At its WWDC 2025 Keynote, Apple announced the latest Watchos update to Apple Watch. The new software sees more AI elements than ever countries on the clock as well as an important aesthetic redesign.
And yes, as expected, Cupertino is changed from traditional version numbers (the previous update, Watchos 11, was the 11th annual update) to those based on the year when the software will primarily be in use. The new update, which will be launched to the public in September and will continue until the following fall, is called Watchos 26 after the year 2026.
Liquid Glass: The Great Redesign
Earlier in the keynote speaker, Apple announced a broad project called Liquid Glass, a sweeping cross-platform redesign that affects the interfaces on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV … and Apple Watch. So the smallest screen in Cupertino’s stable gets a new look at the same time as the larger and more expensive products.
Liquid Glass draws inspiration from Vision Pro and includes a number of visual and interactive changes. More UI elements than before are translucent, with menus and buttons constructed as layers that bridge and reflect the colors and shapes below. Furniture is rounded and dynamic, shrinking and expanded as you navigate through the interface. Speculable highlights make everything look shiny.
Apple Watch has less room to show this new design than the other affected products, but Watchos 26 is still looking out of previous iterations. The speakers on guard surfaces have the signature glass -like look, and in the pictures they stand dynamic in size to fit the available space in different photos. The transparent design also appears in buttons in Apple’s apps, as well as messages, Widgets in Smart Stack, Control Center change and more.
In short, Watchos 26 looks great. But it also seems somewhat unknown because so many elements have been redesigned and it may mean that it seems to be user -friendly at first. Over time, we should all get used to it.
Apple
Training mate
We have previously complained that Apple Watch was omitted by the Apple Intelligence Party, although it seems to be most suitable to take advantage of the technology. The arrival of Watchos 26 does not give Watch the full Apple Intelligence experience, presumably due to a lack of treatment force, but there are more AI elements than ever before.
This is a fitness -focused product, it is not surprising that Apple Intelligence is mainly aimed at that direction. There is a new feature called Training mate This analyzes your use data and fitness measurements to create personal insight and PEP conversations. Apple gives the following as an example of which training mate could offer:
“Way to get out to your race this Wednesday morning. You’re 18 minutes away from closing your training ring. So far this week you’ve run 6 miles. You’ll add it today.”
It is your motivation in front of a workout, but the feature offers contributions while also training. It will notify you of split times and milestones, such as the time for the last mile or the total number of miles that have been run in the year so far, for example, “Mile Four. You took the pace and ran the last in 8 minutes and 28 seconds,” and “Hello, check this.
Then eventually the assistant regains your statistics (distance, time, average pace, heartbeat) and gives congratulations to all milestones or personal best.
All of these interruptions can be motivating or they could be annoying. A lot of people like to get in the zone when exercising and sound backgrounds are an important part of it – either silence, a favorite playlist or even a podcast. But we are pretty sure the feature will be optional and some trainer will love it.
Live translation in messages
When we talk about Apple Intelligence, this is also used to run live translation in messages on Apple Watch. When a text comes in and it is not in your native language, the system is translated right there on your watch; The answer you enter in your own language will then be translated back into the original.
However, you need to have an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence for this, so presumably the work is actually not happening on the clock.
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Smart stack
Apple says Smart Stack Watch Face is also getting smarter. It incorporates more data to drive its predictable algorithms, suck information from sensors and your daily routine and have a new way of making hints about actions you might take. These appear as the one that Apple describes as a “gentle visual prompt”, appears at the bottom of the screen and pulls the eye with its glassy, ​​shiny look.
New wrist flick gesture
This is a fun and potentially useful new feature: You can reject messages and calls as well as turn off timers and alarms by flicking your wrist. It should make life easier when your watch tries to get your attention while you are in the middle of a workout or other activity.
Training app
The very important training app has been redesigned. In fact, it is very different with new buttons in the corners of the screen to access customization options. As a regular training user, I have to say that it looks pretty complicated and scary, but I trust it will be well known in time, and probably a more powerful tool for setting up training as I want them.
Apple
You can now configure music and podcasts within the training app so they start playing when you start training. Or, if you would rather not have to take this thought, you can get Apple Music to choose a playlist for you, based on your listening story and the training type. Or you can see suggestions based on what you have listened to when performing the same training in the past.
Apple
Watchos 26 is now available as a developer beta and the public beta will start rolling out in July. It is available for the Apple Watch series 6 and later, 2. Gen-APPL Watch View or any Apple Watch Ultra, the same models supported with Watchos 11.