Update Now: 10 Powerful watchOS 26 Features Your Old Apple Watch Just Got

Before we dive into the features, let’s clarify compatibility: watchOS 26 is available for Apple Watch Series 6 and newer, Apple Watch SE (2022), and all Apple Watch Ultra models. Not every feature works on every watch, though, so I’ll break it down for you to make things simple.

• Also read: iPhone 17 Series—All models at a glance

1. A Fresh Look with Liquid Glass

First, let’s start with the obvious: design. The new Liquid Glass design language gives your watch a more modern and immersive feel. Borrowed from the Apple Vision Pro, icons and menus appear sharper, and animations seem to float on top of the screen, adding depth and polish.

While the changes aren’t as dramatic on the Apple Watch as they are on the iPhone, here’s a tip to make the visuals pop even more: go to Accessibility settings on your Watch and toggle Reduce Transparency to improve contrast. If that’s still not enough, you can also increase contrast further in the same menu.

2. Sleep Score for Everyone

Sleep tracking gets a serious upgrade in watchOS 26. You now receive a Sleep Score each morning, summarizing how well you slept based on duration, consistency, and interruptions. The data is easy to access from the Sleep app, your Smart Stack, or even directly from a watch face complication. You’ll also see more detailed sleep data in the Apple Health app, of course.

• Want better sleep tracking scores? Just do this 10-minute habit daily

3. Smarter Workouts

The Workout app has been redesigned for easier navigation, making it simpler to find frequent workouts, set up intervals, or track race-against-yourself sessions. Music integration also feels smarter, with Apple Music suggesting playlists that match your workout type and history.

The app now includes a shortcut to Apple’s new Workout Buddy. It uses machine learning and trainer-inspired voices from Fitness+ to deliver real-time motivation and feedback. This is great for casual users, but you’ll need Bluetooth headphones connected to your watch or iPhone, as the coaching is delivered via audio.

4. Context-Aware Smart Stack

The Smart Stack in watchOS 26 now predicts which widgets you’ll need based on time, location, and habits. If you often start a workout after work, your workout shortcut will be right there when you glance at your wrist. If you’re traveling, it may show transit tickets or weather updates automatically.

5. Notes on Your Wrist

The Notes app is now available on the Apple Watch as well. You can quickly create notes using dictation, Siri, or the tiny keyboard, pin important ones, and sync everything with your iPhone. For me, though, creating notes isn’t as significant as being able to check them quickly right from my wrist.

6. Smarter Messaging

Communication gets more context-aware with watchOS 26. The Messages app can now suggest quick actions, like sharing your location or starting a Check In, directly within the conversation. Improved Smart Replies use an upgraded on-device language model to generate more natural, context-aware responses, saving you time when replying from your Apple Watch.

7. Dark Noise and Custom Controls

watchOS 26 lets developers add custom toggles to Control Center, so apps like Dark Noise can place quick access buttons on your watch. This means you can start white noise or ambient sounds with a single tap, without pulling out your iPhone or digging through menus. I also noticed that VPN services like Surfshark are now supported, which was not previously available to me.

8. Wrist Flick Gesture (Series 9, Ultra 2, and newer)

I already wrote a dedicated article about this feature because I find it extremely helpful. The Wrist Flick gesture lets you dismiss notifications, mute calls, silence timers or alarms, or return to your watch face with a quick flick of your wrist. It makes one-handed interactions much more convenient, especially when your other hand is busy.

Here’s where the line is drawn: this feature is only available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, as well as Ultra 2 and newer models, because it depends on specific hardware.

9. Adaptive Volume (Series 9, Ultra 2, and newer)

Apple Watch can now automatically adjust the volume of notifications, alarms, and calls depending on the noise level of your environment. This is especially helpful when moving between quiet indoor spaces and noisy outdoor settings. This feature is opt-out and can be found under Sounds & Haptics in the Watch settings.

10. Hold Assist & Call Screening (requires iPhone nearby)

These are the kinds of features you don’t appreciate until you need them. With Hold Assist, your watch can stay on the line for you when you’re put on hold and alert you when an agent is available. There’s also Call Screening, which lets you see who is calling and why before you answer, helping you filter unwanted calls.

Bonus: Hypertension Notifications (Series 9, Ultra 2, and newer)

I’ve already covered this feature in a dedicated article, and it’s a very welcome addition for those using the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, or Ultra 2. This new health feature tracks blood pressure trends over 30 days and notifies you if it detects signs of chronic high blood pressure. It’s intended for users over 22 who are not pregnant and have not been diagnosed with hypertension, adding a proactive layer to heart health monitoring.

Bonus for Series 10 Owners

The new 1Hz Always-On feature makes the second hand on more than 20 watch faces move in real time instead of staying frozen, so you can literally watch every second tick by.

That’s it. These are the most interesting features coming to your Apple Watch in 2025. This is a solid and consistent update that makes even older watches feel nearly brand new in terms of software, or at least gives owners of older models, like myself, plenty of reasons to keep using them. However, if you are considering upgrading your Apple Watch this year, take a look at our comparison of the new Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and Watch SE 3.