Apple Watch tipped for major control center upgrade in watchOS 26 — what we know
WWDC 2025 is going to be a big deal for all of Apple's software, with redesigns reportedly coming for every operating system in the ecosystem — including watchOS. And according to a report from 9to5Mac, the upcoming watchOS 26 could include a long-requested feature for the best Apple Watches — third-party Control Center widgets.
Right now, the Apple Watch Control Center is limited to Apple's own tiles and toggles. But a source speaking to the site claims that it will change, with third-party support coming for the first time.
On top of that, the layout is tipped to be fully customizable via the Watch app on iPhone. That should be a lot simpler to change up the look of things compared to the current method, which is all contained on the watch itself.
While the report doesn't specify any specific third parties, I doubt it'll be long before developers jump on this opportunity. That way, Apple Watch users have the opportunity to toggle specific features on or off much faster than they can right now.
Apple's big redesign has been described as the "most dramatic overhaul" in Apple's history, and given the scope, it's not hard to see why that may be the case.
While this was initially expected to help close the gaps between iOS and macOS, reports suggest the redesign will expand across the entire Apple ecosystem. In other words, every Apple device, from phones and laptops to TV streamers and wearables, will have a similar unified design language.
Reports also suggest that the new "Solarium" UI is actually based on Apple's visionOS. That means more translucent elements, and maybe even floating icons. But Mark Gurman claims that the images circulating on the internet aren't "representative" of what the final designs are — so we'll have to wait until WWDC 2025 to see what Apple has planned.
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Thankfully, with the keynote address taking place on June 9, we don't have that long to wait and see what's coming.
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