A Central de Controle (Control Center) do Apple Watch permite ativar, desativar e acessar diversas funções do seu relógio inteligente bastando pressionar o botão lateral. Uma delas é a lanterna, que aumenta o brilho da tela do smartwatch para ajudar você a iluminar um ambiente escuro.

A partir do watchOS 27, tornou-se possível habilitar uma opção de colocar a lanterna no brilho máximo ao acioná-la. Veja como fazer isso! 🔦

1. No Apple Watch, abra os Ajustes (Settings);
2. Toque em “Central de Controle”;
3. Habilite a chave localizada ao lado de “Brilho Máximo Rápido”.

Se preferir não ativar essa opção, basta girar a Digital Crown com a lanterna ativada para aumentar o brilho dela.

NOTA DE TRANSPARÊNCIA: O MacMagazine recebe uma pequena comissão sobre vendas concluídas por meio de links deste post, mas você, como consumidor, não paga nada a mais pelos produtos/serviços ao usar os nossos links de afiliado.

Uma das métricas capturadas pelos Apple Watches mais recentes é a oxigenação no sangue, cuja medição segue sendo feita mesmo depois de todo o imbróglio entre a Maçã e a Masimo.

Mesmo com a medição funcionando normalmente, é possível que você esteja enfrentando problemas relacionados à leitura desses dados pelo aplicativo Sinais Vitais (Vitals) ao fazer o upgrade para o watchOS 27 — sabe-se lá por qual motivo. Como consequência, essa medição aparece indisponível no gráfico do app Saúde (Health) do iPhone.

Felizmente, um truque muito simples permite consertar isso. Veja como! ⌚️

1. Abra o app Watch no iPhone e toque em “Apps”.

2. Selecione “Oxigênio no Sangue”.
3. Marque a chave “Em Foco Sono”.

Prontinho!

NOTA DE TRANSPARÊNCIA: O MacMagazine recebe uma pequena comissão sobre vendas concluídas por meio de links deste post, mas você, como consumidor, não paga nada a mais pelos produtos/serviços ao usar os nossos links de afiliado.

The tech giant Apple has officially rolled out the release candidate versions of watchOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2, and visionOS 27.2 to registered developers. This particular seed arrives just one week after the fourth beta rounds dropped, giving developers a near-final look at the software before public availability. These builds land right next to similar updates […]

The post Apple Releases Release Candidates For watchOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2 And visionOS 27.2 appeared first on The Mac Observer.

To change what the Action button does on Apple Watch Ultra, open the Settings app, tap Action Button, tap Action, then pick a function such as Workout, Backtrack or Dive. The same button sounds the siren: press and hold it, wait for the countdown to finish, and the watch starts an alarm meant to attract […]

The post How to set the Apple Watch Ultra Action button and sound or stop the siren appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Set up satellite features on Apple Watch Ultra while you still have cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, because Apple’s watchOS 27 guide says the setup has to happen before you leave it. That means adding two shortcuts, running the Emergency SOS demo, and texting the people you’ll want to reach. Satellite features work on Apple Watch […]

The post How to set up satellite messaging on Apple Watch Ultra before going off-grid appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Siri AI is beginning its public rollout as Apple transforms its familiar assistant into a substantially more conversational system built around personal context, onscreen awareness, web knowledge, and the ability to perform actions across apps.

The beta is available first in English on compatible devices running iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27. French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish support is scheduled for October. Availability remains more limited in some regions, with Siri AI initially unavailable on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch in the European Union and unavailable in China while Apple addresses regulatory requirements.

The release follows several years of gradual Apple Intelligence expansion, but Siri AI represents a more fundamental change. Instead of handling each request largely as an isolated command, the assistant can maintain conversations, find relevant personal information, understand what is displayed on a device, and combine those capabilities to complete multistep tasks.

Siri AI can connect personal context with app actions

Personal context is one of the biggest differences between Siri AI and previous versions of the assistant.

The system can search across a user’s messages, email, photos, notes, and other information when responding to a request. Apple offers an example in which someone asks what a family member suggested doing during an upcoming visit. Siri can locate the relevant conversation, find a recipe previously sent by email, and then place the ingredients into a Reminders grocery list.

That combination of retrieval and action is central to the new design. Siri AI can draft an email, edit and share photos, create calendar events, manage reminders, control media, and perform other supported actions without requiring users to manually move information between applications.

Third-party apps can participate through Apple’s App Intents architecture. Existing integrations include tasks such as messaging through WhatsApp or playing an audiobook in Audible, with Apple also previewing deeper capabilities in applications including Microsoft Outlook, Notability, and Tripsy.

Onscreen awareness adds another layer. Siri can identify information currently visible on a device and act on it. Someone viewing a sports website, for example, can ask Siri to identify upcoming home games and add them to Calendar without manually copying dates.

Apple has also expanded Siri beyond voice. On iPhone, users can invoke the assistant with the side button, voice command, or by swiping down from Dynamic Island. On iPad and Mac, Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight, while systemwide context menus can send selected files, images, or text directly to the assistant.

Siri AI gets its own app and conversation history

Siri AI is no longer confined to a temporary interface that disappears once a request is complete.

Apple has introduced a dedicated Siri app where users can begin new conversations or revisit previous ones. Conversation history can sync privately through iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro, allowing a discussion started on one device to continue on another.

Follow-up questions can retain the context of an earlier answer, giving Siri a more conventional conversational interface for longer exchanges.

The assistant also has access to broad web knowledge for questions that cannot be answered through personal information or local device data. Apple says Siri can retrieve current information for topics ranging from sports results to travel planning and nearby businesses.

Visual Intelligence expands alongside the assistant. On iPhone, a dedicated Siri mode inside Camera can identify and respond to objects or information in front of the user. A concert poster, for example, can become the starting point for questions about performance times followed by the creation of Calendar events.

On iPad, Visual Intelligence is integrated with screenshots. Mac users can select content on their displays through a keyboard shortcut, while Vision Pro users can ask Siri about app windows or physical objects simply by looking at them.

Writing Tools are similarly integrated across the system. Siri can generate drafts, revise existing text from natural-language instructions, and provide writing suggestions. In Mail and Messages, Apple says it can take a user’s typical communication style with a particular recipient into account, including tone and punctuation patterns.

Siri AI runs across on-device and private cloud models

Siri AI is powered by a new generation of Apple Foundation Models developed in collaboration with Google using Gemini technology, marking a notable shift in Apple’s AI infrastructure.

The architecture divides processing between models running directly on the device and larger models operating through Private Cloud Compute. Apple says requests sent to Private Cloud Compute are processed without personal data being stored or made accessible to the company.

Core resources such as the Spotlight index and Apple’s App Toolbox can remain on-device, allowing Siri to retrieve local information and perform supported actions without sending every request to a remote server.

More capable devices can also use AFM Core Advanced, Apple’s highest-performance on-device model. It powers improvements including more expressive Siri voices and advanced systemwide dictation that automatically handles capitalization, punctuation, and formatting.

Compatibility varies by feature. Apple Intelligence supports iPhone 16 models and later, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, M1 or later iPads and Macs, iPad mini with A17 Pro, Apple Vision Pro, and supported Apple Watch models when paired with a nearby Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone.

AFM Core Advanced requires newer hardware, including iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro line, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro models, qualifying M4 or later iPads with at least 12GB of unified memory, M3 or later Macs with at least 12GB, and Apple Vision Pro with M5.

Siri AI arrives with limits as Apple expands access

The initial Siri AI release remains explicitly labeled beta, and some of the surrounding Apple Intelligence features are scheduled for later updates.

Apple also confirms that features relying on server-side models can be subject to daily usage limits. That includes Siri AI, cloud-based photo editing, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models used through Shortcuts. Limits can vary depending on the feature, request complexity, system demand, and other factors.

Apple says expanded access to server-dependent features will eventually be available for a fee, introducing a future paid layer to parts of Apple Intelligence even as the core system remains integrated into supported devices.

