watchOS 12: Three new Apple Watch features being announced next month

1 month ago 2

WWDC is less than two weeks away, and with it the full unveilings of iOS 19, macOS 16, iPadOS 19, and more. For Apple Watch users, watchOS 12 is set to introduce a variety of upgrades too. Here are three expected features on the way.

#1: New features ‘powered by Apple Intelligence’

Apple Watch is not yet an officially supported AI platform. However, you can use a couple Apple Intelligence features in watchOS when you have a compatible paired iPhone. And it sounds like Apple plans to continue that trend in watchOS 12.

Mark Gurman wrote last month that Apple:

is branding a new set [of] features as “powered by Apple Intelligence” (even though the device isn’t actually running the AI models directly).

In other words, as far as users can tell, watchOS 12 will be gaining new AI features. In reality, those features will depend on the more powerful hardware of the iPhone.

Which features might arrive? Per The Verifier, there are at least three in the works:

new Siri design and capabilities
Genmoji creation
and notification summaries via widgets

#2: Redesign that aligns with iOS 19

One major expected focus for Apple’s software updates this year is design overhauls.

iOS 19, macOS 16, iPadOS 19, and tvOS 19 are all expected to introduce a fresh, cohesive new design—and watchOS 12 will get design changes too.

The Verifier mentions that the honeycomb app picker will be modified, and possibly the list view too.

Buttons, menus, and icons throughout watchOS 12 are also expected to be updated to reflect greater consistency across Apple’s various platforms.

#3: Live Listen and Live Captions features

For years, Apple has offered a powerful iPhone feature called Live Listen that’s perfect for users who are deaf or hard of hearing—or maybe international spies. Live Listen lets your iPhone essentially act like a microphone that sends sound to your AirPods, Beats, or hearing aid.

In watchOS 12, Apple has announced that Live Listen is coming to Apple Watch along with Live Captions.

Per Apple Newsroom:

For users who are deaf or hard of hearing, Live Listen controls come to Apple Watch with a new set of features, including real-time Live Captions. Live Listen turns iPhone into a remote microphone to stream content directly to AirPods, Made for iPhone hearing aids, or Beats headphones. When a session is active on iPhone, users can view Live Captions of what their iPhone hears on a paired Apple Watch while listening along to the audio. Apple Watch serves as a remote control to start or stop Live Listen sessions, or jump back in a session to capture something that may have been missed. With Apple Watch, Live Listen sessions can be controlled from across the room, so there’s no need to get up in the middle of a meeting or during class.

watchOS already offers handy remote functionality for features like the iPhone’s Camera and the Apple TV’s interface, and this addition will build on those remote control offerings.

watchOS 12 new features: wrap-up

There are plenty of other upgrades likely coming with watchOS 12. For example, new watch faces tend to be introduced each year, and there are always a variety of big and small feature upgrades related to Apple’s core apps.

watchOS 12 may not be the biggest focus of Apple’s software teams, but it seems like it will pack some solid upgrades.

What new features do you hope to see in watchOS 12? Let us know in the comments.