

The Watch acts arsenic a distant power to commencement aliases region these conversations. Lastly, watch faces will beryllium easier to customize pinch a redesigned watch look gallery, and photograph faces usage civilization contented to shuffle images connected your watch screen.

Which Apple Watch models support WatchOS 26?

You'll request an iPhone 11 aliases later aliases iPhone SE successful summation to pursuing Apple Watches. Keep successful mind that immoderate Apple Intelligence-powered features, for illustration Live Translation and Workout Buddy, require 1 of nan pursuing iPhone models: each iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Max pinch Apple Intelligence enabled.