watchOS 26 Brings Liquid Glass Design, AI Workout Buddy, Live Translation, and Smart Stack Enhancements

Apple has officially unveiled watchOS 26, bringing a sweeping redesign and smarter features to the Apple Watch lineup. Set to release this fall, the update introduces a Liquid Glass UI, AI-powered fitness tools, Live Translation, and major upgrades to Smart Stack and the Workout app.

Liquid Glass Design Comes to Apple Watch

watchOS 26 adopts Apple’s new Liquid Glass aesthetic—first introduced across iOS 26 and other platforms—offering a more expressive interface with dynamic reflections and real-time rendering. The update refreshes:

Control Center

Smart Stack widgets

Notifications

In-app navigation

Photos watch face, now with stylized numerals in Liquid Glass

The redesigned Watch Face Gallery also features smarter photo shuffling based on your “Featured” images from the iPhone Photos app.

AI-Powered Workout Buddy

A standout addition is the Workout Buddy, powered by Apple Intelligence. It uses personal fitness history and workout data to deliver motivational cues with trainer-style voiceovers. Supported on Bluetooth headphones, this feature works with a range of workouts like:

Indoor/Outdoor Run & Walk

Cycling

HIIT

Strength Training

You can also assign music or podcast playlists to launch automatically with a workout, with AI-curated suggestions based on your recent habits.

Smarter Smart Stack & Notifications

The Smart Stack becomes more intuitive thanks to enhanced predictive models that use:

Sensor input

Routine-based context

Personalized data

This allows Smart Stack hints—gentle nudges that suggest relevant actions, such as replying to messages, starting a timer, or launching an app.

New wrist gestures let you flick your wrist to dismiss notifications or silence timers, alarms, and calls without touching the screen. Apple Watch can now also auto-adjust speaker volume based on ambient sound levels.

Messages & Translation on Your Wrist

Live Translation now works on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, paired with a supported iPhone. Highlights include:

Real-time message translation

Context-aware suggestions (e.g., start a Check In or send Apple Cash)

Poll responses directly from your wrist

Smarter Smart Replies with AI-enhanced language understanding

Notes App & Accessibility Upgrades

For the first time, Notes arrives on watchOS, allowing users to:

Pin/unlock notes

Check off to-do items

Create notes via Siri, dictation, or typing

Accessibility also improves with Live Listen now showing Live Captions of ambient iPhone audio on your watch—a helpful feature for users who are deaf or hard of hearing. You can also start and stop Live Listen remotely from your watch.

Beta Rollout & Availability

watchOS 26 will be available in beta via the Apple Beta Software Program next month, with a full public release expected in fall 2025.