Apple unveils watchOS 26 with Liquid Glass design, smarter fitness features and more personalisation

Apple has unveiled watchOS 26 at WWDC 2025, introducing a refreshed design language, smarter features powered by Apple Intelligence, and long-requested app additions like Notes.

A Visual Overhaul: Introducing Liquid Glass

One of the most striking changes is the new Liquid Glass design. Inspired by the optical qualities of real glass, this UI layer subtly refracts light and dynamically morphs based on what’s on screen. Sitting above app content, Liquid Glass brings a sense of depth and interactivity to the Apple Watch interface, making it feel more alive and adaptive.

Icons and UI elements throughout the system have also been refined for clarity, with subtle quality-of-life improvements incorporated into the interface.

Fitness Gets a Voice: Meet Workout Buddy

Apple is doubling down on personalised fitness with the launch of Workout Buddy, a voice-driven feature powered by Apple Intelligence. The new Workout Buddy feature delivers live, voice-driven motivation and feedback, customised to your workout history, heart rate, distance, pace, and even your Activity Rings.

Whether you're nearing a milestone or setting a personal best, Workout Buddy keeps track and cheers you on with a voice powered by Fitness+ trainers. For instance, it might say: “You’re 18 minutes away from closing your Exercise ring. So far this week, you’ve run 6 miles. You’re going to add to that today.”

Workout Buddy will support popular activity types, including running, cycling, HIIT, and strength training. 

The Workout app is also getting redesigned. New corner buttons make navigation faster, and users can now start playlists and podcasts directly from the app. In addition, Apple Music can automatically select workout-specific playlists based on both the type of workout and the user’s listening history.

Smarter Interactions Everywhere

The Smart Stack is now even more context-aware, and it now incorporates more sensor data, routine patterns, and location awareness. Walk into a gym, and it might proactively suggest a workout. Lose your network connection outdoors? It could offer Backtrack, Apple’s safety feature to retrace your steps.

New Gestures, Notifications, and Volume Control

A new wrist flick gesture lets you dismiss notifications, silence alarms, and return to your watch face without touching the screen. Using Apple Watch’s motion sensors and machine learning, it builds on the existing double-tap feature to allow more control with just one hand.

Apple Watch can now also adjust speaker volume based on ambient noise, ensuring Siri, alarms, and calls are audible without being disruptive.

Communication & Productivity Upgrades

The Messages app borrows features from iOS, including live translation and chat backgrounds, making conversations more dynamic on your wrist.

A long-awaited addition is the Notes app, finally available on Apple Watch. Whether jotting down a thought or checking a to-do list, users can now manage notes directly from their wrist.

Customisable Widgets & More

Widgets are getting more personal too, with new options to configure your Smart Stack just the way you like. These subtle but meaningful additions make watchOS 26 feel both more intelligent and more tailored to your daily life.

watchOS 26 Availability

watchOS 26 will be available later this year, with beta versions already rolling out to developers.