watchOS 26 brings motivation trainer, new design and more convenience

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There will be no watchOS 12: The system name jumps directly from watchOS 11 to 26, which means Apple is standardizing the version numbers of its systems, including iOS 26 and macOS 26, and aligning them with the upcoming year. Apple announced this at the WWDC 2025 keynote.

"Liquid glass" as the new design

All systems will have another new feature, the "Liquid Glass" design. On the watch, it is intended to provide a new look on the one hand, while retaining a sense of familiarity on the other. The first preview that Apple showed at the event confirmed this statement: icons, control center, smart stacks are very similar to the familiar and look much more modern thanks to the transparency. For some Watch owners, this might be just the right thing, while others were probably hoping for bigger changes.

AI fitness trainer in the Apple Watch

"Workout Buddy" is the name of the motivational trainer in watchOS 26. The function accesses the training data and analyzes the progression from pace to training load. According to Apple, Apple Intelligence evaluates the information and creates motivational sayings such as "Great that you continued your running training this Wednesday morning. You're 18 minutes away from closing your training ring."

During a training session, the buddy can display personalized live information such as: "Six kilometers. You've got faster and covered the last kilometer in eight minutes and 28 seconds." At the end of the training session, a summary is sent to the connected headphones. The latter are mandatory if you want to benefit from Workout Buddy. However, they do not have to be AirPods; you can also connect other Bluetooth earbuds to the watch.

Apple has also changed the layout and navigation in the training app. Four new buttons in the corners of the app should enable users to access their personal favorite features such as training views, race track and more more quickly. Apple Music can also call up the appropriate playlist based on the type of training and personal taste in music.

More convenience in watchOS 26

With the system update, the developer also wants to improve operation via the Smart Stack, which already displays currently relevant widgets: Thanks to better prediction algorithms, which incorporate additional data from sensors and the user's routine, the stack and notifications are "even more proactive" according to Apple.

Messages can be managed in the blink of an eye – - literally. When you lift your wrist to look at a notification, you can quickly turn it around and back again to hide the notification, Apple explains the function. This gesture can be used to dismiss notifications and incoming calls, deactivate timers and alarms and return to the watch face.

In addition, the volume of the loudspeaker adapts to the ambient noise, for example for alarms, Siri or incoming calls. A translation function translates cryptic chat messages into your own language, including German. However, you need at least a Watch Series 9, 10 or Ultra 2 for live translation; the SE is no help here. And the Notes app is finally coming to the Apple Watch, so you can view your shopping list written on the iPad on the watch.

watchOS 26 will be released in the fall

As usual, Apple plans to release the software update in the fall. The manufacturer has promised a public beta for July, and developers can already test the first version now. At least one Apple Watch Series 6, SE 2nd generation or Ultra is required. The paired iPhone must have at least the number 11, with iOS 26. In addition to the watch, an iPhone 15 Pro (Max) or any of the 16 models is required for the Apple Intelligence functions.

(tre)