WatchOS 26 refreshes Apple Watch’s most-loved face in two distinct ways, expanding how users interact with the Photos watch face while keeping its core appeal intact.
Photos gets two notable upgrades in watchOS 26
This fall’s watchOS 26 arrives as a larger-than-usual update, bringing fresh watch faces and meaningful improvements to existing ones. In addition to four brand-new faces, the update also broadens the capabilities of existing displays, including an extended always-on seconds feature for many faces.
Apple has long touted the Photos watch face as the most popular option, a claim that remains persuasive years after it first surfaced. The evidence is clear: Photos is the only face Apple continually enhances through software updates.
For example, watchOS 11 previously added more customization options and the ability to surface photo suggestions driven by machine learning. In watchOS 26, two more enhancements join the Photos face:
- Featured photos option
- Liquid Glass time
Featured brings a new source option to Photos, sitting alongside existing categories like People, Nature, and Cities. When you select Featured, you’ll see a curated mix of high-quality photos chosen for you, without needing to pick a specific collection or album. It behaves similarly to the Featured images you might see in iPhone Photos or on an iOS Home Screen widget.
Liquid Glass complements the Photos face by letting more of your images show through. When you edit the Photos face, look for the Time Color section and choose the new Glass color. If you’d rather stick with a solid color, that option remains available—the Glass setting simply adds another translucent, reflective option to the existing palette.
Are you using the Photos face on your Apple Watch, and have you tried the new watchOS 26 features yet? Share your experiences in the comments.
Popular Apple Watch accessories
- AirPods Pro 3 (now $209, down from $249)
- Portable USB-C charger for Apple Watch
- Retro Mac stand for Nightstand Mode
- Anker 20W USB-C charging brick
- Metal adjustable link Apple Watch band
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