watchOS 27 arrives — Siri gets its own app for the first time, adds a Tap gesture, but permanently drops Walkie-Talkie

Apple officially launched watchOS 27 on September 14, packed with numerous new features that aren't limited to Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 users, but extend to older supported models too. Update by opening the Watch app on iPhone, going to General > Software Update, placing the watch on its charger, and following the on-screen steps.

The first highlight is Siri getting its own dedicated app for the first time, gathering conversations into a single view and syncing data via iCloud across devices — ask a question on iPhone and continue the conversation on Apple Watch. There's a Siri Modular Watch Face that automatically updates complications based on time and location. Pressing the Digital Crown now shows a Dynamic App Grid instead of the old Honeycomb view, combining suggested, frequently used, and recently opened apps, with the Siri app at the center. A new gesture called Tap joins Double Tap and Wrist Flick — touching the index finger and thumb together once instantly opens a highlighted widget.

Gone for good is the Walkie-Talkie app, completely removed from the system after the update and unable to be reinstalled — even those staying on watchOS 26 can't talk with anyone who's updated. Double-pressing the Digital Crown now also shows the Dynamic App Grid instead of the old App Switcher, which returns in watchOS 27.2 later this year via a press-and-hold gesture instead. The double-press gesture is now reserved for Live Rewind, a feature that transcribes the last 15 seconds of speech (exclusive to Series 12 and Ultra 4). Find My merges Find Devices, Items, and People into one app. Workout Buddy now runs directly on the watch via Wi-Fi/cellular, and Cycle Tracking now alerts for signs of perimenopause for users aged 40 and up.