After over a month of beta testing, Apple is finally readying the release of watchOS 26.2 for next week. Following a relatively minor watchOS 26.1 update, which simply fixed an issue with measuring blood pressure, Apple is adding a few new refinements to the Apple Watch in watchOS 26.2. A few we already knew about were improvements to sleep score classifications and notification controls. Previously, Apple would classify the highest sleep score as “Excellent,” but it has now changed the wording to “Very High.”
Besides that, watchOS 26.2 will fix an issue where the Music app fails to advance to the next song. It will also allow enhanced Safety Alerts to inform you about imminent threats such as floods, natural disasters, and other emergencies, with rich information like a map of affected areas and links to safety guidance in the U.S. Of course, the company is also bringing the same “improvements and bug fixes” we see in every release.
More highlights of watchOS 26
While previous updates have made the Apple Watch less reliant on the iPhone, the company went in the opposite direction with watchOS 26. One example is the new Workout Buddy feature requiring an iPhone to be in the vicinity, as it’s necessary for handling the AI processing.
The iPhone is also responsible for the improved notification summaries, support for Live Translation, and Genmoji tweaks. watchOS 26 brought Liquid Glass UI to the Apple Watch as well, along with four new watch faces, including an updated Photos face that take full advantage of the Liquid Glass look.
Apple also added a new wrist flick gesture that lets you easily dismiss a notification or a call. Smart Stack is now even smarter and can tell you to start a Strength Training session when arriving at the gym or some other relevant information based on your location. Alongside watchOS 26.2, Apple is expected to release iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, and visionOS 26.2 early next week.