Apple will also expand its intelligence capabilities on Apple Watch later in 2026. Planned Audio Intelligence features on Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 include Live Rewind, which can display text representing the previous 15 seconds of a conversation, and Siri Recap, which generates high-level summaries that can be reviewed later in the Siri app.

Those functions are designed around a hardware-isolated Secure Exclave on the S11 chip, with Apple saying raw audio is processed in isolation and immediately deleted rather than stored as recordings. Live Rewind and Siri Recap are scheduled to enter beta later in 2026, making the current Siri AI launch the beginning of a staged expansion rather than the final form of Apple’s new assistant.

The post Siri AI arrives with personal context, app actions, and a new privacy architecture appeared first on AppleMagazine.

Apple on Monday released the next generation of Apple Intelligence, powering Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri, and capabilities that make the apps and experiences users rely on every day more personal and helpful than ever. Siri AI is a profoundly more capable and conversational assistant with personal context understanding, broad world knowledge, onscreen awareness, and even more systemwide app actions. Siri AI can help users find what they need in the moment, from answering questions on virtually any topic to surfacing relevant information from a user’s messages, emails, photos, and more. And Apple Intelligence makes everyday experiences across Apple products more personal and helpful with new editing capabilities in Photos, intelligent browsing tools in Safari, an all-new Image Playground that can create photorealistic imagery, and more.

With Apple’s 2027 software releases, users can now access new Apple Intelligence capabilities across apps. Siri AI begins rolling out today in beta in English, and will expand to French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish next month.

An Entirely New Siri

Siri AI is a completely reimagined version of Siri that is more personal and powerful. With detailed responses and rich, natural conversations, Siri AI helps users get more done than ever before.

Built on Apple Intelligence, this new version of Siri draws on personal context understanding to help users find what they need in the moment across messages, emails, photos, and more. And with even more systemwide app actions, Siri AI can help users with tasks such as drafting an email from scratch or editing and sharing a set of photos.

For example, if a user asks Siri what a family member suggested as an activity during an upcoming visit, Siri can search the user’s messages and find that they mentioned wanting to bake a family recipe together. It can then pull up the cooking instructions from an email the relative sent previously and add the ingredients to their grocery list in the Reminders app.

Siri AI already works seamlessly with apps from Apple’s vast ecosystem of developers. Users can continue to take action in the apps they already use with Siri, like texting a friend in WhatsApp or playing a book on Audible. And soon, users will be able to ask Siri AI to draft an email in Microsoft Outlook, search for a homework assignment in Notability, or add a restaurant recommendation to Tripsy.

With onscreen awareness, Siri AI can answer questions or take actions related to the content on a user’s screen. For example, while viewing their favorite sports team’s website, a user can ask Siri to find all the upcoming home games and add them directly to their calendar. And Siri AI can also use broad world knowledge to get up-to-date information on virtually any topic. Whether a user is looking for the score of a football game, tips for planning a vacation, or the best local coffee spot in a new city, Siri AI will leverage information from across the web to deliver helpful, accurate answers.

Users can extend almost any response from Siri into a rich conversation and ask follow-up questions. And users can take advantage of Siri AI anywhere across the system. In addition to saying “Hey Siri,” iPhone users can invoke Siri with the side button, or swipe down from the Dynamic Island to start a conversation and get an in-depth answer. On iPad and Mac, Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight so users can search for answers to almost any question. It is also integrated into systemwide context menus, allowing users to Control-click to ask about images, files, or text on their screen. On Apple Vision Pro, Siri AI leverages spatial computing with a 3D visualization that users can place anywhere in their space, and they can invoke Siri by looking at it and starting to speak.

To revisit a past conversation or start a new one, users can open the all-new dedicated Siri app. The Siri app uses iCloud to privately sync conversational history across a user’s products, so they can start chatting with Siri on iPhone, and pick up the conversation on Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro, bringing together rich conversations in one place.

Expressive Voices and Improved Dictation Powered by the Most Advanced On-Device Model

Siri AI offers even more expressive voices, as well as a major boost in accuracy, with systemwide dictation for products that support Apple’s most advanced on-device model ever, AFM Core Advanced. Users have the ability to customize the expressiveness and pace of Siri’s voice so it’s just right for them. Dictation now captures what users say as polished text with greater precision, automatically handling capitalization, punctuation, and formatting as they speak. And with improved speech understanding, users can speak naturally and trust that their words will appear clearly, accurately, and as intended.

Visual Intelligence Is Now on iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro

With Visual Intelligence, Siri AI offers powerful image understanding and multimodal capabilities, so users can ask questions about visual content across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro.

On iPhone, Siri’s multimodal capabilities are integrated right into the Camera app with a brand-new Siri mode, allowing users to get information and take action on what’s in front of them. For example, while looking at a poster for a music festival, a user can ask Siri what the set times are for their favorite artists, and then have Siri automatically create multiple calendar events for the weekend. On iPad, Visual Intelligence is integrated right into the screenshot experience. And on Mac, users can tap into it with a dedicated keyboard shortcut, allowing them to select something on their Mac display and type directly to Siri to get a helpful answer. Visual Intelligence also expands to Apple Vision Pro, allowing users to ask Siri about things just by looking at them, from the content inside app windows to physical objects around them.

The Ability to Write and Edit Virtually Anywhere with Siri AI

Siri now offers integrated Writing Tools that are more powerful than ever, allowing users to write with Siri AI virtually anywhere they type. Users can describe what they need and Siri can generate a draft from scratch to get the ball rolling. If a user wants to refine what they’ve written, they can describe the change they want to make and Siri can quickly update it.

When writing in Mail and Messages, Siri can reflect how users usually communicate with each recipient, including the punctuation and tone they typically use. Users can ask Siri for tips and suggestions to improve their written work. Plus, Apple Intelligence now automatically proofreads for users as they type across the system, including within most third-party apps.

Powerful AI Capabilities Integrated into Everyday Experiences

In addition to Siri AI, Apple Intelligence powers many more new capabilities in the apps users rely on every day:

• The Photos app taps into more powerful image models to provide new ways to edit photos, while still respecting the original moment as it was captured. With Spatial Reframing, users can improve the composition of a photo by adjusting the camera perspective after the photo was taken. Users can also expand their shots with the Extend tool to give their subjects more breathing room, and the popular Clean Up tool is more powerful than ever, allowing users to remove distractions from their photos with even better quality and more realistic infill.

• Powered by a new generative model that runs on Private Cloud Compute, Image Playground is more powerful and useful than ever, giving users the ability to create high-quality images in virtually any style — now including photorealistic — and simply describe any changes they want to make. This capability extends to the new Siri, allowing users to generate images just by describing them in the Siri AI app, powered by Image Playground. And with upcoming support for the SynthID standard, users can identify images generated or edited with AI using Apple Intelligence-powered tools.

• Safari adds new tools that transform how users can browse the web. Now, Safari can simplify the browsing experience by automatically organizing a user’s tabs into topics. It can also notify users of website changes, like product restocks or price drops, with Notify Me, and create custom extensions based on a user’s description.

• In Mail and Messages, Smart Reply can draw on a user’s personalized writing style, and Suggestions in Mail are even more capable with the ability to take actions with third-party apps.

• With Call Context in Phone, users can proactively receive relevant information, like a confirmation code or reservation number, when they’re calling a business.

• In Calendar, users can now add or modify events with simple descriptions.

• Shortcuts is more approachable than ever. With the ability to describe a shortcut, users can create complex automations simply by describing what they want.

• The Home app adds the ability to understand related notifications as a single activity, view what’s happening across a sequence of video clips with generated video descriptions, search for clips across multiple cameras, and access noteworthy ones at the top of the Search page.

Coming Later This Year: New Audio Intelligence and Health Capabilities

Since Apple Watch is always on a user’s wrist, it is the perfect device to help users stay alert to important sounds and stay present and engaged in conversations throughout the day. With the built-in microphone, the power of the S11 chip, the latest Apple
Intelligence models on iPhone, and Private Cloud Compute, Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 offer a brand-new class of Apple Intelligence features. Audio Intelligence helps users stay aware of the world around them, catch what they missed, and remember key moments — with user control, privacy, security, and accessibility at the center of its design.

