This fall, watchOS 26 will arrive as the next major Apple Watch software update. After more than a month using the beta on my Apple Watch, here are the new watchOS 26 features that I’ve been using the most.
#1: Wrist flick
When the Apple Watch Series 9 launched, it came with a new double tap gesture that I was originally excited about, but ended up barely using.
I was afraid watchOS 26’s wrist flick gesture would be a similar story. But so far, I’ve found wrist flick a much more reliable and natural addition.
When a user raises their wrist to check a notification but isn’t ready to respond, they can quickly turn their wrist over and back to dismiss the notification. The wrist flick gesture can be used to dismiss notifications and incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, and return to the watch face.
Wrist flick is exclusive to three Apple Watch models: Apple Watch Series 10, Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
But if you have the supported hardware, wrist flick is a great new way to interact with watchOS 26 one-handed.
#2: Workout Buddy
watchOS 26 includes a design overhaul for the Workout app, but there’s also a big AI addition: Workout Buddy.
Workout Buddy is an AI-powered feature that provides “personalized, motivational insights” during a workout session.
To offer meaningful inspiration in real time, Workout Buddy analyzes data from a user’s current workout along with their fitness history, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more. A new text-to-speech model then translates insights into a dynamic generative voice built using voice data from Fitness+ trainers, so it has the right energy, style, and tone for a workout. Workout Buddy processes this data privately and securely with Apple Intelligence.
Although I don’t always love Workout Buddy interrupting my audiobook, podcast, or music, I have to admit that its insights and encouragement have grown on me.
For example, last week I skipped what would normally be a workout day, and this week I’ve been reminded by Workout Buddy that my 28-day training load is dipping. Some users might see this as shaming, but it’s helped motivate me to stay on track.
#3: Smart Replies
Apple Watch has always been designed for micro-interactions, with anything that takes more than a couple seconds being better suited for iPhone.
For example, I’ve always seen Messages as one of the Watch’s most important apps, but often I’ve found myself pulling out my iPhone to craft replies. In watchOS 26, that’s started to change.
Thanks to upgraded Smart Replies, I’ve been using the suggested message responses more than ever.
Apple explains what’s new this year:
Smart Replies get even more precise for users whose device language is set to English, with an improved on-device language model that can generate relevant responses based on the content of a conversation.
I’ve definitely noticed Smart Replies sounding much more natural to me than before, which has been great for saving me from needing to pull out my iPhone as often.
Which watchOS 26 features have been your favorites so far? Let us know in the comments.
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