WATCHOS 26 FAQ

THE WATCHOS 26 GUIDE

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Q: How much free storage do you need to download watchOS 26?

A: Your watch needs to have at least 4 GB of free storage in order to download watchOS 26, but more free space is better or else it might slow down your watch performance.

Q: Why is my battery draining faster since I updated to watchOS 26?

A: Major updates require a lot of background tasks to happen, even if your watch says it's done updating. It's normal for your battery to drain faster than usual for a few days after you update, but if it goes on for more than a week, you should check all your settings to make sure the update didn't activate a battery-draining feature. If the update itself is the culprit, Apple will likely fix it with a minor update within a few weeks.

Q: How do you get the Wrist Flick gesture to work properly?

A: The new Wrist Flick gesture lets you dismiss notifications hands-free on the Series 9, Ultra 2, or later. First, you need to make sure you set it up correctly, then practice the gesture. Sometimes there is a learning curve and it might not work every time you try. If you can't get it to work at all, try restarting your watch.

Q: Is Workout Buddy a virtual trainer?

A: No. While Workout Buddy can give you workout insights, like if your pace is better than usual, it doesn’t offer training tips or push you to go harder/further.

Q: Is Apple Intelligence better on watchOS 26?

A: Yes, not only is Apple Intelligence better and less glitchy now that it's been around for a while, watchOS 26 has some new Apple Intelligence features such as Workout Buddy, Live Translation in Messages, and a more intuitive Smart Stack.

Q: Should I update my watch every time there's an update?