watchOS 27 Enters Public Beta With New Siri AI on Apple Watch

Apple has released a public beta of watchOS 27, bringing a redesigned version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence to the Apple Watch, along with a new way of navigating the system. It's the first watch update where the voice assistant can hold a longer conversation, remember context, and independently carry out tasks within apps.

New Siri on Your Wrist

The previous Siri on Apple Watch was, in practice, limited to simple voice commands, setting timers, or sending messages. The version introduced in watchOS 27 answers broader questions, understands the user's personal context, and can perform actions inside apps, for example finding a door code in an email inbox or automatically adjusting a daily activity goal.

The assistant now works as a separate Siri app rather than just a voice overlay triggered by the side button. Conversation history syncs privately via iCloud, so a conversation started on the iPhone can be continued on the watch without repeating the context.

App Grid Replaces the Honeycomb

The biggest visual change is how apps are opened. Pressing the Digital Crown no longer brings up the classic honeycomb icon view, but instead a dynamic grid with the Siri AI app at the center and a ring of six recently used apps around it. The idea is to shorten the path to the most frequently used actions instead of forcing users to scroll through the full list of installed apps.

The changes come alongside a redesign of the Smart Stack, the scrollable set of widgets on the watch face. It can now show an ongoing conversation with Siri or the location of a parked car relayed from the phone. Apple has also added new one-handed gesture support: a double tap of the index finger and thumb scrolls through Smart Stack widgets, while a single tap confirms the selected item.

Limitations and Hardware Requirements

Not every Apple Watch owner will get to use the new Siri. The feature requires a watch from the list of supported models and a paired iPhone with Apple Intelligence active within Bluetooth range, since a significant portion of the processing happens on the phone. Older watches, including models before the Series 9, will receive the rest of watchOS 27 but without the redesigned assistant.

The public beta marks the third stage of testing, following developer versions available since June. Apple says further beta updates will arrive over the summer, with the stable version of the system reaching watches in the fall alongside the rest of the annual iOS, iPadOS, and macOS update cycle.

What It Means for Polish Users

For Apple Watch owners in Poland, this means the full capabilities of the new Siri won't arrive until a Polish-language version is released and Apple Intelligence is enabled in the local market, something Apple typically rolls out later than the global launch. The new app grid interface and redesigned Smart Stack themselves should work regardless of language as soon as the final system is installed.

The change fits into Apple's broader strategy of moving Apple Intelligence from the iPhone and Mac to more wearable devices in recent quarters, betting that the watch will become a natural place for brief voice interactions instead of pulling out a phone from your pocket.

Sources: watchOS 27 public beta is here with Siri AI and smarter Apple Watch features (9to5mac.com), watchOS 27 beta 3 includes upgraded Siri AI experience and dedicated Siri app (9to5mac.com), Siri AI Comes to Apple Watch in watchOS 27 Beta 3 (macrumors.com)