WatchOS version lower than deployment target in Xcode 26

Description: I’m encountering an issue where the Apple Watch’s watchOS version is lower than the deployment target specified in my Xcode project.

For example, my Watch device is running watchOS 10.6, but my app’s deployment target is set to watchOS 9.6 or 10.6, and Xcode shows an error stating:

Error: “watchOS version doesn’t match the app’s deployment target.”

Could someone clarify how to properly handle this version mismatch?

Environment:

Xcode 26

iPhone: iOS 18

Apple Watch: watchOS 10.6

Any guidance or best practices would be appreciated.

WatchOS version lower than deployment target in Xcode 26
 
 
Q