Apple Announces watchOS 27 With New Siri AI Features, Excluding Older Watches and EU Users at Launch

Apple announced watchOS 27, which will be released this autumn and introduces an all-new Siri AI to the Apple Watch. The system requires Apple Intelligence-enabled hardware and will not be available in the European Union at launch due to the Digital Markets Act.

Siri AI lets users hold back-and-forth conversations, ask complex questions, and have the assistant take actions across apps directly from the wrist.

It can retrieve a passport number from a photo in the Photos app, a door code from Notes, or flight details from Messages. Conversations are saved in a new Siri app available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Smart Stack will surface widgets for a close contact's birthday, a parked car location, a holiday alarm suggestion, and a boarding pass.

A single-tap gesture on the index finger and thumb expands the current Smart Stack card. Find Devices, Find People, and Find Items are combined into one Find My app. Cycle Tracking in the Health app will notify users when logged patterns suggest perimenopause.

Workout Buddy now gives personalised motivation based on fitness history and works without carrying an iPhone. Apple Watch devices with the S9 chip or newer are required. Supported models include Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, SE 3, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3.

Series 8, Series 7, Series 6, the original Ultra, and the second-generation SE will not receive the update. Series 8 launched in September 2022. Apple stated that apps will launch up to 30% faster after the update on supported devices.

The iPhone 11, first launched in September 2019, will receive the latest iOS this autumn. Apple also refined its Liquid Glass redesign, which rolled out across all devices last autumn.