watchOS 26 Public Beta Now Available: Designed to Know You

by Emily Clarke July 29, 2025

Apple's watchOS 26 brings a stunning new design, smarter fitness and communication tools, and powerful everyday enhancements that make your Apple Watch more personal and intuitive than ever before.

A Fresh New Look with Liquid Glass

watchOS 26 introduces a beautiful Liquid Glass design that’s both intuitive and expressive, making interactions feel even more seamless.

Smart Stack Redefined: Enjoy a more fluid Smart Stack experience with refreshed visuals powered by Liquid Glass.
Control Center Upgrade: Streamlined and simplified, with translucent icons for quick access to key settings.
Refined In-App Controls: Translucent controls enhance focus on your content.
Stunning Watch Faces: A new photo watch face makes the time look beautiful while showcasing your favorite memories.

Fitness Features: Smarter Motivation

Stay motivated like never before with advanced fitness tools powered by Apple Intelligence.

Workout Buddy: A new AI-powered fitness companion that offers personalized encouragement using a Fitness+ trainer’s voice and your fitness history.
Milestone Celebrations: Get notified when you reach achievements like 500 miles.
Workout App Refresh: Four new corner buttons give you quicker access to Pacer, Race Route, Custom Workout, and Workout Buddy.
Music That Moves You: Apple Music recommends playlists based on your workout and preferences.

Stay Connected Effortlessly

watchOS 26 makes communication smarter and more contextual, so you can stay in touch without skipping a beat.

Live Translation: Messages are automatically translated into your preferred language with Apple Intelligence.
Backgrounds in Messages: Personalized message backgrounds now sync to Apple Watch.
Smart Actions: Messages can suggest relevant actions like sharing your location.
Call Management: Features like Call Screening and Hold Assist let you handle unknown or time-consuming calls more efficiently.

Everyday Magic on Your Wrist

watchOS 26 introduces new ways to interact with your watch, making daily tasks even more convenient.

Smart Stack Hints: Enhanced predictions provide timely suggestions based on your routine.
Wrist Flick Gesture: Rotate your wrist away to mute calls, silence timers, dismiss alerts, and more.
Automatic Volume Adjustment: Sounds adjust based on your surroundings, like quieting down in a meeting.
Notes App: Create or view notes directly from your watch, and even start one with Siri.

Even More to Explore

watchOS 26 continues to push boundaries with added features that enhance how you use your Apple Watch.

Featured Photos Shuffle: See meaningful photo memories with every wrist raise.
Redesigned Watch Face Gallery: Browse faces grouped into themes like Fitness, Photos, and Data Rich.
Custom Widgets: Configure widgets in your Smart Stack for quick access to what matters most.
Live Listen Transcription: Read live transcriptions from your iPhone on your Apple Watch.

Compatibility

watchOS 26 requires iPhone 11 or later (or iPhone SE 2nd generation or later) running iOS 26, and is compatible with the following Apple Watch models:

Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
Apple Watch Series 6
Apple Watch Series 7
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Watch Series 9
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch Ultra
Apple Watch Ultra 2