watchOS 26 is coming this fall, with new features like the Notes app, watch face ‘hints,’ Control Center upgrades, and more. But unlike most watchOS releases, there are several tentpole features that will only be available on very recent Apple Watch models.
Apple Watch Series 10, Series 9, or Ultra 2 required for several watchOS 26 features
If you’re looking forward to getting Liquid Glass on your Apple Watch, and a variety of other new watchOS 26 features, all you need is an Apple Watch Series 6 or newer, Apple Watch SE 2, or any Apple Watch Ultra.
But for certain tentpole features, hardware requirements are much more strict.
Four new features with limited Apple Watch support include:
Wrist flick, a new hands-free gesture for dismissing notifications, silencing, timers, and more Live Translation, which lets you message with people who don’t share your language Automatic volume adjustment, which ensures that notifications, incoming calls, and other noises are a suitable volume for your environment Updates to Smart Replies, which make the suggested replies you see in Messages more relevant and contextual than ever
Each of these features has the same, very limited device support.
They are only available on three current Apple Watch models:
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch Series 9
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Essentially, only Apple Watch models that launched in 2023 or later are supported.
So if you’re interested in any of these upcoming watchOS 26 features and have been considering new Apple Watch hardware, this might be the year to upgrade.
Are you looking forward to these watchOS 26 features, and do any make you more inclined to upgrade? Let us know in the comments.
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