Apple's annual WWDC 2025 conference is officially set for June 9th, which means new Apple Watch features are likely just around the corner. WWDC is when we get our first official look at Cupertino's latest software, not just for Apple Watch, but for iPhone, iPad, iMac and more.
Last year's watchOS 11 release introduced loads of useful features. Several of my favorites include on-wrist translations, access to Apple's Check In safety tool, a global tide-tracking app and the ability to pause and adjust your fitness rings.
Apple also added a new Vitals app to streamline health monitoring tools into one handy dashboard.
The big news is that Apple wants to unify your experience across all of the company's operating systems including the Apple Watch as well as renaming the watchOS to a year-based system.
Instead of watchOS 12, we should be getting watchOS 26.
So, what cool new functions and apps does Cupertino have in store for this year's watchOS release? Rumors and leaks are light as of now, but we do have some insights. Read on for everything we know about watchOS 26 so far.
When will watchOS 26 launch?
With WWDC set for June 9th, there's a good chance that Apple will release a developer beta of the operating system available that same day, with a public beta likely to follow sometime in July.
Ultimately, the stage-ready version of watchOS 26 is likely to arrive in September, potentially alongside the brand's new line of smartwatches which could include and Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11.
What new features are possible from watchOS 26?
Rumors and leaks regarding watchOS 26 are minimal but that doesn't mean we're entirely in the dark when it comes to possible new features. Based on last year's watchOS 11 release and all the rumors about the next-gen Apple Watch models expected in 2025, here's what we can glean:
Redesigned interface
It's been rumored that Apple will announce a big design change for iOS, macOS and iPadOS which could makes its way to other Apple software including watchOS.
A report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg claims that the design, inspired by visionOS, will unify the look and feel of all of Apple's platforms. So using say the phone app on your iPhone should look and feel the same on your Apple Watch.
The changes have been referred to as "most dramatic overhaul" in Apple's history.
Alongside the change, we would get the year-based naming system with watchOS 26 joining iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, for example.
Currently, the various OSes all have different version numbers — iOS 18, macOS 15 and watchOS 12, to name a few. Under the new system, you wouldn't have to remember what version number a particular OS was on — you'd just have to refer to the year.
Better health monitoring tools
Rumors strongly suggest that Apple will introduce some sort of blood pressure monitoring tool in the next generation of Apple Watches with possible hypertension detection warnings. On the software side, support for such features could potentially be added to the existing Vitals app or within a new standalone app.
However, due to hardware needs, it seems unlikely that current Apple Watch models will gain either of these new medical monitoring tools via a watchOS 26 upgrade.
Then again, Apple did retroactively add sleep apnea detection to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 when the feature was announced for the Apple Watch Series 10. So, never say never.
New training metrics
watchOS 11 introduced a new Training Load metric to the Fitness app to help users better understand how the intensity of their workouts impacts their overall training progress.
Not only is it simple to use but it's also surprisingly insightful, particularly for the average user (rather than hardcore athletes, who may prefer something even more in-depth).
With the release of watchOS 26, additional workout and/or recovery metrics could be coming. For example, Apple is one of the only major smartwatch makers that doesn't provide users with a daily energy score. Samsung, Google and Garmin all do.
Often based on a combination of sleep quality data, overall holistic trends, and recent workouts, this score — generally on a scale from one to 100 — can be quite useful when planning one's day.
The Apple Watch Fitness app is also severely lacking when it comes to workout recovery insights and native stress-tracking tools. No word on whether watchOS 26 will introduce either but here's hoping.
Greater reliance on AI and maybe a smarter Siri
There aren't many Apple Intelligence features currently supported by the Apple Watch. One is AI-generated message summaries, which works pretty well in our testing but also requires users to have one of the latest iPhone models running iOS 18.1 or later.
watchOS 11 introduced a new Photos watch face experience that uses machine learning to suggest the best images for your background and even automatically arranges the watch face to complement the selected image. With watchOS 26, expect more AI-assisted features, similar to this, integrated within native apps.
watchOS 26 could also potentially bring some bigger Apple Intelligence features to the Apple Watch. However, older models, even those that support watchOS 26 may miss out on these AI bells and whistles due to a lack of processing power. Even so, I'm hoping watchOS 26 introduced at least one marquee AI enhancement worth writing home about.
That could come in the form of an overhauled Siri experience, something that Apple users (myself included) have no doubt been clamoring for. In fact, it was supposed to be a pillar of Apple's initial AI rollout last year but has since been delayed.
I'm sure you don't need me to tell you this but in its current iteration, Siri's track record for accuracy isn't stellar. Unfortunately, Siri 2.0 sounds like it still needs some serious work.
That said, a recent report from the Isreal-based The Verifer (and first spotted by Mac Rumors) suggests that if Apple Intelligence features do show up in an Apple Watch this year, it may be only the Ultra series that supports them, and possibly just the next-gen Ultra 3.
That same report also hints at watchOS undergoing a visual redesign with an emphasis on 'floating' elements and bold typefaces similar to visionOS.
Which Apple Watch models will support watchOS 26?
Apple is pretty good about maintaining software support for older Apple Watch models. For example, 2020's Apple Watch 6 works with the latest watchOS 11 release.
With the launch of watchOS 26, it seems likely all Apple Watch Series 7 models and newer will be eligible for the update. This list also likely includes the current Apple Watch SE (2022) and both Apple Watch Ultra models.
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