Exclusive: Apple prepping support for third-party Control Center widgets in watchOS 26

1 month ago 1

Alongside the expected design overhauls coming to iOS 26 and the rest of Apple’s platforms at WWDC, 9to5Mac has learned that watchOS 26 is set to introduce one of the most requested Apple Watch usability features to date: third-party widgets in Control Center.

For the first time, the Apple Watch Control Center will go beyond Apple’s own toggles and tiles.

About time

According to a reliable source, watchOS 26 will allow developers to plug their own widgets directly into the Control Center. This will let users surface relevant actions or data from third-party apps alongside Wi-Fi, Battery, and Focus Mode.

And it gets better: our source tells us the layout will be fully customizable through the Watch app on iPhone, letting users add, remove, or reorder Control Center widgets far more easily than with the current on-watch method.

9to5Mac’s take

This is a long-overdue and very welcome improvement to an area of watchOS that’s remained largely untouched for years.

This change opens the door for a range of potential use cases, much like the Apple Watch complications: a hydration tracker with a one-tap log button, a smart home app shortcut to lock your doors, or even a preset workout kick-off, etc.

As always, Apple may choose to delay or tweak this feature before making it public. It is also worth keeping in mind that while our source has proven reliable in the past, there’s always a chance this feature may slip past WWDC and debut later in the cycle.

WWDC25: What to expect

Apple is expected to unveil major updates across all its platforms, including iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and more. With AI reportedly playing a smaller role this year, the spotlight will likely fall on design refreshes and long-time wishlist picks like better window management support on the iPad.

The keynote kicks off Monday, June 9, and 9to5Mac will feature full coverage before, during, and after the event. See you then!