A free Apple Watch update is about to land, and while it’s not a major flashy overhaul, it does fix a couple of irritating issues for one of the best smartwatches – along with adding a new watch face for good measure.
According to release notes spotted by MacRumors, Apple’s watchOS 26.5 is likely to roll out widely next week following its release candidate build. As always, it’ll be a free update for compatible devices.
The headline changes are bug fixes – one tackles an issue where the Messages app could default to SMS instead of iMessage when paired with a dual-SIM iPhone – not ideal if you’re expecting those blue bubbles. The other fixes a problem with the Workout app, where audio alerts could fail to play if your iPhone wasn’t nearby.
Granted, they’re fairly specific bugs, and ones that you might not have even noticed. But hey, it’s nice to know that things are being regularly polished post-launch.
Elsewhere, the update also introduces the new Pride Luminance watch face. First announced as part of Apple’s 2026 Pride Collection, the face is designed to complement the latest Pride Edition Sport Loop band, with bold colour patterns and geometric layouts.
When the update does roll out next week, you can follow Apple’s guide to updating your Watch. You can kick off the update using your iPhone or on the Watch itself (if your watch has watchOS 6 or newer).
Apple’s watchOS 26 is compatible with the Apple Watch SE 2 and later, the Watch series 6 and later, and the Apple Watch Ultra, and later.
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