Is your Apple Watch supported? Check the watchOS 27 compatibility list

At WWDC 2026, Apple revealed that watchOS 27 is supported on just five different Apple Watch models compared to a dozen last year.

Apple kicked off WWDC 2026 with a ton of announcements, mostly centered around Apple Intelligence improvements, the Siri AI, and Liquid Glass updates. However, there is a lot of other stuff that couldn't catch the limelight. Let's talk about watchOS 27 and which models are supported by the newest operating system.

According to the Cupertino giant, watchOS 27 will be supported on the following Apple Watch models when it arrives later this year:

Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch Ultra 2

It's a stark contrast with last year's watchOS 26 update, which had almost a dozen Apple Watch models in its list of supported devices. Apple supported models all the way back to Apple Watch Series 6.

That said, if you own one of the five models, you'll need an iPhone 11 (or later) with iOS 27 to install the latest update. Yes, Apple has shown some extra love to the iPhone 11, and it old horse supports the iOS 27 update.

watchOS 27 beta 1 is now available for developers and interested power users through the Apple Developer Program. So, if you're among those who like to play with fire, you can download it to your supported Apple Watch. Otherwise, the public beta for watchOS 27 will be available next month.

The freshly baked Apple Watch update comes with Siri AI - an advanced, fully conversational version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence due for later this year. A new dynamic app grid features icons for five Siri-suggested apps. You can use a new tap gesture to open a widget in the Smart Stack, and a new Find My app finally clears the mess of Find Devices, Find Items, and Find People on Apple Watch.

Workout Buddy can run without an iPhone nearby and offers new insights based on data, including your progress for pace, distance, and workout duration. Apple improved its motion tracking algorithms to measure the distance of indoor treadmill runs and walks more precisely.

Speaking of other changes, the music playback on watchOS 27 starts faster and you can create custom passes for any membership or card that uses a QR code or barcode, then easily access them in the Wallet app or pin in the Smart Stack.