Apple’s watchOS 27, released in September 2026, removes four built-in apps entirely while consolidating three others into a single, streamlined Find My interface. It also eliminates the familiar App Switcher gesture to make room for a new Live Rewind AI feature, available on Series 12 and Ultra 4 watches. These changes mark one of the biggest reworks of Apple Watch navigation and utility apps in recent years.
Merging and removal: What’s changed
The Find My experience has been overhauled. Previously separate Find Devices, Find People, and Find Items apps no longer exist as independent entities; they’ve been merged into a unified Find My app centered on a map view. From that app, users get quick access to locating people, devices, and items. Features like Precision Finding still work—especially when tracking a paired iPhone, AirPods Pro 3, or AirTag 2. The redesign also adds more flexible sharing options, so users can control how and with whom they share their location or items.
Another major removal: Walkie-Talkie is gone. The push-to-talk feature, which let two Apple Watch users send short voice messages over Wi-Fi or cellular via FaceTime, has been removed from both the app list and Control Center. Apple hasn’t explained why it dropped the feature. Introduced in watchOS 5 back in 2018, Walkie-Talkie has suffered from neglect and security concerns in the past.
The third big cut is the App Switcher. Previously, double-pressing the Digital Crown opened up a view of recently used apps, allowing quick switching or swiping up to quit them. That gesture is no longer supported because Apple has repurposed it to activate Live Rewind, a brand-new AI-enabled tool arriving with watchOS 27—but only on newer hardware.
Hardware, features, and what’s left
Live Rewind AI is exclusive to Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models, the only devices that officially support it at launch. This limits some of the new capabilities to users who have upgraded. Other supported models lose certain apps or behaviors but retain broad watchOS 27 compatibility.
Overall, four apps are removed or merged: Find Devices, Find People, Find Items (all merged into the Find My overhaul), and Walkie-Talkie (removed completely). The fifth deletion (or transformation) is the loss of the App Switcher gesture. Existing workflows that depended on the Digital Crown double press for multitasking will need to adjust.
These changes come alongside watchOS 27’s wider set of updates—performance improvements, security patches, and support for new devices. But the focus clearly falls on simplifying app navigation and moving toward more AI-driven interaction.
What this means: For users, it means relearning some common Apple Watch behaviors. If you’ve relied on Walkie-Talkie for spontaneous voice conversation, that’s no longer an option. Users who regularly tapped the Digital Crown twice to switch between apps will need to adopt Live Rewind or work without the App Switcher. While the Find My consolidation should make finding things easier, some may prefer the older discrete apps. Apple needs to ensure these changes feel intuitive, especially for long-time users.
Why it matters: Apple is prioritizing simplified interaction and newer AI tools, even if they disrupt established workflows. These moves may lead to a leaner, more cohesive user experience—but at risk of alienating users who prefer the old way. Watching how users adapt, and how Apple iterates based on feedback, will be key.
