Watchos 26 is there (and lifts the Apple Watch to a much higher level)

Apple Watchos 26 announced at the WWDC 2025! Curious about what changes with Watchos 26 come to your Apple Watch? These are them!

Watchos 26

Apple has unveiled Watchos 26! It is the largest software update of 2025 for the Apple Watch, with which many changes come to the smartwatch. Apple provides Watchos 26 with a new name, because the company skips Watchos 12. Instead, Apple makes the step to Watchos 26 in one go, referring to the year in which the software is mainly used. At iOS 26, iPados 26 and MacOS 26 we see similar name changes.

With Watchos 26, the Apple Watch looks completely different, because Apple has announced a new interface for the operating system. The software for the Apple Watch takes over many parts of Visionos, which is the operating system for the Apple Vision Pro. As a result, we see many more transparent frameworks and glass elements in Watchos 26. This is what the control panel, widgets and reports look completely different. Curious about what that looks like? View Watchos 26 here:

New (health) functions

Every year Apple brings new health functions to the Apple Watch and that is no different in 2025. With Watchos 26, the Apple Watch gets a new health coach (Workout buddy) bee. This uses the data of your Apple Watch to give personal sports and health advice. That happens in combination with Apple Intelligence, because that technology is coming to the smartwatch for the first time.

This is not the only change in the special application for workouts on the Apple Watch. The company has added many functions, so that you can set up the training sessions to your own preferences. You can add personalized workouts, whereby you decide how many repetitions you do. In addition, you can link music and podcasts to specific training sessions that start automatically when you start exercising.

Release of Watchos 26

Other innovations in Watchos 26 are new dials and fitness functions. It is therefore a major update, with many new functions and an adapted design. Apple releases Watchos 26 in September, if the iPhone 17 series also appears. Developers can get started with the new software version much earlier, because they will soon be able to install the first test version of Watchos 26. The final update only appears much later, then all users can try out the new features.

Unfortunately, Watchos 26 does not come to all Apple Watches, because a number of older models no longer have support for the latest software version. The Apple Watch Series 5 or older cannot update to Watchos 26. That means that all smartwatches with Watchos 11 will soon be able to update to Watchos 26. Do you not want to miss an announcement from Apple? Then register for the newsletter, so that you will always stay informed!