Audio Intelligence features include:

• Sound Recognition, which comes to Apple Watch to alert users who are deaf or hard of hearing of important sounds, even when their iPhone isn’t with them. This feature listens for sounds like sirens, alarms, doorbells, or a baby crying, and uses on-device intelligence to notify users when they’re detected.

• Live Rewind, which can help users recall what was just said in conversation. A double press of the Digital Crown shows the previous 15 seconds of a conversation as a text snippet, so users can catch something they may have missed or are less familiar with. Users can ask Siri about the content of the text or save it to the Siri app to revisit later.

• Siri Recap, which can create high-level summaries of conversations that users can review later to jog their memory. When Siri Recap is turned on, after a conversation, Apple Intelligence automatically generates a title and key points in the new Siri app, allowing users to be more present and engaged in the moment.

• Shazam, which instantly detects the music playing around the user and automatically displays the song title and artist’s name on the Music Recognition widget in the Smart Stack, easily glanceable on the wrist.

Audio Intelligence features are private by design, combining hardware, software, and services to protect user privacy in a way that only Apple can. These features do not create or store audio recordings, and the raw audio used for processing is completely inaccessible to the operating systems, apps, the user, or Apple. This is because the S11 chip on Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 includes Secure Exclave, a dedicated hardware-isolated compartment that processes audio in complete isolation from the rest of the system, then immediately deletes it.

Users are in control and can choose whether to opt in to each Audio Intelligence feature. They can decide exactly where and when Siri Recap takes notes, and can turn Siri Recap on or off at any time, right from Control Center.

By design, Audio Intelligence features do not identify and attribute speakers, to protect the privacy of both the user and those around them. Siri Recap produces a brief, high-level summary of conversations — not a transcript — and is designed to exclude sensitive information like financial information or government-assigned identifiers. Live Rewind plays an audible chime when it is being used, even if Apple Watch is on silent, and shows a full-display animation and microphone indicator so people nearby can hear and see that the feature has been activated.

Live Rewind text snippets and Siri Recap summaries are end-to-end encrypted in the Siri app with iCloud syncing, and are not accessible even by Apple. Learn more about how Audio Intelligence protects privacy. Siri Recap and Live Rewind arrive in beta later this year.

In addition, the Health app gets a new design, turning a user’s metrics into personalized guidance with Apple Intelligence at its core. The new Insights tab has a summary generated by Apple Intelligence that highlights a user’s most timely information, surfacing details like the latest on their sleep or peak VO2 max. Users will also get personalized guidance from the Health app. For example, if they are working to improve their cardiovascular health, they may see suggestions to incorporate intervals in their regular morning run — recommendations that dynamically adapt to the user and their data.

The new health capabilities will be available later this year.

A Bold Architecture, Built Privacy-First

These new capabilities are powered by the next generation of Apple Foundation Models, custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models for deeply integrated Apple Intelligence experiences. These latest models run on device and on servers using Private Cloud Compute. Every facet of new Apple Intelligence architecture is built privacy-first, from the latest Apple Foundation Models to the core operating system technologies that integrate these models deep into Apple’s platforms.

Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute to help protect users’ privacy. Private Cloud Compute gives users access to frontier-level intelligence while extending the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud. When Private Cloud Compute is handling users’ requests, their personal data is not stored nor made accessible to Apple or anyone else. Outside experts can continue to verify this privacy promise at any time.

Siri has been rebuilt from the ground up with powerful AI, taking full advantage of the bold new architecture for Apple Intelligence. Additionally, Siri AI uses the system orchestrator to tap into core capabilities like the Spotlight index and App Toolbox, which work entirely on device to keep users in control of their data.

With powerful new features and unrivaled privacy protections, Siri remains the world’s most private digital assistant, backed by a bold architecture that allows Apple to deliver innovative new features with privacy and security at their core.

Pricing and Availability

• Apple Intelligence in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 is available on iPhone 16 models or later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad models with M1 or later, MacBook Neo (A18 Pro), Mac models with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby.

• Apple Intelligence is available with Siri settings and device language set to Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions.

• Siri AI is rolling out in beta in English in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27, and requires an Apple Intelligence-enabled device set to a supported language. Support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish is coming next month.

• Siri AI will not be available initially in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Features that rely on Siri AI will also not be available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Apple is working hard to find a path forward that preserves its users’ privacy and security.

• Siri AI and the other new Apple Intelligence features will not be available in China while Apple works through regulatory requirements.

• Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, intelligent photo editing tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to Apple Intelligence terms and conditions. Learn more at apple.com/apple-intelligence.

‎
MacDailyNews Note: Siri AI is not available for users under 13.

Apple’s most powerful on-device model and the features it enables, like expressive voices and more advanced dictation, are available on iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPad (M4) or later with at least 12GB of unified memory, and Mac (M3) or later with at least 12GB of unified memory. The model and expressive voices are also available on Apple Vision Pro (M5).

SynthID will be available in a software update later this year, and will be included for most edited images, depending on the edits applied.

Home app’s ability to understand related notifications as a single activity, view what’s happening across a sequence of video clips with generated video descriptions, search for clips across multiple cameras, and access noteworthy ones at the top of the Search page requires a home hub such as HomePod (2nd generation), HomePod mini, or Apple TV 4K with the latest operating system software. The owner of the home must have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, have Apple Intelligence enabled in the Home app, and subscribe to an eligible iCloud+ plan.

Audio Intelligence includes Live Rewind, Siri Recap, Sound Recognition, and faster Shazam, and requires Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4. Live Rewind and Siri Recap will be available in beta in late 2026, and require an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 16 or later (excluding iPhone 16e). They will be available in English to start and will not initially be available in the EU. Certain Audio Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Live Rewind and Siri Recap. For more information, visit support.apple.com/148354.

Sound Recognition requires Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Live Rewind will be available in beta in late 2026, and requires Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4, paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 16 or later (excluding iPhone 16e). It will be available in English to start and will not initially be available in the EU. Certain Audio Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Live Rewind and Siri Recap. For more information, visit support.apple.com/148354.

Siri Recap will be available in beta in late 2026 and requires Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4, paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 16 or later (excluding iPhone 16e). Available in English to start. Siri Recap will not initially be available in the EU. Certain Audio Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Live Rewind and Siri Recap. For more information, visit support.apple.com/148354.

Faster Shazam requires Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4.

The redesigned Health app is available on Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone and iPad models with the latest software, with select features available only on iPhone. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Health Age requires Apple Watch. The test to estimate VO2 max requires Apple Watch, AirPods Pro 3, or a third-party heart rate sensing device. Some features require users to be 18 or older. For information on Apple Intelligence availability, visit support.apple.com/en-us/121115.

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The post Apple’s Siri AI, a profoundly more capable and personal assistant, is finally here appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Apple software updates for 2026 are now reaching supported devices, bringing iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27 out of preview and into everyday use. The releases place Siri AI and the next generation of Apple Intelligence at the center, but many of the changes extend well beyond generative AI.

The updates began rolling out September 14. Alongside new intelligence features, Apple has made measurable performance changes to iPhone and iPad, overhauled several parental controls, refined the Liquid Glass interface introduced across its platforms, improved search, and added smaller changes to services including iCloud Shared Albums, Maps, AirPods, and Health.

Siri AI is initially rolling out as a beta in English. Apple says French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish support is scheduled for October, making some of the headline functionality a staggered release rather than something every user receives immediately after installing the new operating systems.

Apple software updates make Siri AI a cross-device feature

Siri AI is built around personal context, onscreen awareness, expanded app actions, and access to current information from the web. The assistant can draw on material stored in areas such as Messages, Mail, and Photos when responding to requests, while Visual Intelligence allows users to ask about content currently displayed on their screen.

On iPhone, Siri mode is integrated directly into the Camera app. A user can point the camera at something and ask questions or perform supported actions based on what appears in front of them.

