Apple has announced watchOS 27 at WWDC 2026 and this time the headline feature is Siri AI. The new conversational assistant arrives on the Apple Watch along with several health and fitness additions. Not to mention, there is a long list of refinements too. watchOS 27 is a more substantial update than what rumours suggested, but it comes with one big catch that we have explained at the end.
Siri AI Takes Centre Stage on watchOS 27
Similar to iOS 27, the noteworthy feature of watchOS 27 is Siri AI. You can ask questions and have back-and-forth conversations right from your wrist. You can also brainstorm ideas and discuss a new workout routine. In addition, it understands your personal context, so you can ask Siri AI on your Apple Watch to find your driver's licence number or details from a saved note.
Siri AI can also take action inside apps, whether you want to share your flight details with family or play a song your trainer recommended. There is also a dedicated Siri app that keeps all your conversations in one place. You can ask something on your iPhone and resume on your Apple Watch. There is also a new dynamic app grid that shows Siri-suggested apps and the Siri app is kept front and centre.
Do note that Siri AI is launching in beta later this year and in English only. You will have to pair your Apple Watch with an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence.
Health and Fitness Features
On the health side, the big addition is perimenopause and menopause support in the Health app. Cycle Tracking can now send a notification when your cycle patterns indicate perimenopause. Apple says that these notifications are for ages 40 and above.
Apart from that, Workout Buddy now delivers new insights based on your pace, distance and workout duration. It also works without your iPhone nearby and now, it's available in Spanish. Apple has improved its motion tracking algorithms for more accurate distance while indoor running or walking. And the step count in the Fitness app now syncs with steps counted in the Health app.
Now, coming to refinements, watchOS 27 brings a new gesture that lets you tap your index finger and thumb together once to select a Smart Stack widget. Next, the Find My app combines Find Devices, Find People and Find Items into a single map view.
watchOS 27 Availability
All that said, watchOS 27 is only compatible with the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2 and Ultra 3. And you need to pair it with iOS 27 eligible devices, including the iPhone 11 or later. That means the Apple Watch Series 9, the first-gen Watch Ultra and the Watch SE 2 are no longer eligible to get the watchOS 27 update.
As for availability, the watchOS 27 developer beta is rolling out today and the public beta is coming in July. Apple says the stable release arrives for compatible models later this year, likely in September.
