This single watchOS 27 feature just solved my biggest problem with Apple Watch

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• This little watchOS 27 update makes a big difference.
• Apple has rolled out the dynamic app grid on the Apple Watch.
• You’ll see fewer apps now, but that’s not a bad thing.

Think about all the apps on the Apple Watch that you use regularly. You can probably count them on one hand or two. I? I use the fitness app the most, followed by the timer function, messages, activity, heart rate and sleep. That means that, of the 40 or so apps displayed on my Apple Watch home screen, I use an eighth of them every day.

Also: My favorite 5 Watch OS 27 upgrades – and how to try them yourself

The biggest software updates, in my opinion, don’t fundamentally reinvent a product. They simplify it. The dynamic app view on WatchOS 27 does exactly that.

Previous software generations displayed every app available on the home screen, and the app size on the home screen was as small as the head of a nail. For those with larger fingers, selecting the right apps or smooth interface with the device requires extra precision and intention.

Also: Apple Watch Series 12 review: Finally, the health tracker I’ve been waiting for

The dynamic app view keeps your most used and recent apps front and center, and puts the other dozens of untouched apps on the Apple Watch just a touch away. You can see this when you click on the Apple Watch digital crown. Six of your top apps appear on the screen, and at the bottom is an app bubble that opens to your entire home screen.

I found myself using the home screen less and less with this new configuration. Most of what I needed was already a digital crown press and an app tap away. It reminds me that user interface design philosophies are refined not by addition but by subtraction.

Also: My 5 favorite Siri AI ‘on-screen awareness’ tricks – and why

I hope other smartwatches include this app view in their next software updates, specifically Samsung’s Galaxy Watch and Google’s Pixel Watch lineup.

You can still switch between list view and grid view on the Apple Watch by swiping to the bottom of your home screen. I personally prefer the grid view to the list view, even though it reduces the touch surface, because it lets me see every app I have – no scrolling required.

Can your Apple Watch get this update?

WatchOS 27 is available on the Apple Watch Series 9, 10, 11 and 12, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, 3 and 4. You must first update your iPhone to iOS 27 to receive the WatchOS 27 software update.

What else is new in WatchOS 27?

Siri AI is the biggest update. The new assistant is more agentic, faster and conversational. It also has its own app. A new widget opens the Smart Stack with a gesture – this is handy to see the new step-tracking configuration on the Series 12 or to identify a song playing through Apple’s improved Shazam.

Raemont said

Editor, Wearables & Health Tech

Nina Raemont is ZDNET’s Health and Wearables Editor based in New York City. She is constantly testing health trackers and always has at least two (but usually three) around her fingers or wrist. She was formerly an associate writer for CNET. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. In her spare time she is in her kitchen trying out a new baking recipe.

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