The assistant also gains a dedicated Siri app that synchronizes conversation history privately through iCloud. A conversation started on an iPhone can therefore be continued on an iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro.

Write with Siri expands the assistant into text creation and editing. Users can describe the material they need drafted or ask Siri to refine existing writing without moving to a separate application.

Apple Intelligence is also adding more specialized features outside Siri. Photos receives Spatial Reframing, Extend, and an updated Clean Up tool. Image Playground can generate images in a wider selection of styles, including photorealistic output, with metadata designed to identify AI-created material and planned support for the SynthID standard.

Safari can automatically organize tabs by topic and monitor webpages for changes, such as a product returning to stock or a price dropping. Apple is also introducing tools that can create custom extensions from a description.

iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 put more emphasis on speed

Some of the less visible changes could be among the most frequently experienced.

Apple says apps can launch up to 30% faster on iPhone and iPad after installing the new software. Photos can load an image up to 70% faster immediately after it is taken, while AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster.

iPadOS 27 receives additional work around file handling and multitasking. Apple says browsing files and transferring them to an external USB drive can be as much as five times faster, accompanied by smoother window closing, switching, and dragging.

Connectivity behavior has also been adjusted. Transitions between cellular connections and Wi-Fi are designed to happen more seamlessly, while Messages no longer needs to hold subsequent texts behind a large photo or video being uploaded over a slow connection.

Search across Spotlight, Photos, and Mail has been revised on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Mail gains a new ranking system for Top Hits, while Apple describes search across the three platforms as more stable and comprehensive.

Liquid Glass has received another round of refinements after becoming the common visual language across Apple’s software. A new Settings slider allows users to adjust the interface from an ultraclear appearance toward a more heavily tinted version, and app icons have been sharpened.

Screen Time and child safety controls get a substantial redesign

Apple has also expanded the controls available to families rather than limiting this software cycle to interface and AI work.

The setup process for child accounts now allows parents to specify which apps a child can access from the beginning, with additional apps added later if appropriate. Ask to Browse extends approval controls to Safari, letting parents require permission before a child opens a new website.

Communication Safety has been expanded beyond sexually explicit material to detect and intervene when gore or violent content appears in shared images and videos.

Screen Time presents average device usage and frequently used apps more prominently. Parents can establish daily time allowances across categories such as Entertainment, Games, and Social Media, while Schedules can change which apps remain available at different points during a weekday or weekend.

These changes are particularly notable because they work at the account and platform level rather than requiring parents to configure separate controls inside every individual app.

watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27 add targeted upgrades

The smaller platforms receive their own additions rather than simply inheriting features from iPhone and Mac.

watchOS 27 introduces a dedicated Siri app, a dynamic app grid, expanded Smart Stack suggestions, and a new single-handed tap gesture for opening widgets. Workout Buddy can now operate without the paired iPhone nearby, while Cycle Tracking in Health adds support related to perimenopause and menopause.

visionOS 27 brings Siri AI and Visual Intelligence into Apple Vision Pro, where the assistant can respond to objects a user is physically looking at. Panoramas can be converted into spatial scenes and used as personal Environments, while Mac users can bring compatible 3D models into their physical space to preview and edit them.

Apple says Vision Pro can now start up and connect to Wi-Fi up to three times faster. New curved windows, Control Center changes, eye-controlled notification expansion, and improvements to Dwell Control further adjust the spatial interface.

tvOS 27 takes a narrower approach. Apple Music gains high-resolution lossless audio support, Apple Podcasts has been redesigned, and additional text-size accessibility options have been introduced. Apple TV 4K owners can install the release on supported second- and third-generation models.

Other changes stretch across device categories. iCloud Shared Albums can now retain full-resolution photos and videos while making participation easier from Android and Windows devices. AirPods gain custom EQ settings, Maps expands Flyover with AI-assisted aerial detail, and Missed-message notifications and unread counts now synchronize more quickly and reliably across Apple devices.

With the September 14 releases now public, the software cycle shifts from preview demonstrations to staggered feature delivery. Siri AI language expansion begins in October, while some Apple Intelligence capabilities and individual app features will continue arriving through later updates rather than being tied exclusively to the initial 27.0 releases.

The post Apple software updates bring Siri AI and faster performance across devices appeared first on AppleMagazine.

Apple’s latest software updates introduce Siri AI, a more intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable version of Siri, and deliver helpful new Apple Intelligence features that make the apps users interact with day to day smarter and more useful. The updates also bring powerful and intuitive new features to help parents create safer, more enriching digital experiences for kids and introduce an expansive set of improvements that make Apple products more responsive, more delightful, and easier to use.

Making Apple Products More Personal and Useful Than Ever

Siri AI is an entirely new version of Siri powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence and deeply integrated into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. A more capable and conversational assistant with personal context understanding, broad world knowledge, onscreen awareness, and even more systemwide app actions, Siri AI is now rolling out as a beta in English, with support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish coming in October.

Siri AI can understand personal context across messages, emails, photos, and more, to help users find what they need in the moment. It can also answer questions related to the content on a user’s screen or go out to the web to get up-to-date information to generate a helpful answer. Siri is integrated into the Camera app on iPhone with Siri mode, allowing users to get information and take action on what’s in front of them, like splitting a bill and paying friends with Apple Cash, or adding a custom pass to Wallet. With Visual Intelligence, users on iPhone, iPad, or Mac can now ask Siri about what they’re looking at on the screen, and Vision Pro users can search, ask questions, and take action simply by looking at their surroundings and asking Siri.

With Write with Siri, users can simply describe what they need to generate a draft or help refine what they’ve written. A dedicated Siri app uses iCloud to privately sync conversational history across a user’s products, so they can start chatting with Siri on iPhone and continue the conversation on Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro.

The next generation of Apple Intelligence also brings helpful new features to apps that users rely on every day. In Photos, Spatial Reframing, Extend, and an upgraded Clean Up tool provide more ways to edit photos while respecting the original moment as it was captured. Image Playground gives users the ability to create high-quality images in virtually any style, including photorealistic, and with image metadata and upcoming support for the SynthID standard, users can identify images generated or edited with AI. In Safari, Apple Intelligence powers new tools that automatically organize a user’s tabs into topics; notify them of website changes, like product restocks or price drops; and enable the creation of custom extensions based on a description. Call Context surfaces relevant information, like a confirmation code or reservation number, when calling a business.

New Expert-Informed Child Safety Features and a Redesigned Screen Time Experience

Easy-to-use new features help parents manage what their kids can see, who they can talk to, and when they have access to apps. A new setup flow for child accounts makes it easier to enable age-based safeguards across the system. From the beginning, parents can choose the exact apps their kids have access to on their device, and gradually add more over time. Ask to Browse allows parents to require approval before their kids access a new website in Safari. In addition to being able to approve each new contact their kids connect with, parents can lean on Communication Safety, which now also detects and intervenes to block gore or violent content when detected in shared images or videos.

Redesigned to be more intuitive for parents, Screen Time offers an at-a-glance view of their kids’ average device usage and top apps. New tools make it easy to set daily total time allowances across Entertainment, Games, and Social Media apps, with guidance from leading clinical and child development experts, and Schedules let parents manage which apps their children have access to at different points in the day.

For parents and families looking for more information on how to help create safer, more enriching digital experiences for their kids, Apple has a dedicated website, which includes details on the latest tools and how to get started using them.
A More Refined Experience Across Platforms

The 2027 software releases deliver platform improvements that span performance, connectivity, search, and more, making Apple products even more responsive, reliable, and delightful to use.

• Performance: Users will experience faster performance on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. On iPhone and iPad, apps launch up to 30 percent faster, photos load up to 70 percent faster after being taken, and AirDrop transfers are up to 80 percent faster. On iPad, browsing files and transferring them to an external USB drive is now up to 5x faster, and there are additional improvements to closing, switching, and dragging windows while multitasking. On Mac, things users do every day feel extra snappy and responsive. AirDrop transfers are quicker, iCloud Photos uploads begin faster, swiping between spaces and Mission Control is smoother, and more. On Apple Watch, music playback is even faster.

