Apple announces watchOS 26

Apple just announced watchOS 26, the latest version of its Apple Watch operating system, at its 2025 WWDC. It’s been updated with Liquid Glass, Apple’s new transparent design language; a new wrist flick gesture to dismiss notifications; and an AI-powered “Workout Buddy” that gives you pep talks as you exercise.

watchOS 26 is the follow-up to last year’s watchOS 11 release, but Apple has jumped its numbering up to match the upcoming year in a bid to standardize its operating system names, so that the watchOS numbering now matches iOS, macOS, and Apple’s other software platforms. As in previous years, developer access starts today, with a public beta to follow next month. The full release is coming this fall alongside the new Apple Watches.

Liquid Glass, the new design language Apple is introducing across its software this year, applies throughout the OS. The new transparent aesthetic will apply to widgets, notifications, the Control Center, in-app controls, and more. It’s also coming to the Photos watch face, which will now display transparent numerals that won’t block your view of the photos.

Notification management should be a little smoother thanks to a new gesture control. On an Apple Watch 9 or later, a flick of the wrist will dismiss notifications or incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, and take you back to your watch face.

There are also new fitness features. The Apple Intelligence-powered Workout Buddy uses workout and fitness data to generate not only personalized insights and advice, but pep talks, too. It’ll remind you what you’ve achieved in recent workouts and how close you are to your goals as you kick off an exercise session, let you know along the way if you cross a milestone, and recap your results at the end, letting you know if you hit a personal record along the way. It’ll work in English to start with, and across “the most popular” workout types.