It’s that time of year again, WWDC – Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, where Apple outlines their software platform changes across all their devices. This annual event in June is essentially the start of the Apple release waterslide that begins now, and ends in September with the release of new hardware devices. Effectively, Apple announces the bulk of the new software features here in June, and then these end up on new phones, watches, and more, which typically start shipping in September. Of course, not every single feature that’ll be seen this fall will be announced here, they often save Apple-specific ones for announcement with new watches and new hardware.
Whereas the features here are typically focused on how 3rd party developers can leverage them. So we see bits like new application interfaces, programming interfaces, and more being announced. Plus features that might need more user beta feedback for the next 3 months.
The first big announcement is the renaming of WatchOS to be year-based (e.g. 2026), as opposed to version-based. Thus, the new WatchOS version will be WatchOS 26, akin to new cars being named for the following year (2026 in this case). The same is true for iOS and all the other Apple platforms.
Apple is introducing new universal design across all their devices (phone, desktop, tablet, and yes, watch). This new language is called Liquid Glass, which Apple says will reflect with light (or the appearance of it), and makes menus and such appear to be encased in glass and float about background elements. Effectively like a liquidy glass surface that all the user interface elements float on.
With that, let’s talk about the WatchOS 26 features. After all, there are tons of other sources for all the iOS/etc features.
What’s New: WatchOS 26
With WatchOS 26, Apple brings Apple Intelligence to the Apple Watch for the first time. The first feature that’ll leverage Apple Intelligence is Workout Buddy, which effectively acts as a blend of always-positive Apple Fitness+ trainer/coach, and typical workout audio notifications that most watches on the market already have. This continues the trend of fitness features being the ‘main thing’ for Apple Watch, in terms of announcements at WWDC. Albeit, at a slightly less performance-oriented level than the past 2-3 years.
However, before we get to that, Apple has added a slate of other features to WatchOS 26, so let’s just run through them real quick:
– New Liquid Glass design style, including translucence across the UI
– Added automatic volume adjustment, changing notifications levels based on ambient noise (e.g., if in a noisy place, it’ll increase notification levels)
– Added wrist flick option to mute calls and do other quick actions
– Added automatic call screening feature (seen/announced too for iOS 26)
– Added hold assist for calls, which will keep calls on hold (detecting background music), and notify you when a human arrives
– Added live language translations in Messages app on watch
– Added configurable widgets
– Added automatic smart actions to Messages, such as sharing your location if a conversation implies it wants it
– Added Notes app to Apple Watch, letting you see your existing notes, and add to them
– Revamped Smart Stack again, to be better at predicting things. For example, if you walk into your gym as part of a routine, it learns to offer the Workout app when you do so
– Added Personalized Workout Media, music feature will automatically offer a playlist to ‘fit’ the workout (e.g. based on intensity)
– Added Controls Widget API for developers
– Added Workout Buddy for workout encouragement (English only at launch)
– Revamped Workout UI entirely
– As part of Workout UI revamp, made custom workouts & racing bits more accessible
Ok, with all those items listed, let’s dig into the Workout app and Workout Buddy pieces specifically. Starting off on the Workout App, you’ll see a revamped interface that shows the various per-sport options in the corners of the UI.
You’ll see down at the bottom there’s the music option. When you open this, by default there’s an option to autoplay media. However, within that, there are actually two options. The first is to automatically select a playlist for you, and the second lets you specify exactly what you want.
Meanwhile, back on the main Workout Screen, if you tap in the upper right corner, you can quickly access structured workouts, goals, pacer, and more.
Ok, with all that sorted out, it’s time to actually start the workout and look at Workout Buddy. From here, you’ll get audio encouragement from the start. The voices are customizable from a few options, and Apple says these are modeled after the ‘encouraging’ style seen in their Apple Fitness+ instructors. Specifically, two different instructors that you can choose from, though they are only identified as ‘Voice 1’ and ‘Voice 2’ at present, in the Workout Buddy settings.
Still, the female voice is a generative replica of Sam Sanchez, while the male voice is a replica of Jamie-Ray Hartshorne. They are both designed to mimic everything from the voice itself, to the various phrases and terms that both those Fitness+ trainers might use during their sessions normally.
The entire Workout Buddy feature is then effectively divided up into three core phases:
- The Pep Talk: This phase occurs at the beginning of the workout, just after pressing start.
- Alerts & Milestones: This occurs throughout the workout, and will add context to your existing alerts (e.g. the ones that have long been available to configure), while the milestones will be new – things like passing through a given distance or elevation.
- The Walk Off: This occurs after finishing/saving the workout, where you’d normally (and still do) see the summary stats. Here it’ll give you a short audio overview of the workout, while also giving you more context.
The key thing Apple is trying to add here is ultimately context. Stats at the base level are a dime a dozen in the fitness industry. Instead, they’re trying to pull from all of your existing Fitness data to find nuggets that you might not otherwise know about, or wouldn’t consider.
These can include the following, as examples:
– “Fastest Mile Yet!”
– “You’ve climbed 2,000ft in elevation.”
– “The last split was 8 minutes, 45 seconds”
– “So far this week you’ve closed all your workouts.”
– “You broke your all-time distance record!”
– “That’s the longest HIIT workout you’ve recorded. Keep up the great work!”
– “You did it, that was your fastest 5K yet!”
As you can see, it’s a bit of a blend of what we’ve seen in terms of typical lap splits, along with ones that are more aware of your general stats. Apple says this will also pull from their training load features they launched last year, as well as all your workout and fitness data, including aspects such as distances logged. Note that both the voices and the actual tidbits it says are all generative AI. While Apple has trained the model in terms of prompts and guardrails, it’s ultimately creating these insights on the fly on your watch. As one might guess, these will be positive-focused insights, as opposed to negative ones (as much fun as it might be to have an angry pessimistic coach voice).
Workout Buddy is available for the following sport types at launch, and can be disabled for any given sport type as well (for example if you want it just on running but not strength):
– Outdoor Run
– Indoor Run
– Indoor Walk
– Outdoor Walk
– Outdoor Ride
– High Intensity Interval Training
– Traditional & Functional Strength Training
And as noted, it’ll only be available in English at launch. Apple hasn’t specified timelines for other languages. It remains to be seen how Apple will balance between useful/encouraging, and “please just shut up and let me die on these final intervals by myself”.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Apple says that it’ll start understanding your routines, so when you go to the gym, it’ll automatically understand that, and show the Workout app, with the strength training sport automatically pre-selected, when you arrive at the gym:
And likewise, if you go out of cellular/WiFi range, your watch will also recommend starting a Backtrack session, so you can get back if you get lost. This whole concept is called Smart Stack Hints.
Finally, WatchOS 26 will be available for Apple Watch Series 6 and higher, including Apple Watch Ultra 1, Ultra 2, and Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen). This means all Apple Watches announced from September 2020, with the exception of Apple Watch SE (1st Gen), which was announced September 2020.
Stay tuned for more thoughts and real testing thoughts in the future once these reach public beta, which will typically be in the early to mid-July range.
Thanks for reading!
FOUND THIS POST USEFUL? SUPPORT THE SITE!
Hopefully, you found this post useful. The website is really a labor of love, so please consider becoming a DC RAINMAKER Supporter. This gets you an ad-free experience, and access to our (mostly) bi-monthly behind-the-scenes video series of “Shed Talkin’”.
Support DCRainMaker – Shop on Amazon
Otherwise, perhaps consider using the below link if shopping on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. It could simply be buying toilet paper, or this pizza oven we use and love.