• Connectivity: On iPhone and iPad, transitions between cellular and Wi-Fi networks are more seamless than ever. In Messages, sending large photos and videos in low-bandwidth situations no longer prevents subsequent texts from going through, so users can continue replying while media is being delivered. On Mac, users will experience faster network file browsing. Apple Vision Pro starts and connects to Wi-Fi up to 3x faster.

• Search: On iPhone, iPad, and Mac, search across Spotlight, Photos, and Mail is more stable, efficient, and comprehensive, so it can better help users find exactly what they are looking for. Additionally, a completely new ranking system in Mail surfaces even more relevant results in Top Hits.

• Design: Refinements to the software design with Liquid Glass deliver an even more focused and approachable experience. For example, a new slider in Settings gives users the option to personalize Liquid Glass, adjusting it anywhere from ultraclear to fully tinted to match their preference, and app icons have been updated to be sharper and more defined.

Additional features across platforms:

• iCloud Shared Albums support full-resolution sharing for photos and videos, and make it easier for Android and Windows users to join and contribute.

• The Health app brings support for perimenopause and menopause in Cycle Tracking, including notifications about cycle deviations inclusive of perimenopause.

• AirPods users can now enjoy custom EQ to further personalize how their AirPods sound. And with expanded Apple GymKit functionality, users with AirPods Pro 3 can sync their heart rate data through iPhone while enjoying incredible audio quality.

• Apple Maps brings an enhanced Flyover experience, which combines aerial imagery with AI, allowing users to enjoy even more detailed visuals.

• On Apple Watch, new Smart Stack widget suggestions surface when they are relevant, and users can conveniently open a widget with a new single-handed tap gesture. Workout Buddy is supported even when users don’t have their iPhone nearby, and it’s now available in Spanish in addition to English.

• Apple Vision Pro users can now turn panoramas into spatial scenes with rich depth and use them as a personal Environment, or transform their space entirely with the new Thórsmörk Environment featuring a dynamic Icelandic aurora.

• On Apple TV, users get high-resolution lossless audio support for Apple Music, a redesigned Apple Podcasts app, and broader text-size accessibility options.

The new features start rolling out today across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27.
Availability

Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

New Apple Intelligence capabilities across apps are available for users with supported products set to a supported language. Siri AI begins rolling out as a beta in English, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish coming in October.

Mac and Apple Vision Pro users in the EU will be able to access Siri AI when set to a supported language. Siri AI will not be available initially in the EU in iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.

Siri AI and the other new Apple Intelligence features will not be available in China while Apple works through regulatory requirements.

Users who enable Apple Intelligence on supported products set to a supported language will have access with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27.

Apple Intelligence is available with support for these languages: English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Japanese, and Korean. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see apple.com/apple-intelligence.

Apple Intelligence and Siri AI in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 are available on iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, iPhone 16 models or later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad models with M1 or later, MacBook Neo (A18 Pro), Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone. Some features on Apple Watch require iPhone nearby.

Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, intelligent photo editing tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to Apple Intelligence terms and conditions. Learn more at apple.com/apple-intelligence. Siri AI is not available for users under 13.

MacDailyNews Take: Hello, Siri AI! Happy updating!

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The post Apple releases iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27 appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Apple (release notes, security, developer):

Explore what’s new for watchOS 27.

See also:

• Juli Clover
• John Voorhees

Previously:

• watchOS 27 Announced
• watchOS 26

Update (2026-09-16): Sarah Reichelt:

If anyone like me is struggling to update their Apple Watch, the Install button in the Watch app scrolls almost off the bottom of the screen on my iPhone 17 Pro. You can just see a few orange pixels. Try to tap them and it should work.

As previously announced, Apple has today released 2026's major annual updates for its operating systems, including iOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27.

Siri AI—a large language model-based and context-aware overhaul of the company's Siri voice and text assistant—is the flagship feature across all these releases except one (tvOS).

Read full article

Comments

© Apple

Your iPhone gets new tricks with iOS 27, including conversational Siri AI, smarter photo tools and more control over Liquid Glass.

(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

I haven’t been this excited about an Apple Watch in a long time. Last week, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, which will be available at the end of the week. The new Watches feature the S11 chip, which enables a bunch of new features, some of which won’t debut until later this year. At the same time, Apple is dropping support for more Watches than usual.

What we’re witnessing is a reboot of the Apple Watch and watchOS forced by advances in AI. The Apple Watch and its OS found their niche years ago, freeing us from pulling out our iPhones for notifications, tracking our health and fitness, and enabling the occasional Siri request. It was a good and comfortable spot for what by all accounts has been one of the most successful wearables to date, but watchOS also felt stuck in a rut.

Every year we got a few new workout types, a new watch face, and a few other features, but the OS didn’t advance much. What’s different this year is that watchOS 27 is breaking with slower hardware and looking forward to the substantially more powerful S11 chip, which will allow the Apple Watch to expand into all-new areas.

What this transition also means is that there is not just one set of features to track in watchOS 27 this year but three:

• those that arrive today for anyone with a compatible Apple Watch,
• those that arrive at the end of the week that are exclusive to the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and
• those that are coming later this year.

That makes this more than just a review. It’s also a preview of things to come and a roadmap for where the Apple Watch is heading.

There’s more than usual to cover this year, so let’s dive in and check it out.

View this on MacStories.

[table_of_contents]

Interface, Navigation, and the Smart Stack

I like Liquid Glass on all of Apple’s devices and didn’t have any issues with its first iteration in watchOS 26. However, with the latest update, my Apple Watch Ultra 3’s UI is ever so slightly more readable. Smart Stack suggestions and notifications don’t bleed through each other as much, and app icons are sharper.

On a small screen like an Apple Watch, you may never notice the difference, but there’s a sharpness throughout the UI that’s reminiscent of the sharpness you see in app icons on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Edges are more defined and colors are diffused less, making everything a little crisper. It’s a subtle change, but a good one.

The watchOS 27 change most users will notice first is the change to the way you navigate through the OS’s UI. The App Switcher is gone, replaced by the simpler Dynamic App Grid. And although I expect the App Switcher will be missed by some, I don’t miss it at all. Sure, it was a little hard to break the Digital Crown double-press habit at first, but as someone who returns to the same handful of apps repeatedly, I find the new design makes more sense.

Before watchOS 27, the App Switcher was invoked with a double press of the Digital Crown. That revealed a Rolodex-style view of your recent apps that you could move among by turning the Digital Crown. The UI served as a shortcut between frequently used apps that avoided returning to the app grid or list views on your Watch, which can be crowded if you have a lot of apps installed.

Now, whether you single- or double-press the Digital Crown, the new Dynamic App Grid appears. At its center is the new Siri app. Below that is the icon to take you to the app list or grid view depending on how your Watch is set up. Apple says that the remaining five icons that circle the Siri icon are placed based on recency and frequency of use.

I’ve been using watchOS 27 all summer, and my recently used apps have barely changed. Currently, those apps include Settings, Alarms, News, Maps, and Moshi, an app I use for monitoring AI agent projects.

I don’t think I’m alone in being a creature of habit when it comes to the Apple Watch apps I use. Having those five apps just one Digital Crown press away is far easier than pressing twice, scrolling to find what I want, and then tapping into an app. Between the Dynamic App Grid and the expanded Smart Stack, there are plenty of ways to get to the apps you use the most, which I love. What the Dynamic App Grid gives up in predictability is more than made up for by the simpler gesture and UI.

watchOS 27 adds a new single tap gesture for selection, which allows you to do a lot more simply with gestures. For example, a double tap gesture with your thumb and index finger opens the Smart Stack to the first card. Double tap again to move to the next card or, if a card has multiple items that can be selected, to the next item on the card. Once what you want is selected, a single tap will open it. The existing wrist flick gesture is then used to return to the watch face.

