One Reason to Be Glad Your Apple Watch Won’t Support WatchOS 27
Apple’s most important announcements at WWDC 2026— Siri AI and new Apple Intelligence features— came as no surprise. Leaks and rumors had covered most of them well before the event, so Apple spent much of the event confirming our expectations. However, the list of supported watchOS 27 devices was a shocker. Apple only mentioned compatibility with iOS 27, and since this list matched the iOS 26 list, it was easy to assume this would apply to other Apple platforms as well.
But in reality, macOS 27 Golden Gate drops support for all Intel-based Macs , and watchOS 27 drops support for the Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, second-generation SE, and first-generation Ultra. In short, this has become a real massacre for Apple’s wearables. But this might not be entirely bad if you’re a fan of a particular Apple Watch feature.
watchOS 27 actually removes one feature from the Apple Watch.
In fact, owners of the “old” Apple Watch can rest assured that while we won’t be getting any new features this year, we won’t be losing any new ones either. However, this doesn’t apply to users upgrading to watchOS 27. Judging by the first developer beta of watchOS 27, Apple appears to have removed a feature that has been part of watchOS since 2018 : Walkie-Talkie.
As MacRumors reports , the first developer beta of watchOS 27 removed the Walkie-Talkie feature from the app drawer and Control Center. This is a strange omission, which Apple didn’t mention either during WWDC or on the watchOS 27 preview page. Of course, Apple hasn’t addressed Walkie-Talkie in the eight years since its launch, but it’s odd to remove such an important feature without any explanation or notice.
For those unfamiliar, the Walkie-Talkie feature allows friends on Apple Watch to communicate with each other in real time on their devices without having to call each other first.It requires some setup to get started , but once enabled, you can tap a button to initiate a chat with a friend. It’s a small feature, but many Apple Watch users seem to love it—certainly, the news caused quite a stir on the r/apple subreddit . Some users lament the change, complaining that they constantly use the feature to communicate with friends and family. One user even uses it while shopping with his wife to “divide and conquer” at Costco and save time, while another says he bought an Apple Watch specifically for the Walkie-Talkie feature. However, others note that the feature rarely, if ever, worked for them. Personally, I never use it, although I remember experimenting with it when my friends and family got Apple Watches.
However, there’s an important clarification here: this is the first watchOS 27 beta of the season. So, what we see in this beta won’t necessarily look the same as watchOS 27 in the fall. It’s possible Apple will bring this feature back, either because it always planned to or because of user feedback. It’s possible it will integrate Walkie-Talkie into an entirely different app: as some Reddit users have noted, Walkie-Talkie relies on FaceTime, so perhaps Apple will integrate it into the Phone app. Or Apple is using this opportunity to say goodbye to a feature it may no longer want to develop and support. We’ll just have to wait and see how this beta cycle unfolds.
With the exception of Siri AI, watchOS 27 isn’t a significant update.
It’s always frustrating to lose software support for your device, especially if you spent $800 on an Ultra just a few years ago. But I admit, if there was ever a year worth losing support, it’s this one. watchOS 27 doesn’t have many new features : besides Siri AI, the update includes a new app grid, some updates to Workout Buddy, and a new one-tap gesture for selecting widgets without touching the watch screen. Beyond these additions and a few other very minor updates, you’re not really missing out on anything if your Apple Watch is stuck on watchOS 26.