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watchOS 27 Features
watchOS 27 is the newest version of watchOS, the operating system for the Apple Watch. Apple introduced watchOS 27 at WWDC 2026, and it's now available to developers in a beta capacity. A public beta is coming in July, and the update will launch in September.
Like iOS 27, watchOS 27 incorporates Siri AI, an overhauled version of Siri that's much smarter and more capable than before. Siri AI uses generative AI models and it performs more like ChatGPT or Claude than the prior version of Siri. Siri AI capabilities extend to the Apple Watch so you can get help on the go, though processing is not done on-device.
Siri can hold full back-and-forth conversations, and it has access to your personal data so it knows more about you and can complete complex tasks. It can search across Mail, Messages, Notes, Reminders, Calendar and other apps on your iPhone to find things for you, with info relayed to the watch. A dedicated Siri app lets you see all of your Siri conversations in one place.
Siri has broad world knowledge and can search the web to answer questions for you on any topic, plus it is able to see what's on your screen so you can ask for more information about what you're looking at. Siri can also take action in apps like Messages, Music, and Reminders, so you can do things like share flight details, play a song, or set a new goal for your Activity rings. Siri AI on the watch requires a paired iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence.
The watchOS 27 Liquid Glass design has been updated with more uniform refraction and improved contrast to improve readability.
Apple added a simplified Dynamic app grid that's displayed when you press the Digital Crown. It highlights Siri Suggested apps, including your most recently and most used apps, and puts Siri front and center. There's a new tap gesture, and you can tap your index finger and thumb together to select a widget in the Smart Stack.
There are lots of new Smart Stack Suggestions in the Smart Stack, including Parked Car to find your vehicle, birthday messages, pinned messages, celebrations, noise alerts, Theater Mode reminders, and identity and transit cards. The Apple Watch can turn off unused features like Raise to Speak and gestures to extend battery life, letting users know with a notification.
Workout Buddy works on the Apple Watch in watchOS 27 even when an iPhone isn't nearby. It includes new metrics like progressive increases to distance, pace, or duration. It also now supports Spanish. Cycle Tracking now has perimenopause and menopause support for tracking symptoms suggestive of perimenopause. Treadmill readings are more accurate thanks to new machine learning algorithms that are better at distance calculations on treadmills.
There's an all-in-one Find My app that brings together Find Devices, Find Items, and Find People. It has a map-centric interface for locating people and devices, and the home screen has quick access to actions like getting directions and finding nearby items. Precision Finding is available for locating a paired iPhone, AirPods Pro 3, or AirTag 2.
Custom Wallet passes generated in iOS 27 sync to the Apple Watch, and Call Context brings up relevant information you might need while on a phone call. Music playback on the Apple Watch starts faster than before.
Apple added new Child Safety features in watchOS 27, including a updated Apple Watch For Your Kids setup process. Screen Time has been updated with a more intuitive interface that lets parents monitor what apps websites kids are using, with support for setting schedules and approving contacts.
watchOS 27 is available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and the Apple Watch SE 3. It requires a paired iPhone running iOS 27.
Developers can download watchOS 27 now, and a public beta will be released in July. watchOS 27 will launch in September.
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Compatibility
watchOS 27 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and the Apple Watch SE 3.
- Apple Watch SE 3
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Series 10
- Apple Watch Series 11
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Apple Watch Ultra 3
Compared to watchOS 26, watchOS 27 drops support for the original Apple Watch Ultra, the Series 6 through Series 8, and the Apple Watch SE 2.
watchOS 27 requires a paired iPhone running iOS 27 or later.
Launch Date
New versions of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and Apple's other software platforms were previewed at WWDC in June. Developers have access to the watchOS 27 beta now, but Apple plans to release a public beta in July. watchOS 27 will launch in September.