The Smart Stack is now stacked with more types of cards, too. Apple has added cards for birthdays stored in Contacts, your car’s parking location, a prompt to change an alarm before a holiday, a shortcut to resume a Siri conversation, transit card balances, pinned Messages conversations, Theater Mode, and more. It’s a nice expansion that has made my Smart Stack feel more useful all summer because there’s always something relevant to me there.

The other change announced just last week is the addition of the Siri Modular face, which I immediately installed on my Apple Watch Ultra 3. The watch face displays the top Smart Stack item in a large complication in the middle of your Watch. It’s a nice touch, but because you can’t dismiss the media playback card without turning off Live Activities, that one has wound up on my watch face more frequently than I’d like. Still, when an app like Moshi reports that an AI agent’s task has been completed, it’s nice to be able to see a snippet of the message directly on my watch face. It also strikes me as a great way to keep track of tasks with a deadline from task manager apps like this review’s sponsor, Finalist.

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So, on balance, I like what Apple has done with watchOS 27’s navigation. The Dynamic App Grid takes a little getting used to, but I appreciate its simplicity. The Smart Stack, single tap gesture, and new Siri Modular watch face combine to make the Smart Stack more useful than ever too. Watch interactions are meant to be short, and watchOS 27 nails that goal.

Siri AI and the Apple Watch as Helper

Siri AI is a big part of watchOS 27 just like it is on every Apple platform (except tvOS) this year. As on those other platforms, Siri has a dedicated app on the Watch. The main difference is in how you interact with Siri. On macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, you can speak or type queries in the Siri app. On watchOS 27, the app accepts spoken queries only. That struck me as a little strange at first given that Apple offers multiple ways to input text on watchOS, but the reality is chatbot queries are typically longer than a dashed-off text message, so in practice, the lack of text input is fine.

Siri AI requires an Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Ultra 2 or later, or SE 3, along with a nearby iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence: an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 or later model. It’s being released as a beta, initially in English only, and won’t be available in the EU for the time being. Apple also says it will introduce usage limits for Siri AI in the future. Those limits will vary depending on factors such as request complexity and system demand. Increased access will be available for a fee. To make a Siri request, you can tap an installed complication, long-press the Digital Crown, or say “Siri” or “Hey Siri.” Once you start a chat with Siri, it retains the context, allowing you to ask follow-up questions without restating everything.

Alternatively, you can open the app where you can see your past chats. The app’s button to start a conversation accepts spoken input only. Type to Siri remains available through Accessibility settings, but it’s a separate way to invoke Siri rather than a text-entry option within the app.

Your query list includes any requests you’ve made on your Apple Watch or any other Apple device, all synced via iCloud. In my experience, sync is fast over a good network connection with chats appearing on my Mac seconds after a response is delivered to my Watch. From the Siri Apple Watch app, you can also swipe left on an entry to delete or pin it, or tap the entry to read it.

Siri AI on the Apple Watch also offers the same personal-context capabilities that let it find information in your email, photos, tasks, and notes and use it to take action in apps. I explored those capabilities and their shortcomings in my macOS Golden Gate review. My experience on the Watch hasn’t been meaningfully different, apart from occasional minor latency, so that review is the best place to dig into my testing.

What changes here is the convenience of having those capabilities on your wrist within easy reach. The nearby iPhone supplies the connection to Apple Intelligence, but the Watch is both the immediate interface and, for many requests, the place where the resulting action occurs.

It’s also worth stepping back to think about what Siri could do before. I rarely used Siri for more than setting timers and alarms, checking the weather, and controlling my lights. However, now, I can tell Siri to remind me to take out the trash tomorrow morning and add a calendar event for a dinner reservation in one breath. That’s not wildly complex stuff, but it’s very convenient, especially when your iPhone is in your pocket or across the room and you think of something you need to do. Siri also has the same broad world knowledge that it does on other Apple devices, allowing you to check recent sports scores, check the news, and answer questions about the world around you.

Not every technology advance needs to be a monumental leap forward. Sometimes the simplest, most convenient small thing has the greatest impact. Siri on the Apple Watch has that potential, although with time, I’d like to see it become independent of the iPhone.

Workouts and Fitness

I’m happy to be the one who gets to tell you that Workout Buddy has been freed from the requirement that you carry your iPhone with you. Users tend to love or hate Workout Buddy. Personally, I love it. Sure, its incredibly chipper voice can grate if you’re heading out for a long walk and aren’t feeling it, but that’s sort of the point. Once enabled, Workout Buddy is there to encourage you with no judgment. It’ll tell you you’re below your average targets with the same cheerfulness as when you’re crushing it.

When Workout Buddy debuted, my disappointment wasn’t with its voice, personality, or the information it offers. My issue was that the time I need a pep talk when exercising is when I’m out on a long run by myself suffering in the summer heat. The problem is that until watchOS 27, Workout Buddy was only available if you had your iPhone with you. That was fine when I went on a long walk, and I’m sure many cyclists were fine, but one of the reasons I got an Apple Watch was to never lug an iPhone with me while I ran, especially an iPhone like my iPhone 17 Pro Max.

With watchOS 27, I’m pleased to report that Workout Buddy works as well over a Wi-Fi or cellular connection as it does tethered to your iPhone and is compatible with walking, running, cycling, hiking, elliptical, stair stepper, HIIT, and functional and traditional strength training. Workout Buddy speaks Mexican Spanish now, too. In fact, it’s an Apple Intelligence feature that works without your iPhone nearby, which gives me hope for more iPhone-independent Apple Intelligence features in future releases.

Workout Buddy also offers more insights about your workout by comparing pace, distance, and workout duration to your recent fitness history. Today, just before I wrote this section, I went for a walk to get some fresh air and was cheerfully told how little I’ve exercised during this crazy iPhone event and OS review writing week. What I appreciate most, though, is that overall, Workout Buddy isn’t significantly more chatty. I don’t want it to turn into a podcast; I just want brief, periodic updates, which it delivers well.

The Workout app’s scrolling has been improved too. I know a lot of people who felt it was too easy to scroll past their intended workout type. That’s generally not a problem for me since I only use a few workout types, but even then, I sometimes overshot my mark. With watchOS 27, there’s a little less momentum built into the scrolling. Even if I swipe as fast as I can muster, I can only manage to move five workouts. A normal, calm swipe advances me just one workout.

Additional Workout and Fitness improvements include:

• more precise post-workout route maps, which, based on my walks and runs, have been very accurate whether I’m among buildings, under trees, or out in the open,
• more accurate measurement of treadmill distances, which I haven’t tried personally, and
• step counts in the Fitness app that now synchronize with those recorded in Health.

There may not be many changes to the workout and fitness features of the Apple Watch in watchOS 27, but I’m nonetheless pleased that I’ve been able to turn on Workout Buddy for my morning runs to help motivate and inform me about my progress.

Apps, Services, and Everyday Improvements

Find My

It never made sense to me that different aspects of the iPhone’s Find My were spread across separate apps on the Apple Watch. I suppose the idea was that splitting the app up made it more atomic and widget-like for the Apple Watch’s small screen, but in practice, I think most people use Find My from an iPhone more than they do an Apple Watch, so the split on the Apple Watch was confusing.

The new Find My app is map-based, just like it is on other platforms. The app defaults to a devices view, and if you have multiple devices with Find My enabled in one location, you can scroll among them using the Digital Crown. Tap the button in the top left corner and you can switch from devices to people or items.

What I love about the new Find My is how true it is to the iPhone app. You’re able to use it to get directions, contact someone, play a sound on a device or item, enable Notify When Found or Notify When Left Behind, set arrival and departure alerts for people, mark devices and items as lost, and use Precision Finding with the iPhone and second-generation AirTag. Precision Finding requires a Series 9 or later or Ultra 2 or later, and locating an iPhone requires a compatible model with Ultra Wideband. Find My is no companion Watch app. It’s the real deal.

Wallet

iOS 27 adds the ability to create passes in the Wallet app. The new feature makes it easy to add library, loyalty, and gym cards that use a barcode or QR code to Wallet even when a service doesn’t offer a Wallet pass. With “Create a Pass,” you no longer need to carry physical cards.

