Apple released the sixth developer beta of watchOS 27 on Monday, continuing its pre-release testing cycle ahead of a fall public launch.
The update arrives one week after the fifth beta and is available to developers with a free Apple account through the Watch app on iPhone.
The beta requires an Apple Watch on its charger, connected to Wi-Fi, with at least 50 percent battery. It is compatible with all Apple Watch models that support watchOS 27, except the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Also: Apple’s sports app just added 14 soccer leagues in a month — but fans are already asking for more
Siri Gets Smarter on Your Wrist
The headline feature in watchOS 27 is Siri AI, a substantially upgraded version of the assistant that can hold back-and-forth conversations rather than handling only single commands.
It draws on general world knowledge alongside personal data to answer questions and find information. Using it on Apple Watch requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, meaning iPhone 15 Pro or later.
Early testing suggests Siri AI is still a work in progress on Apple Watch. Voice recognition appears quicker in some cases, but actually getting an answer can still take longer than expected, even for fairly simple requests.
Background noise also seems to expose the difference between the new AI features and Siri’s traditional commands.
A nearby television can make more complex queries harder for Siri to understand, while familiar requests such as setting a timer tend to work more reliably.
What Else Is Changing
Beyond Siri, watchOS 27 introduces a Dynamic app grid that surfaces Siri-suggested apps and refines Smart Stack suggestions.
Users will be able to locate their parked car, view pinned messages, receive noise alerts, and access identity and transit cards directly on the watch face.
Apple has also updated Liquid Glass, the visual design language introduced with watchOS 26, to improve on-screen legibility.
Workout Buddy, which provides real-time coaching during exercise, can now operate independently of a nearby iPhone and tracks new progressive metrics, including distance, pace, and duration over time.
A redesigned Find My app brings Precision Finding support to the watch, and Apple says the update includes performance work aimed at extending battery life.
Where Things Stand
At the sixth beta, the release is entering the final stretch of its testing cycle. At least one developer tester described the overall stability as reminiscent of iOS 12, which Apple released in 2018 and was widely regarded as a reliability-focused update.
Whether the Siri response-time issues flagged by other testers will be resolved before the public release remains to be seen.
watchOS 27 is expected to ship publicly alongside iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate this fall.
