Apple unveiled watchOS 26 during WWDC, featuring the new “Liquid Glass” design language inspired by iOS 26, an innovative AI-driven fitness feature named Workout Buddy, and improvements to Smart Stack functionality. Liquid Glass incorporates real-time rendering to produce translucent interface elements that both reflect and refract content.
This design will be noticeable across various areas, including Smart Stack widgets, Control Center, notifications, and in-app navigation. Additionally, the Photos watch face will showcase numerals designed with Liquid Glass, enhancing the display to reveal more of users’ cherished photos.
Workout Buddy leverages Apple Intelligence to analyze users’ workout data and fitness history, offering motivational cues during exercise sessions. This feature utilizes various metrics like heart rate, pace, distance, and fitness milestones to generate feedback, such as reminders of how close users are to achieving their Exercise ring goals or total running distance for the year.
It also tracks mile splits and milestones, summarizing workout statistics and achievements at the end. In the updated Workout app, users can personalize their experience with music and podcasts that play automatically at the start of workouts.
The Smart Stack now offers actionable suggestions based on contextual data and routines, appearing as visual prompts on the screen. For communication, the Apple Watch introduces Live Translation in Messages, allowing automatic translation of incoming messages for select models.
Additional features include customizable backgrounds, wrist gestures for notifications, and an auto-adjusting speaker volume based on ambient noise. Developers can access new APIs to utilize the Liquid Glass design and create custom widgets.
The now-available developer beta will be followed by a public beta next month, with the full release scheduled for this fall for Apple Watch Series 6 and newer models.
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