Setting up a pass is easy. From the Wallet app on your iPhone, tap the plus button and choose “Create a Pass.” The next screen explains that you can set up a pass automatically by photographing it or manually by typing in the information yourself. I’ve used the automatic approach with our local supermarket’s loyalty card and one my wife has for Barnes & Noble. Wallet picked up the relevant information from both cards right away. I haven’t tried the Barnes & Noble card, but the card for our supermarket worked perfectly the last time I bought groceries.

The functionality extends to watchOS 27, too. Although you can’t make passes with the Apple Watch’s Wallet app, they appear there the same way cards from other apps are collected there. Tap on a pass in the Wallet app and it expands to show the membership number and name, followed by a barcode, more pass details, and buttons to share the pass with someone or remove it from Wallet. There are third-party apps that do something similar, but for the limited number of cards I have that aren’t already tied to an app or Wallet pass from that app, the new pass generation feature and its integration with watchOS 27 are exactly what I need. On the iPhone, you can also edit a pass’s details and customize its appearance, making your passes easier to tell apart.

Other Apps and Features

Phone:

Call Context is a Phone feature that’s available on both the iPhone and Apple Watch that can surface relevant information from Mail during a call, such as flight details when you call an airline. I haven’t had many opportunities to try this over the summer, but it did pull up a flight for me on my iPhone when I called American Airlines about a flight. I called back later from my Apple Watch Ultra 3, but that time, the flight details didn’t appear.

Shazam:

With watchOS 27, Shazam can listen to music even if your Apple Watch isn’t connected to the Internet and send its acoustic signature to the cloud for analysis and matching when your connectivity resumes. This is not on-device song recognition, but it does mean you can still track a song in the moment and get the results later, which I like.

Unused Feature Notifications:

watchOS 27 proactively sends notifications that it will turn off unused features, such as gestures, Start Workout reminders, and Raise to Speak, to preserve your Watch’s battery life. If you get one of these notifications, you can decline it or turn the feature back on later in Settings. I haven’t seen any of these notifications during my summer testing.

Cycle Tracking:

watchOS 27’s Cycle Tracking expands support to perimenopause and menopause, including symptom logging and educational resources. For anyone 40 and older, changes in logged cycle patterns may prompt a notification suggesting a consultation with their doctor. Apple makes it clear that the notifications the Apple Watch provides aren’t meant to be a diagnosis, but a way of recognizing a pattern that the user may want to raise with their doctor.

Screen Time:

Apple has also redesigned Screen Time controls to help families manage a child’s Apple Watch use, including contact restrictions, app schedules, and app access. I don’t manage any of my grown kids’ devices, so I haven’t tested these updates.

Performance

My experience with watchOS 27 has been a lot like my experience with macOS Golden Gate. The performance enhancements touted by Apple at WWDC are real, but soon become the new normal. I also have just my one Apple Watch to go by, so I’ll share my anecdotal experience with the betas.

My Apple Watch Ultra 3 already had one of the fastest chips available in an Apple Watch, but the performance of watchOS 27 was still noticeably faster from the very first time I installed developer beta 1. That experience is as true today as it was then, but I’m more used to it now. Apps launch faster and more smoothly, and transitions between in-app views are better too. The changes are relatively subtle, but nonetheless noticeable, which I appreciate.

The biggest difference of all, though, has been my experience with Apple Music, Podcasts, and Books. All three apps load content and start playing it faster than before. I’ve also had less trouble connecting both my Powerbeats Fit earbuds that I use for exercising and my AirPods Pro 3. That’s ended a whole connection and playback dance I used to do every time I got ready to go for a jog, which has been wonderful to leave behind.

What I didn’t notice was better battery life. That’s not to say it isn’t better, but with the frequency of beta updates over the summer and my habit of periodically charging my Watch at my desk, battery life seemed about the same as watchOS 26.

Odds and Ends

In addition to what I’ve already covered, it’s worth noting the following changes:

• The Walkie-Talkie has been removed. I don’t think it was used by many people.
• Apple says water detection is more efficient, though in what way is unclear.
• GymKit has been extended to the iPhone with AirPods Pro 3, which allows heart rate data collected by the earbuds to be synced through your iPhone to GymKit-enabled equipment, although I haven’t tried this because I don’t belong to a gym.
• watchOS 27 requires an Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Ultra 2 or later, or SE 3, paired with an iPhone 11 or later or iPhone SE 2 or later running iOS 27. That’s the requirement for the OS itself, but Siri AI also requires an Apple Intelligence–capable iPhone. The update drops support for Series 6–8, the original Ultra, and SE 2, too, although Apple’s Cait Dooley told TechRadar in June that those older models can remain paired with an iPhone and will continue to receive security updates.

Coming Soon to an Apple Watch Near You

I wouldn’t normally touch on unreleased features in an OS release, but so many things were announced during last week’s Surprise and Shine event that I wanted to give readers a quick recap of what’s still to come in watchOS 27, even though I haven’t tried any of these features yet.

When the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 arrive on doorsteps and in Apple Stores on Friday, their owners will be able to enjoy the following additional features:

• Apple’s New Health Sensing System: Both new Watches have redesigned optical and electrical heart sensors, which will allow them to take heart rate measurements every five seconds and HRV readings as often as every five minutes, which is up to a 24-fold increase in HRV measurement frequency compared with previous Watches. Apple says the new sensors will provide more accurate and meaningful measurements.
• Heart Rate and Vitals: On the Series 12 and Ultra 4 Watches, the additional heart rate measurements also enable an HRV section with recovery and overall HRV readings. Vitals also gains access to recovery HRV in its overnight measurements and adds a daytime view.
• Readiness: Readiness is a new app that uses your sleep, vitals, and recent activities to compute a score from 0–10, which the app translates into Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It recommendations.
• Sound Recognition: The new Watches can analyze sounds like a baby crying, alarms, sirens, and doorbells even if your iPhone isn’t nearby. When a sound is recognized, users will be alerted on their Apple Watch.
• Automatic Music Recognition with Shazam: With Music Detection enabled on the new Watches, Shazam will identify background music when you open the Smart Stack, without requiring you to tap the widget.

In addition, later this year, Apple is adding two new features to the new Watches, which you can read about in greater depth in my preview story from last week:

• Live Rewind: Live Rewind, which plays a sound and animation to alert people that it’s been activated, transcribes the last 15 seconds of speech to help with hearing.
• Siri Recap: A summarization feature that will pull key points from conversations and will support only English at first.

Both features are set to debut as betas later this year and require a Series 12 or Ultra 4 Watch paired with a supported iPhone 16 or later, excluding the iPhone 16e, with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI enabled. Both features are opt-in, and Siri Recap can be enabled manually or scheduled by time and location. Unsaved recaps disappear after seven days. Apple says audio is protected by handling processing in a Secure Exclave, but the resulting text can still be saved and shared, and it’s possible for Siri summaries to miss or misunderstand details. Those are things I’ll be looking at carefully when I can try the features for myself.

Finally, later this year, Apple will debut a redesign of the Health app on the iPhone that also incorporates a Health Age feature, movement evaluations, and lab work purchases and scheduling in the U.S.

Shaking off the Cobwebs

It’s funny to write a watchOS review hot on the heels of finishing my macOS Golden Gate review. In some ways, the two couldn’t be more different. My Apple Watch Ultra 3’s screen is about two inches diagonally and is designed to be interacted with in small, fleeting doses. Meanwhile, I’m writing this on my Mac Studio, using a 32-inch OLED display and an OS that’s as hands-on as they get.

Yet at the same time, there’s a similar transition going on with Apple Watch hardware and its OS that reflects a similar thing I see in macOS. Apple silicon lit a fire under macOS, opening up new ways to use Apple’s computers. That’s only accelerated with AI.

watchOS is in a similar place. The Apple Watch is already one of the most popular smartwatches on the planet, giving Apple Intelligence a place on a lot of wrists. Apple is raising the minimum hardware requirements for watchOS while introducing another set of capabilities exclusive to its newest Watches. We’re witnessing a shift from small, incremental watchOS changes to a new category of features. Starting with Live Rewind and Siri Recap, those additions have the potential to define the device’s future.

