Take your trays out from your Apple Watch — in the app, from a complication or from Control Centre — and the timer now appears on your iPhone's Lock Screen straight away, even when the iPhone app is closed. "Put your trays back in" reminders are more reliable when you use your watch.

New Aligner Trays control Add Aligner Trays to Control Center, a Lock Screen corner or the Action button to take your trays out or put them back in with one press. It works while your iPhone is locked, with no Face ID needed, and it shows whether they're in or out. A correction to the 1.4 notes They said Lock Screen widget buttons no longer ask for your passcode. That was wrong: iOS needs your iPhone unlocked for widget and Live Activity buttons, though a glance with Face ID is enough. The Aligner Trays control is the way to do it without unlocking. Clearer widgets The ring shows today's wear against your goal, and widgets suit light, dark, tinted and clear Home Screens. The medium widget has a Take Out / Put In button, and the Lock Screen gets a wear gauge and a line above the clock. Apple Watch, redesigned Today's out time front and centre, your tray, goal and streak a scroll away, a Trays widget with a Take Out / Put In button, and an Aligner Trays control on watchOS 26. Complications now show your real in/out state, and the watch keeps up with your iPhone much faster, telling you when it's checking or can't reach it. Aligner Timer is a tracking aid, not medical advice — always follow your orthodontist's or dentist's instructions.

Trays in and out without unlocking Tapping Trays In or Trays Out on a Lock Screen widget or a notification no longer asks for your passcode. One tap and the timer switches over while your phone stays locked in your pocket. Live Activities that keep up with your Watch and Mac Start or stop a session from your Apple Watch, or from your iPhone mirrored on a Mac, and the Live Activity on your Lock Screen now updates with it instead of leaving a stale timer counting. Aligner Timer is a tracking aid, not medical advice — always follow your orthodontist's or dentist's instructions.

Days per tray, changeable any time If your orthodontist or dentist adjusts how long each aligner is worn part-way through treatment, you can now change it in Settings instead of starting over. Your history stays intact The new schedule applies to the tray you're wearing now and every tray after it. Trays you've already finished keep the schedule they ran on, so your estimated finish date only moves for what's left. Everything keeps up Switch reminders, the widget, the Live Activity and your Apple Watch all pick up the new tray length straight away. Aligner Timer is a tracking aid, not medical advice — always follow your orthodontist's or dentist's instructions.

Smarter switch reminders Aligner Timer now looks at how long you actually wore each tray and adjusts your next switch date to match. Fall a little short and it gently nudges the date back instead of rushing you to the next tray. Evening heads-up A reminder the night before a switch, so you can plan softer meals. New tray hurting? If a fresh tray is too painful in its first week, you can step back to your previous tray for a few days and ease in, or hold and check with your orthodontist. Switch reminders pause until you're ready. Reminders that keep up Switch and wear reminders now stay in sync even if you only ever tap the widget, your Apple Watch, or the Live Activity. A smoother Home screen The wear ring and stats are faster and lighter. Aligner Timer is a tracking aid, not medical advice — always follow your orthodontist's or dentist's instructions.