As an Apple Watch owner, I always look forward to each new version of WatchOS to see what surprises Apple has in store. With WatchOS 27, the company has added and improved several features that I’ve been enjoying since installing the new version.
Topping the list is Siri AI. I can chat directly with the new AI flavor of Apple’s voice assistant to ask questions and request information. But there’s more to WatchOS 27 than the new edition of Siri.
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To take the latest features for a spin, make sure you’ve upgraded to WatchOS 27. For that, you first need to install iOS 27 on your iPhone. You can then grab the new WatchOS either on your phone or directly on the watch.
On your phone, open the Watch app, select General, and then tap Software update. Choose the option to upgrade to WatchOS 27. On your watch, go to Settings, select General, and tap Software Update. Again, choose the option to upgrade the OS.
Now, here are my five favorite WatchOS 27 features so far.
1. Chat with Siri AI
Siri AI is worth the upgrade. After several false starts, Apple finally gifted its voice assistant with the necessary AI smarts, accuracy, and reliability to satisfy even a formerly disgruntled Siri user like me. And you can experience much of what it offers via your Apple Watch.
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Before you dive in, you’ll want to review and adjust the settings for using Siri on the Apple Watch. On your phone, open the Watch app and tap Siri. Check out the options for activating Siri, sending messages, and determining how it responds. Change any that you wish. Your watch’s Siri settings add a couple more options. To see and manage them all on your Apple Watch, go to Settings and select Siri.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETTo activate Siri on your watch, just say “Siri” or “Hey, Siri” or press and hold the Digital Crown and start speaking. You can ask Siri general questions requiring real-world knowledge, such as “What were the causes of World War I?” But you should find the AI version more thorough and capable than its predecessor.
As in the past, you can tell Siri to perform specific actions and tasks on your watch, such as setting a timer, calling a contact, or starting a workout. However, now you can ask Siri to perform more complex, multi-step tasks. Here, I told it to check tomorrow’s weather and my calendar, then suggest the best time for an outdoor workout, and add it to my schedule. Siri performed this task without a hitch.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET2. Open recent apps from the new dynamic app grid
Finding the app you need on the Apple Watch’s Home screen has always been a challenge, especially in grid view, where so many nameless icons crowd the screen. I typically change to List view instead, but I still have to swipe through a lengthy alphabetical list.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETNew with WatchOS 27 is a dynamic app grid. Here, the screen displays only your five most frequently used or most recently used apps, with an icon for the new Siri app in the center.
In the past, pressing the Digital Crown took you to the full Home screen. Now pressing the crown takes you to the dynamic app grid. If you still want to see the entire Home screen, just tap the icon, swipe up, or turn the digital crown. To return to the app grid, swipe down on the Home screen, or turn the digital crown in the other direction.
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I’ll confess that this change took some getting used to. But it’s definitely grown on me as a quick and easy way to access a simpler screen with just my favorite apps. In the future, though, I’d like to see Apple create a customizable app grid you can edit, similar to Smart Stack but with only the icons on the screen.
3. Access Siri from the Siri Modular watch face
Another quick way to access Siri is through the new Siri Modular watch face. The Siri icon appears front and center, with other complications on the sidelines.
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To see this feature, open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap the Face Gallery icon at the bottom. Select the section at the top for New Watch Faces. You should see Siri Modular at the top with several faces available. Tap the face you like best.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETOn the next screen, you can change the color, style, and font, as well as one or more complications. When done, tap the Add to Watch button to switch your current watch face to this one. To call on Siri, just tap its icon on your new watch face.
4. Tap your fingers to choose an item in the Smart Stack
The Smart Stack is a handy way to access widgets for different features, recent activity, live updates, and other content. With last year’s WatchOS 26, Apple added the ability to open the Smart Stack and peruse each widget by double-tapping with your thumb and index finger. Now WatchOS 27 takes that a step further by letting you choose the widget you want with just one tap.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETTo check this out from any screen on your watch, double-tap your thumb and index finger. That should open the Smart Stack. Double-tap your fingers to move to the next widget in the stack, and keep doing that until you find the widget you want. Then just tap your fingers once, and the content associated with that widget will open.
5. Access custom passes on your watch
With iOS 27 for iPhone, you can create custom passes in the Apple Wallet app either by scanning the barcode or by manually entering the information. With WatchOS 27, you can now access those custom passes on your Apple Watch. After creating a couple of custom passes on your iPhone, open the Wallet app on your watch. Swipe through the passes and cards. When you find the one you want, tap it to display the card and its barcode.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
