Apple watchOS

Apple watchOS

OS

Apple watchOS 26 is the newest actively maintained release, currently at patch 26.6. 1 of 10 tracked cycles remain supported.

Latest version

26.6

Jul 27, 2026

Actively maintained cycles

1

of 10 tracked

Total cycles tracked

10

since Sep 13, 2016

Support pattern

How Apple watchOS has behaved across the cycles tracked here, rather than what its policy documents state. Useful for judging how much runway a version is likely to have before you commit to it.

Typical support window

12 months

median of 9 completed cycles

New cycle roughly every

12 months

median gap between releases

Compared with os

−23 mo

shorter than the os median

Support windows have stayed consistent across the tracked history, so past cycles are a reasonable guide to what a new one will get.

Computed from release and end-of-life dates tracked for Apple watchOS. Medians are used rather than averages so one unusually short or long release does not skew the figure. Cycles with no recorded end-of-life date are excluded from the support window.

Release lifecycle

Actively maintainedSecurity support onlyEnd of life
Today
26Latest
26.6 · Jul 27, 2026
11
EOL Sep 15, 2025
10
EOL Sep 16, 2024
9
EOL Sep 18, 2023
8
EOL Sep 12, 2022
7
EOL Sep 20, 2021
6
EOL Sep 16, 2020
5
EOL Sep 19, 2019
4
EOL Sep 17, 2018
3
EOL Sep 19, 2017
2017201820192020202120222023202420252026

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