Today, the watchOS features that are currently available are more modest, typical features. I love the expansion of the Smart Stack, the new Siri app is incredibly useful as an extension of the app on other platforms, and it’s great to have Workout Buddy along for my runs without my iPhone.

In any year, I’d be happy with those and the other updates to watchOS, but this year, they feel like the first course of what I expect will be a great year for watchOS. AI has shaken the cobwebs off of watchOS, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Today we published not one, but three reviews covering four OSes:

• Federico’s iOS and iPadOS 27 review, which is packed with special interactive touches
• John’s macOS 27 and watchOS 27 reviews

The reviews cover design, new app features and more, which kicks off a big week here at MacStories that includes extra special perks for Club MacStories members. Here’s what we have planned.

For Club MacStories members, we’ve got some exciting perks to help you get more out of the reviews:

• An eBook edition of Federico’s iOS and iPadOS 27: The MacStories Review that you can download and read on your favorite device or app
• 20 additional ready-made shortcuts for iOS 27
• An eBook edition of John’s macOS 27 Golden Gate review
• An eBook edition of John’s watchOS 27 review.

If you’re not already a member, you can join Club MacStories for $5/month or $50/year using the buttons below:

And Club MacStories Plus and Premier members get even more. In addition to the Club perks listed above, Club Plus and Premier members will receive the following:

• Both will get an in-depth Making of the iOS 27 review with a detailed look at Federico’s Notion setup, his MLX local AI workflow, and more.
• Both will also get the custom web app that Federico built, integrating his review research system with Notion.
• Premier members and AppStories+ subscribers will get a special behind-the-scenes look at the role agents played in this year’s review process.

To unlock all of these additional perks, use the buttons below to join Club MacStories Plus:

or Club Premier:

These extras are our way of saying thank you to our Club MacStories members who support us throughout the year. It’s our goal to give members the best experience and most value we can, and we look forward to offering these perks alongside each fall’s reviews.

If you haven’t joined Club MacStories, now’s a great time to give it a try because it comes with a bunch of fun bonuses alongside all the regular benefits. Read on to learn more about the Club and this year’s special extras.

Club MacStories Perks

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All Club members will receive eBook editions of iOS and iPadOS 27: The MacStories Review, macOS Golden Gate: The MacStories Review, and watchOS 27: The MacStories Review that are fully interactive and complete with all the images and videos. This eBooks are DRM-free and yours to read any way you like, on your preferred eReader or eBook app. While the web version is a great way to read the review, we know a lot of Club members value the flexibility of reading it as an eBook, where you can jot down notes, highlight passages, and take a closer look at images.

Club members can access the eBook versions of our reviews via their personal Downloads page.

Club MacStories Plus and Premier members will also get the custom web app that Federico built, integrating his review research system with Notion. And Premier members and AppStories+ subscribers can listen to a special behind-the-scenes look at the role agents played in this year’s review process during the AppStories+ post-show segment.

You can join Club MacStories for $5/month or $50/year using the buttons below:

Club MacStories includes year-round perks too. In addition to the special review season perks, Club MacStories features:

• MacStories Weekly, a weekly newsletter with our favorite iOS and Mac apps, tips and in-depth automation tutorials, exclusive stories, interviews, and more.
• The Monthly Log, a monthly newsletter with behind-the-scenes stories from the MacStories team delivered at the end of each month.
• An ad-free, high-bitrate audio version of MacStories Unwind, the podcast that Federico and John record weekly. MacStories Unwind is a fun exploration of the differences between American and Italian culture and features recommendations for media we enjoy, including books, movies, TV shows, music, and videogames.

Club MacStories Plus and Premier Perks

We’ve got even more benefits in store for Club Plus and Premier members.

Federico is also working hard on a “Making of” story that explains how he used LLMs running locally via MLX combined with Notion to create this year’s iOS and iPadOS 27 review. It was a significant change to the research process that accelerated his writing significantly and can be adapted to other research and writing workflows.

If you enjoy the review and want to learn more about how it came together, this is the way to do it. It’s a peek behind the curtain of MacStories’ biggest project of the year.

Club Plus and Premier members will be able to access the eBook versions of all of this year’s reviews via their personal Downloads page later this week.

Join Club MacStories Plus:

Join Club Premier:

As a Club Plus or Premier member, you’ll also receive access to our vibrant Discord community, bonus columns from Federico and John, an advanced version of the Club website that includes advanced search and filtering controls, custom RSS feeds of Club articles, and more. And, for just $2/month or $20/year more, Premier members get AppStories+ too, the extended, ad-free, high-bitrate audio version of our flagship podcast, which is released early most weeks.

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In case you can’t tell, we love this time of year here at MacStories. After spending the summer putting Apple’s latest OS updates to the test, it’s a thrill to get to share our findings with you and make these software releases a special event for the MacStories community. As much as we appreciate what the new features and enhancements have to offer, it’s conversing about them with you, our readers, that makes this season the joy that it is.

We hope you’re enjoying the week thus far, and we hope you’re looking forward to what’s in store as much as we are. Thank you for reading, and a special thanks to our Club MacStories members who help make all of this possible. Happy reading!

Ready for iOS 27 or macOS Golden Gate? Find out exactly when Apple’s big software updates should hit your devices Monday, wherever you live.

(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple says Live Rewind on Apple Watch cannot be used secretly because activation requires a deliberate double press of the Digital Crown, plays a chime, and shows a full-screen animation with a microphone indicator. The chime plays even when the watch is muted or headphones are connected. After activation, Live Rewind shows only a text […]

The post Apple Says Apple Watch Live Rewind Can’t Be Used Secretly appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Apple’s Apple Watch Ultra 4 technical specifications list precision dual-frequency GPS with GPS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou, but GLONASS is missing. The older Apple Watch Ultra specification page lists GLONASS alongside those systems. That makes the omission a real change in Apple’s published wording, although Apple does not explain whether it reflects hardware, software, regional […]

The post Apple Watch Ultra 4 Drops GLONASS: What the GPS Change Means appeared first on The Mac Observer.

If you are wearing an Apple Watch Series 6 or older, watchOS 27 will not install on it on Monday, September 14. Apple’s replacement lineup is three watches: SE 3 from $249, Series 12 from $399 and Ultra 4 from $799. Apple’s watchOS 27 compatibility footnote lists SE 3, Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, […]

The post Apple Watch Series 6 or Older: What Upgrading Costs in 2026, and Which Watch to Pick appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Apple Watch SE 3 sells for $249 and Apple Watch Series 11 arrived in September 2025 at $399, and Apple lists the same S10 chip in both. What the extra $150 bought was a larger and much brighter display, six more hours of rated battery life and two heart sensors the SE does not have. […]

The post Apple Watch SE 3 vs Apple Watch Series 11: The Same S10 Chip for $150 Less appeared first on The Mac Observer.

Apple (MacRumors):

The new Health Sensing System on Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 features new optical and electrical heart sensors, enabling higher-frequency heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements, a new readiness score, a more comprehensive Vitals overview with the addition of HRV, and an updated Heart Rate app.

[…]

Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 introduce readiness — a new feature that analyzes a user’s recent activity, vitals, and sleep score, and then provides a single 0-10 score each day with a clear, actionable recommendation: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It. This helps a user decide how to take on their workday or tackle their training plan.

[…]

A new Longevity tab analyzes a user’s longitudinal health data for deeper insights into heart health, sleep, mental wellbeing, movement health, metabolic health, hearing, and nutrition. The tab includes Health Age, a new feature that uses Apple Watch data to show users how their metrics are tracking relative to their chronological age, informed by the best available science.

Kuba Suder:

I wonder how much of this new health stuff will work with older / SE watches… probably not much?

Previously:

• Apple Watch Ultra 4
• Apple Watch Series 12