Apple has seeded the second beta of watchOS 27 to developers for testing purposes. The new beta comes two weeks after the first beta was released following the WWDC 2026 keynote.
The betas are currently only available to registered developers at this time, and can be downloaded from the Settings app on each device. The watchOS 27 beta is limited to developers right now, but it will be available to public beta testers in July. The updates will be released to all users in the fall.
watchOS 27 drops support for the the following Apple Watch models: Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, SE 2, and the original Apple Watch Ultra. It is only compatible with the Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch Ultra 3
watchOS brings several new features to the Apple Watch.
The headlining feature at WWDC 2026 this year is of course, Siri AI, and the Apple Watch has not been left out of the fun.
Users can ask open-ended questions directly from their wrist, as well as brainstorm ideas and continue conversations across multiple responses.
Siri can also use information stored across notes and other personal content to answer questions.
A new tap gesture allows users to select a widget in the Smart Stack by tapping their thumb and index finger together once to select widgets and access information with one hand. Smart Stack suggestions now surface more contextually relevant widgets.
Users can also create custom passes for any membership or card that uses a QR code or barcode and access it directly from the Apple Watch’s Wallet app or pin it to the Smart Stack. Transit cards and IDs will also appear in the Smart Stack.
The new dynamic app grid surfaces and rearranges five apps based on context and usage. Users can simply tap the bottom center icon to go to the rest of their apps.
Liquid Glass in watchOS 27 has been improved, offering better readability, with more uniform refraction and better contrast.
Find My on the Apple Watch is completely redesigned, providing a more map-centric layout, while consolidating the Find Devices, Find People, and Find Items apps into a single unified view.
watchOS 27 also brings more flexible sharing options within Find My, offering users greater control over how they share their location and item tracking with other users.
A new Call Context feature proactively provides relevant information from other apps during a phone call to a business, including displaying such information as a confirmation code from Mail when a user calls an airline.
watchOS 27 also brings a large number of fitness, workout, and sleep tracking improvements.
Workout Buddy is gains new data-driven motivation features, delivering progress updates for pace, distance, and workout duration based on a user’s fitness history. Workout Buddy can now function without a nearby iPhone. Workout Buddy is also expanding to Spanish, meaning Spanish-speaking users can now receive personalized fitness motivation in their preferred language.
Indoor run and walk distance tracking is also more accurate in watchOS 27, thanks to improved motion tracking algorithms, without requiring a connected iPhone. Route maps in the Fitness app are also receiving an accuracy improvement.
Sleep tracking is also more accurate, though Apple has not yet detailed what changes it has made for the improvements. The update also brings a step count sync fix.
Other improvements include faster app extension launches, improved Wi-Fi connectivity, faster Music playback startup, better battery efficiency with suggested optimizations, more efficient water detection, Guest Key support, and the ability to view card balances in the Wallet app.
The settings interface in the Apple Watch app on iPhone also features a new design.
Apple removed the Walkie-Talkie app from the first developer beta of watchOS 27. The app was no longer present in the Control Center or the app list. We’ll have to see if the app makes a return in this second beta.
As usual, MacTrast and Apple both warn users to not install any betas on their daily driver Apple Watch. Instead, only install betas on a device set aside for testing purposes.