Apple will unveil watchOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on Monday, June 8, and a handful of new features have already been rumored.
The first developer beta of watchOS 27 should be available immediately after the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. The update is expected to be released to all users with a compatible Apple Watch model in September.
Below, we recap the watchOS 27 rumors so far.
Improved heart rate tracking
In his To light up newsletter today, BloombergMark Gurman of , said that watchOS 27 would include improvements to heart rate tracking, but he did not elaborate.
New Modular Watch Face
watchOS 27 will add new watch faces, including a variation of the “Modular Ultra” watch face that is currently exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra, according to Gurman.
New Apple Intelligence features
On watchOS 26, the following Apple Intelligence features are available on an Apple Watch when paired with an iPhone 15 Pro or newer:
- Workout Buddy
- Live translation in messages
- Notification summaries
When it announced the dates for WWDC 2026, Apple promised to unveil “AI advances” across its platforms, and it’s safe to assume that watchOS 27 will include additional iPhone-powered Apple Intelligence features.
New satellite features
Apple Watch Ultra 3 has built-in satellite connectivity, enabling emergency SOS, Find My, and satellite messages without any reliance on an iPhone.
iOS 27 would include up to five new satellite features, and the following two would likely extend to watchOS 27:
- Apple Satellite Maps
- Photo support for satellite messages
Amazon announced plans last month to acquire Globalstar, the satellite company that powers Apple’s satellite features on the iPhone 14 and later and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. In turn, Amazon announced it had signed a deal with Apple to provide satellite connectivity for current and future iPhone and Apple Watch features.
Stability objective
Apple is largely focusing on “stability, performance and minor improvements” for watchOS 27, rather than major new features and capabilities, according to Gurman. This suggests that the update could include many bug fixes.
