Get ready for a game-changing upgrade to your Apple Watch experience with watchOS 26! This latest update brings a whole new level of customization and convenience to your wrist. But here's where it gets exciting: it's all about the watch faces, and there's a lot to uncover.
The Ultimate Guide to watchOS 26's Watch Face Revolution
1: Fresh Faces, Fresh Styles
As expected with major watchOS releases, Apple has gifted us with a fresh batch of watch faces. This time, we're talking four brand new designs, each with its own unique twist.
- Exactograph: A modern take on a classic regulator watch, this face separates hours, minutes, and seconds for precise timekeeping.
- Flow: Liquid Glass numerals create a fluid orb of color that dances with your wrist movements.
- Waypoint: A live compass, perfect for adventurers, showing your location in relation to saved places or points of interest (exclusive to Apple Watch Ultra).
- Hermès Faubourg Party: Animated shorts featuring a cast of characters, appearing based on the time of day or your movements (available on Apple Watch Hermès).
The Flow and Waypoint faces are my personal favorites this year - they're simply stunning!
2: Enhanced Classics
But it's not just about the new faces. watchOS 26 also gives some love to the watch faces you already know and love. Take the Photos face, for instance, Apple's most popular option, which now boasts two exciting upgrades:
- Liquid Glass Time: Matching the system-wide design, the clock on the Photos face now has a 'Glass' color option, letting your chosen photo shine through.
- Featured Photos Option: By selecting 'Featured' as your image source, you'll get to see a rotating showcase of the best photos in your library.
And that's not all! Apple has also expanded support for ticking seconds with the always-on display to a whole range of new faces. This feature, which launched with Apple Watch Series 10 last year, is now available on more hardware and software, including the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11.
3: Smart Stack 'Hints'
One of the most intriguing additions to watchOS 26 is the 'hints' feature. After updating, you might notice a unique UI element at the bottom of your watch face - a Liquid Glass complication that offers suggested apps and actions.
These hints are powered by the Smart Stack, which has been enhanced with improved prediction algorithms. It now incorporates more contextual and sensor data, as well as data from your routine, to provide proactive and immediately useful suggestions. For example, a hint for the Backtrack app might appear when you're in a remote location with no connectivity, or a Pilates workout suggestion could pop up when you arrive at your usual studio.
The Smart Stack has always offered these suggestions, but now they're front and center on your watch face, making them more noticeable and hopefully more helpful.
So, which of these new watch face features have you been enjoying on your Apple Watch? Let us know in the comments! We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with watchOS 26.
And while we're on the topic of Apple Watch, check out our list of the best accessories to enhance your experience even further!
