watchOS 27 adds 5 new features and ignores 5 old models

During the WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple took a big step toward upcoming Apple Intelligence features first promised a few years ago. Unlike other WWDC keynotes where the company moves from iOS to iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS and sometimes tvOS, this time Apple decided to talk extensively about iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate via AI features. Even though it didn’t give watchOS 27 an opening time, it seems to be one of the most attractive updates for Apple Watch models. After all, the company is doubling down on Siri AI for its smartwatch, improved Workout Buddy features, and an overhaul of Liquid Glass, as the first iteration with watchOS 26 was rather timid.

Besides the good news, watchOS 27 also significantly limits the models that will support this upcoming software update. Compared to watchOS 26, this new software removes the Apple Watch SE 2, Apple Watch Series 6 to Series 8, and the original Apple Watch Ultra. With this, watchOS 27 only supports six versions of Apple Watch.

While the official release date for watchOS 27 is expected later this fall, developers can already try this system through the official beta program. A public test version will be available in July, but users should probably wait until the official version is available, as it is impossible to downgrade an Apple Watch from beta software. Here’s what you need to know about watchOS 27.

Like watchOS 26, Apple continues to expand Apple Intelligence features to the Apple Watch with watchOS 27. However, it’s important to note that these features require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, as the wearable uses the iPhone’s processing power to handle AI queries. Among the new features, users can ask the new Siri anything, as the personal assistant will no longer say that it can’t help users “with that.” Apple is encouraging users to ask “open-ended questions, brainstorm ideas for workout routines,” and more, as the Personal Assistant is also being overhauled along with the other system updates.

Siri AI on watchOS 27 understands personal context and takes action in apps. Previously, users could ask the Apple Watch to resume a workout, play a song, and more. With the new Siri, it can add photos to albums, read upcoming events, take a photo, help send an email and much more.

The Siri app is also coming to the Apple Watch, so you can have access to current and previous conversations with the personal assistant. Siri can finally tap into the knowledge of the world, making the personal assistant the perfect companion for everyday queries, helping you complete tasks, and much more. That said, the new Siri experience will arrive in English later this year, with plans for more language support in the coming months.

In health and fitness, Apple continues to improve the Workout Buddy platform. This feature takes advantage of an AI-backed coach to give you insights into your current workout, recently achieved goals, and how you’re training. Apple says the watchOS 27 version of Workout Buddy brings more data insights, improved run tracking, and expands to Spanish, making this experience accessible to even more users.

Unlike the previous version, which required your iPhone, Apple now says Workout Buddy works without your iPhone nearby. That said, you can get feedback on how your workout is going, including pace, progress, and other information, right from your wrist. This is a major change, as having the iPhone on hand can be very annoying for long trips with small pockets, or when you just want to have the Watch and AirPods with you.

On top of that, Apple says it has improved the Apple Watch’s motion tracking algorithms with watchOS 27. With this change, treadmill runs and walks should better reflect the effort and your mileage during indoor workouts. Although some treadmills allow users to sync information with the Apple Watch, it is very common for the machine to display one distance and the machine to show another. Hopefully watchOS 27 can finally fix this problem. Last but not least, although Apple now offers Workout Buddy in Spanish, it is unclear when it might expand to other languages ​​available in Apple Intelligence.

With each new watchOS, Apple seems to be working on a different tap gesture. These gestures are really useful when you have a busy hand or need a more accessible experience. With watchOS 27, Apple says that if you tap once with your index finger and thumb to select a widget in the Smart Stack, you can quickly see the relevant information. This is especially useful because Apple now offers more widgets in the Smart Stack section.

Some of the examples Apple gives are knowing it’s your friend’s birthday and being able to quickly send them a message, see the location of a parked car, change the sleep alarm before a vacation, or even pin a transit card to check the balance.

With watchOS 26, Apple added the wrist gesture, which lets you quickly mute an incoming call, dismiss a notification, silence an alarm, and more. Before that, with watchOS 10, Apple offered the ability to double-tap the index finger and thumb to open the Smart Stack, browse notifications in Control Center, quickly pause a timer, take a call, or even take an action once a notification arrives. What makes these gestures so unique is that they’re easy to perform, reliable, and add a new layer of interaction with Apple Watch.

iOS 26 introduced the new Liquid Glass design language. While Apple said the changes would be applied to all operating systems, including iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS, it’s true that the company focused its efforts on its biggest software: watchOS 26 didn’t particularly look full of glass. With watchOS 27, on the other hand, Apple has improved the experience with “exceptional readability with more uniform refraction” and better contrast. There are small tweaks to the system, apps and more that give the Apple Watch a fresher look.

Once watchOS 27 becomes available to users, one of the most notable updates will be the new dynamic app grid. Instead of scrolling through a collection of multiple apps, Apple will now highlight the ones you use most and others that have recently been opened. The company says the main app for this handle will be Siri, and it’s unclear whether it will allow users to change it in the future. On top of that, users can tap the little icon at the bottom, which then opens the usual app grid that users have had for years now.

Another big change is that Apple is finally combining Find Devices, Find People, and Find Things into one Find My app. While it’s unclear why the company offered these experiences as different apps, they are now part of the same thing.

Like other operating system updates, watchOS 27 also aims to provide a more reliable experience for users. While limiting this update to just a few watches may seem bittersweet, it will help customers with these select watches have a better experience.

Among the changes, Apple says music playback on Apple Watch starts much faster, step counts in the Fitness app also sync with steps counted in the Health app, and the wearable can now suggest battery optimizations along the way. All these changes make using the Apple Watch much more reliable.

With the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple was able to improve battery life by optimizing software and hardware. While the company isn’t saying whether watchOS 27 could improve battery life on older models, the company touted improved experiences across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, such as AirDrop sharing, file searching, and app responsiveness, thanks to the removal of existing code and bug fixes.