Smart Stack in watchOS was introduced in watchOS 10. It’s a widget hub accessible by turning the Digital Crown up or swiping up from the bottom of any watch face.
It intelligently displays relevant information, widgets, and Live Activities (timers/workouts). You can customize it by holding a widget to add, delete, or pin apps.
How to Use and Customize Smart Stack (watchOS 26):
- Access: From your watch face, rotate the Digital Crown upwards, swipe up, or use the double-tap gesture.
- View Widgets: Scroll through the stack to see app information, such as weather, music, or active timers.
- Customize: Long-press any widget to enter edit mode, where you can tap the “+” button to add new widgets or the “-” button to remove them.
- Pin Widgets: Within edit mode, tap the Pin icon (top right) to keep a frequently used widget at the top of the stack.
- Live Activities: The top of the stack shows active tasks like workouts or transit times, which can be tapped for more details.
- Smart Hints: In watchOS 26, the watch intelligently suggests apps or actions (like a camera remote or workout controls) based on context, which can be swiped to use.
- Apple Support
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Here’s what’s new in watchOS 26:
- Enhanced Prediction: The stack better anticipates your needs, such as showing boarding passes at the airport or home controls when approaching your home.
- Contextual Hints: Active hints may appear automatically, such as providing faster access to camera controls.
- Improved Customization: The ability to add more third-party app widgets to the stack has been expanded.
