All articles tagged with #watchos
In the WatchOS 27 public beta, Apple's new Siri AI outperforms the legacy Siri on the Apple Watch across real-world prompts (ferry times, buttermilk substitutes, World Cup details with stadiums) and even offers reminders; while promising, the beta is early and the full rollout is expected this fall.
Tom's Guide highlights five underrated Apple Watch features that will change daily use: enabling Noise to monitor environmental sound and protect hearing; using Walkie-Talkie for real-time voice messages; taking ECG readings for heart rhythm checks; browsing the web by sending a URL to yourself in Messages; and triggering the iPhone camera remotely with a double-tap gesture via Camera Remote.
The article outlines 10 essential Apple Watch features to enable for better health insights, customization, and daily convenience, including Sleep Focus, automatic Watch Face changes via Focus, pausing/customizing workouts, Type to Siri, refined notification permissions, Precision Finding with AirTag, customizable Control Center, Walkie-Talkie, and Apple Pay setup.
watchOS 27 introduces three Health-focused upgrades: Cycle Tracking can notify users about perimenopause and menopause patterns and offer related resources; Workout Buddy gains new insights, can run without an iPhone nearby, and adds Spanish language support; and indoor walk/run distance accuracy improves with better motion tracking, plus Health and Fitness step counts finally sync.
Apple releases iOS 27 beta 3 for developers, introducing Siri AI improvements and Apple Intelligence updates, plus UI tweaks like the Reminders icon and Settings indexing. watchOS 27 beta 3 adds a standalone Siri app, and macOS gets a Golden Gate wallpaper note. Supported devices remain iPhone 11 and newer, plus iPhone SE 2 and newer; a public beta is expected in July with the final release in September. Installation is via Settings > General > Software Update, and early betas are not recommended for primary devices due to bugs and performance issues.
watchOS 27 introduces a new one-tap gesture (touch index finger to thumb) to select a widget in the Smart Stack, complementing the existing double-tap and wrist flick, making navigation easier when your other hand is occupied.
Engadget highlights 10 lesser-known Apple Watch features you can set up in minutes, including Auto Unlock with a Mac, Backtrack in Compass, one-handed gestures (double-tap, wrist flick), Camera Remote for iPhone photos, Find My iPhone with flashlight, Walkie-Talkie, named timers, Apple Pay, Speak Time, and Digital Touch heartbeat sharing, to extend everyday usefulness and convenience.
watchOS 27 does not add a Liquid Glass slider for Apple Watch—unlike iPhone, Mac, and iPad—while still delivering subtle updates to Liquid Glass’s appearance on the watch. iOS 27 brings the translucency slider to other devices, but WatchOS sticks to a single default setting; the watchOS 27 beta is out (Apple Watch Ultra 3), with a public beta due in July ahead of a fall release.
If your Apple Watch freezes, start with a normal restart: press and hold the side button, tap the Power Off icon, and turn it back on after a few seconds. If the screen is unresponsive, perform a force restart by holding both the Digital Crown and the side button until the Apple logo appears (about 10 seconds). If issues persist, check for a watchOS software update in the Watch app on your iPhone (My Watch → General → Software Update) or unpair and re-pair the watch, choosing Restore from Backup to recover data. If problems continue, consider service.
watchOS 27 introduces two major features for Apple Watch: a standalone Siri app that offers an AI-powered, cross-device conversation history, and a unified Find My app that consolidates Find Devices, Find Items, and Find People into a single map-centric experience.
Apple's WWDC 2026 previewed watchOS 27 with expanded Siri AI (requiring iPhone 15 Pro or newer), an upgraded Workout Buddy that works without an iPhone and adds Spanish, a new tap gesture for Smart Stack, Liquid Glass refinements and a dynamic app grid, and Find My consolidation; the update drops support for Apple Watch SE 2, Series 6–8, and the original Ultra, with a beta now and a public release planned for this fall.
Apple announced watchOS 27 at WWDC26, bringing new features like Siri AI and workout insights, but it drops support for older Apple Watches. The models able to run watchOS 27 are the Apple Watch SE (3rd generation), Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3; it requires an iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE (2nd generation or later) running iOS 27, with some features limited on older devices.
Apple has released developer beta 1 for iOS 26.6, iPadOS 26.6, macOS Tahoe 26.6, watchOS 26.6, tvOS 26.6, visionOS 26.6, and HomePod 26.6 ahead of WWDC, with Apple yet to reveal new features; the company is expected to unveil iOS 27 and other updates at the June 8 WWDC keynote.
Apple will unveil watchOS 27 at WWDC 2026 with a developer beta after the keynote, a public beta in July, and a September release. Rumors point to improved heart-rate tracking, a new Modular Ultra-style watch face for standard Apple Watches, added Apple Intelligence features, and satellite-based capabilities (Maps and Messages via satellite) linked to iPhone and Apple Watch Ultra 3, with Apple emphasizing stability and bug fixes.
Apple’s watchOS 27 will focus on stability and refined heart-rate tracking, with improved metrics expected, while the AI health coach project Mulberry has been scaled back and is likely to launch later in the iOS 27 cycle (possibly after the Health app redesign), delaying the health-coach features to a later update.