watchOS 26 Brings Three Key Enhancements for Apple Watch Faces

The watch face ranks as one of the key features of Apple Watch, and watchOS 26 brings significant enhancements to watch faces in three primary areas. Here’s what’s fresh.

## #1: Brand new watch faces

As is common with major updates to watchOS, Apple’s latest version introduces a collection of [brand new watch faces](https://9to5mac.com/2025/09/09/watchos-26-adds-four-brand-new-watch-faces-including-an-ultra-exclusive/).

watchOS 26 presents four new faces in total. According to Apple’s release notes:

– **Exactograph** is a contemporary reinterpretation of a classic regulator watch that differentiates hours, minutes, and seconds for improved time accuracy.
– **Flow** features Liquid Glass numerals that bend a liquid orb of color in response to the movements of your wrist.
– **Waypoint** serves as a real-time compass, showing your position relative to saved locations in Maps or points of interest (Available on Apple Watch Ultra).
– **Hermès Faubourg Party** comprises animated shorts that emerge based on the time of day or motions featuring various characters (Available on Apple Watch Hermès).

It’s always exciting to have additional watch face selections available, and I’m particularly fond of the new Flow and Waypoint faces introduced this year.

## #2: Enhancements to existing faces

Several watch faces you’re already familiar with received updates in watchOS 26 as well.

The Photos face, regarded by Apple as its most popular choice, [received two enhancements this year](https://9to5mac.com/2025/10/29/watchos-26-upgrades-apple-watchs-most-popular-face-in-two-ways/):

1. Liquid Glass time
2. Featured photos option

In keeping with the system-wide Liquid Glass aesthetic, there’s a new ‘Glass’ color option for the face’s clock that allows more of your photo to shine through. Selecting ‘Featured’ as your image source guarantees that many of the best photos in your library will be displayed.

In addition to the Photos face upgrades, Apple has also incorporated ticking seconds functionality with the always-on display into [many more faces](https://9to5mac.com/2025/06/09/watchos-26-more-apple-watch-faces-using-series-10s-upgraded-display/).

Always-on seconds functionality was introduced last year with Apple Watch Series 10, but only a limited number of watch faces supported it at the time. Now, it has expanded to a wider range of hardware and software.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11 both support ticking seconds in always-on mode, and the roster of compatible faces [has significantly increased](https://9to5mac.com/2025/06/09/watchos-26-more-apple-watch-faces-using-series-10s-upgraded-display/).

## #3: Watch face ‘hints’

Upon installing watchOS 26 on your Apple Watch, you may start to notice a distinctive UI element on your watch face.

A new feature called ‘hints’ will show up at the bottom of your screen, resembling a Liquid Glass complication.

Hints provide recommended apps and actions, linking them to the Smart Stack.

Here’s how they function, [according to Apple](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/06/watchos-26-delivers-more-personalized-ways-to-stay-active-and-connected/):

> In watchOS 26, the Smart Stack refines its prediction algorithms by integrating additional contextual data, sensor data, and user routine data to generate Smart Stack hints, which serve as proactive prompts for useful actionable suggestions. Crafted from Liquid Glass, Smart Stack hints will appear on the display as soft visual signals. For instance, a hint for Backtrack might pop up when a user is in a secluded area without connectivity, or a hint for a Pilates session may surface when a user arrives at a studio at the usual hour.

The Smart Stack has previously provided suggested data and actionable prompts, but you would need to scroll through your Apple Watch’s Digital Crown to access them manually.

By placing these suggestions directly on the watch face, Apple aims to make them more visible and, hopefully, more useful.

Which new watch face features from watchOS 26 have you been enjoying on your Apple Watch? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Apple TV is anticipated to launch a new series featuring Jason Momoa, as per reports.

**‘Nomad’ Poised to Become Jason Momoa’s Next Significant Apple TV Series**

Jason Momoa is reinforcing his position as a key player on Apple TV, with the revelation of a new series named *Nomad*. This signifies Momoa’s third major endeavor with the streaming platform, succeeding his performances in *See* and *Chief of War*.

When Apple TV debuted in 2019, one of its cornerstone series was *See*, which featured Momoa in a dystopian environment. Despite not reaching the projected success, the show cultivated a loyal following and improved with each successive season. The series wrapped up with its third season in 2022.

Following a short break, Momoa made his comeback to Apple TV with *Chief of War*, which launched earlier this year. The series received praise from critics, achieving a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes and consistently ranking high among content on Apple TV.

At this moment, Apple is crafting *Nomad*, a drama co-developed by Kurt Sutter, famed for *Sons of Anarchy*, alongside Chris Collins. The series will delve into the brutal underbelly of New Zealand’s outlaw biker scene, concentrating on a warrior torn between two fates and lives. Collins, who boasts an impressive background including *John Wick Chapter 3* and *The Wire*, will take on the role of showrunner.

Although no formal announcement has been made about the series, it remains in its developmental infancy. Nevertheless, with a robust creative team and Momoa’s involvement, *Nomad* is anticipated to be a prominent addition to Apple TV’s roster.

Apple TV is offered for $12.99 per month and features popular shows like *Ted Lasso*, *Severance*, *The Morning Show*, *Silo*, and *Shrinking*.