These are my favorite Apple Watch accessories of 2026 (so far)

9to5Mac is brought to you by Memoket: The Memoket Gem is an 11g AI wearable that slots beside your Apple Watch in a co-wear band. Press once to capture a conversation, and Gem connects it to what you discussed weeks ago — surfacing the earlier thread with a source link. From $179, shipping August 2026. --- I love my Apple Watch. I have owned one since the original Series 0 was released back in 2015. In that span, I have probably missed 10 days without wearing an Apple Watch, so I could argue that it is my most-used Apple product of all time. I use it to track workouts, track my health, track my sleep, as an extension of my iPhone, and it has just become a part of my daily routine. One of my favorite things about the Apple Watch is its accessories ecosystem, from bands to chargers to cases and everything in between. So here are some of my favorite Apple Watch accessories that I keep going back to.

9to5mac.com

Apple Watch Ultra 4: Three new features that already have me excited

Apple Watch Ultra 4 is coming next month, launching alongside iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Ultra, and more. Here are three rumored Apple Watch Ultra 4 features that I’m excited about.

9to5mac.com

WhatsApp channel admins will soon get the ability to flag AI-generated media

As the EU’s new transparency requirements for AI-generated content take effect, WhatsApp is working on a feature that will allow channel admins to label certain types of AI-generated content. Here are the details.

9to5mac.com

Meta launches Muse Code AI coding agent for macOS and Linux

Meta is entering the AI coding-agent race with Muse Code, a new terminal-based tool now available in beta for macOS and Linux.

9to5mac.com

Siri AI is coming to newer Apple devices only, here’s the full list

Siri AI is a major upgrade and highlight of iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and more. But only newer Apple devices will support the overhauled Siri. Here’s the full list of Siri AI-compatible hardware across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro.

9to5mac.com

iPhone 18 Pro event date: When Apple announced its event over the last six years

When should we expect the iPhone 18 Pro event, and when will Apple officially announce the date? Apple hasn’t sent invitations yet, but its announcement history gives us a remarkably consistent window.

9to5mac.com

iCloud Private Relay might be leaking your real IP address, researchers say

Security researchers have discovered a problem with Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service. While the feature is meant to protect your real IP address, it might actually be leaking it to websites.

9to5mac.com

iPadOS 27 adds two new iPad features I’ve been loving

iPadOS 27 launches next month, with new features in apps like Notes, Messages, Calendar, Mail, and more. Here are a couple of systemwide iPadOS 27 features I’ve been loving.

9to5mac.com

iOS 27 adds four new ways to customize your iPhone’s Lock Screen

iOS 27 continues Apple’s trend of giving you more control over the design of your iPhone’s Lock Screen. This year, there are new customization options, wallpaper settings, and more.

9to5mac.com

iPhone Ultra sounds truly deserving of the ‘Ultra’ name

Apple’s first foldable iPhone is coming very soon, and based on rumors about the product, it sounds very much deserving of the ‘iPhone Ultra’ name. Here’s why.

9to5mac.com

Deals: MacBook Neo up to $120 off, MacBook Pro $500 off, Apple Watch SE 3/Ultra 3 $130 off, AirPods, more

The AirPods Pro 3 discounts roll on alongside the all-time low pricing on AirTag 2, but for today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break we are stating off with the official Apple Certified Refurbished Store where you’ll find the lowest prices on MacBook Neo at up to $120 off the list new lists. Those deals join this M5 Pro MacBook Pro at $500 off (that’s $100 under the pre price-hike MSRP) as well as this Apple Watch Series 11 model at $150 off, Apple Watch SE 3 at up to $80 off, Apple Watch Ultra 3 at up to $130 off, and the ongoing Best Buy August Back to School sale. Scope it all out down below. 

9to5mac.com

9to5Mac Daily: August 5, 2026 – Apple iPhone event clues, more

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Backblaze: Backup you can rely on. Save 20% with code 9to5daily.

9to5mac.com

Ted Lasso is back, and two more hit Apple shows are coming soon

Ted Lasso is officially back for season 4 (watch here), and Apple TV has two more hit series set to return soon. Here’s what’s coming.

9to5mac.com

iOS 27’s best new Messages feature is all about saving you time

iOS 27 gives the Messages app a variety of new features and improvements. And based on my time with the beta, Messages’ best new feature is a convenient time-saver: one-tap suggestions.

