Apple just made your Apple Watch way more useful. With watchOS 26, you can now use controls from your iPhone’s Control Center right on your wrist. This means you can do things like turn on a sleep soundscape or control your music playback without needing to open an app.
Imagine having a custom button on your Apple Watch to activate a specific feature on your iPhone. That’s what watchOS 26 allows developers to create. For example, the Dark Noise app can now add a custom button to the Control Center on your Apple Watch, letting you turn sleep sounds on or off with just a tap.
But here’s the cool part: developers don’t need to rebuild existing iPhone controls for the Apple Watch. They just work. So, if you have an iPhone app with a control that you want to use on your Apple Watch, you can now do that without needing a separate Apple Watch app.
To test out these new features, you’ll need to install the developer beta of watchOS 26 on your Apple Watch. You’ll also need to be a member of the Apple Developer Program. But don’t worry, the general public will get to try out the new software in July through the Apple Beta Software Program.
So, what’s the difference between controls, widgets, and live activities on your Apple Watch? Controls are for doing one specific thing, like turning on the flashlight. Widgets show you information throughout the day, like the weather. And live activities give you real-time updates on events with a clear start and end time, like a sports game or a flight.
The new Smart Stack feature on watchOS 26 supports all three: controls, widgets, and live activities. You can even get suggestions for workouts based on your fitness routine, and start them with just a tap. And with the new Liquid Glass design language, your Apple Watch is about to look a whole lot sleeker.