9to5mac.com

A live iPhone launch seems unlikely, but the event could be live-lier this year

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stirred things up a little with what was likely a deliberately teasingly-phrased tweet. Some took this to be a reference to a live iPhone keynote presentation instead of a pre-recorded one. That seems unlikely, but there are a couple of reasons for suspecting that the live elements may be livelier this year …

9to5mac.com

MacPaw is building an on-device AI layer that will work across your Mac apps

MacPaw has announced a long-term strategic partnership with Liquid AI to co-develop an on-device AI technology stack built specifically for the Mac. The collaboration will start with Eney, MacPaw’s AI assistant for macOS.

9to5mac.com

TikTok is telling people to put their phones into the fridge, and repair shops are happy

I don’t use TikTok myself, but from all of the second-hand reports I see, it seems to have become a massive repository of terrible advice. This apparently now includes videos advising people to put their iPhones into the fridge when they become hot …

9to5mac.com

As iPhones get more expensive, T-Mobile launches new 3-year plan

While claims of a $1,399 starting price for the iPhone 18 Pro may be exaggerated, there’s no doubt at all that we are going to see steep price increases for this year’s lineup. Apple has already prepared the ground for the resulting sticker shock with the new Apple Upgrade program, and now T-Mobile is responding with the launch of a new 3-year payment plan …

9to5mac.com

Apple lawsuit against OpenAI says iCloud mess didn’t play a role

One of the theories voiced about how a former Apple employee may have accessed confidential documents after leaving the company to join OpenAI has been dispelled by a court filing. It has been suggested that access to the documents may have been inadvertent due to a seemingly messy iCloud arrangement for Apple employees – but the company says this is not the case …

9to5mac.com

Wispr Flow takes on AI meeting assistants with Notetaker, its first product beyond dictation

Wispr Flow users on Mac can now access Notetaker, an AI-powered meeting assistant that uses calendars, connected apps, and personal dictionaries to provide additional context for transcripts, summaries, and notes. Here are the details.

9to5mac.com

Apple CarPlay expands to select pontoon boats with on-water navigation

CarPlay will soon move beyond the road, with Crest and Balise set to bring Apple’s in-car interface to the helm of select pontoon boats. Here are the details.

9to5mac.com

Ted Lasso’s season 4 premiere now available to stream on Apple TV

The long-awaited return of Ted Lasso is finally here, with the premiere episode of the show’s much-anticipated fourth season now available to Apple TV subscribers.

9to5mac.com

9to5Mac Daily: August 4, 2026 – The latest Apple vs OpenAI drama

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Backblaze: Backup you can rely on. Save 20% with code 9to5daily.

9to5mac.com

Bingers, a new TV-tracking app from the founder of TV Time, is now available to download

Following last month’s sunsetting of TV Time, one of the app’s co-founders, Antonio Pinto, announced Bingers, a new TV and movies tracking app that leans more heavily on social features. Here are the details.

9to5mac.com

Telegram CEO says extortionist planted illegal content that triggered App Store removal

Pavel Durov, Telegram’s CEO, has elaborated on what led to the app’s brief removal from the App Store last night. Here’s what he said.

9to5mac.com

RevenueCat Shipaton mobile hackathon is back with $1 million worth of prizes

RevenueCat’s annual Shipaton mobile hackathon is officially back, running August 1-September 30 with major prizes available for winning apps. Here are the details.

9to5mac.com

These Apple products are likely getting more expensive next month

Apple recently raised prices across much of its product lineup, but even more increases are expected next month for iPhone and more.

9to5mac.com

AirPods Pro 3 just got new firmware release in beta, more models too

Apple has just released new beta firmware for AirPods Pro 3 and more models, with the update expected to launch to all users alongside iOS 27 next month.

9to5mac.com

Hands-on: GAMEBABY’s new translucent case turns your iPhone into a Game Boy with real buttons

One of my favorite iPhone cases is back with a new look. I have used the previous generations of BitmoLab’s GAMEBABY case and immediately loved it. It felt like an accessory purpose-built to tug at my nostalgia strings. The superpower of this case is that it is not a secondary accessory you need to bring and make sure is charged; it’s a regular iPhone case that is smartly designed to also serve as a set of tactile, physical buttons for playing your favorite Game Boy ROMs (among others). It’s the perfect summation of work smarter, not harder. It uses no batteries or Bluetooth and requires little setup. If you are into any sort of retro game emulation, you have to check this out.

9to5mac.com

Apple Watch ‘National Fitness Day’ challenge returns this weekend

Apple Watch users in China can participate in the next National Fitness Day challenge this weekend to unlock virtual rewards.

9to5mac.com