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Apple releases second beta of WatchOS 2 to developers

Apple has released the second beta of WatchOS 2.0 to developers. First announced at WWDC earlier this month, the new version of WatchOS brings both new features to the Apple Watch and support for native applications. This new beta will allow developers to continue testing apps that run directly on the Apple Watch hardware with access to local sensors, the Digital Crown, and the device’s own processor.

For consumers, new WatchOS 2 software features include a new Nightstand Mode for seeing the time and alerts in a larger font, three new watch faces, access to third-party watch face complications, a new Time Travel mode for seeing past and future calendar events and weather data on clock faces, and a more feature-rich Music app. The update is available over-the-air via Software Update in the iOS 9 Apple Watch Companion app.

Some developers have complained about battery drain and sluggishness with beta 1, an we’ll be live updating this post with changes in beta 2 as they are discovered.

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Comments

  1. Leandro Reis - 9 years ago

    WHERE IN THE HELL is iOS 9 Beta 2? My iPhone need it!

    • Pat Man - 9 years ago

      If it *needs* it, it’s probably not a developer device.

      • Andrew O'Hara - 9 years ago

        Im a dev that runs the betas on my own devices. I can’t afford a second phone to test on so I run it on my personal iPhone knowing full well it is a beta and will be buggy. If I had b1 and it crashed constantly I would “need” it too.

        This time I was in no rush so I didn’t install beta 1, but Im expecting to put beta 2/3 on it depending on how stable it is.

    • daoenix - 9 years ago

      I would assume, this is forthcoming. Let’s see, hopefully WatchOS beta 2 addressed battery issues. Along with iOS9 beta 2. :-o

    • Steve Whykes - 9 years ago

      OS 2 beta 2 installed and working fine, battery life appears back to normal. After 12 hours battery down to 68% the new watch faces are no longer available.

      • JLovTech (@JLovTech) - 9 years ago

        So beta 2 has better battery life? I had to get my watch replaced because of the horrible battery experience. It’s 8:08 EST where I am, how’s it going so far now?

  2. pshaw13 - 9 years ago

    Cmon. Let’s see iOS 9 b2 today!

  3. PhilBoogie - 9 years ago

    At this rate we’ll get Firefox-like version numbers before the next model is out¡

  4. stevelv702 - 9 years ago

    Weird my watch doesn’t show a update available

  5. Robin Keanu Keim - 9 years ago

    Second El Capitan Beta is also out.

  6. emulatronic - 9 years ago

    I get an error. It says it can verify the update because I don’t have Internet Access…

    • Stef (@AKE_Schmidi) - 9 years ago

      mee to :-(

    • emulatronic - 9 years ago

      I mean can’t

    • Omar I. Montalvo - 9 years ago

      I have the exact same issue, I already installed iOS 9 Beta 2 to see if that would fix the problem and it didn’t, also rebooted both the phone and the watch several time and no luck =\

    • tdgeditor1 - 9 years ago

      I can’t update either.

      • emulatronic - 9 years ago

        Have you been able to update your phone?

      • by me ist not working, too… only on apple watch

      • tdgeditor1 - 9 years ago

        I haven’t seen any buggy thing like iOS 9 and wOS 2 beta.

    • Trond Bie - 9 years ago

      I’m getting the same error after installing the profile from Apple.

      • emulatronic - 9 years ago

        Maybe the servers are f*** up right now?

      • Trond Bie - 9 years ago

        I can not update Apps on my iphone with beta 2 either

      • Trond Bie - 9 years ago

        Nevermind the app-update thing, error on my end.

  7. Stef (@AKE_Schmidi) - 9 years ago

    Retired update?

  8. Kuldeep Patel - 9 years ago

    watch os 2.0 beta 2 pulled back temporarily

    • emulatronic - 9 years ago

      Where do you see that?

      • North McCormick - 9 years ago

        The beta is entirely gone, there’s no mention of it anywhere on the website. Apple probably won’t even mention that they pulled it.

      • North McCormick - 9 years ago

        Beta 2* I meant. The 1st beta is still up, but no release notes or any info on beta 2.

      • emulatronic - 9 years ago

        If I go to the developer site, it says:

        Build: 13S5255c
        Updated: Jun 23, 2015
        Requires: iOS 9 beta

      • North McCormick - 9 years ago

        Odd, doesn’t say beta 2 though. I wonder if that was intentional or if they messed up and that’s why it’s pulled. No one can get it to update now.

      • emulatronic - 9 years ago

        It looks like they pushed to everyone, even if you hadn’t the profile. That’s why the have pulled back, and they are reseeding

      • tdgeditor1 - 9 years ago

        I am trying pair/unpair as a quick fix. I will let you know.

    • Robbie Biederman - 9 years ago

      Okay so when i go the apple watch app beta 2 pops up. Then when i click install the option to enter my passcode in comes up. I enter my passcode. The watch app crashes…… Has anyone SUCCESSFULLY installed beta 2 on the watch?

      • Robbie Biederman - 9 years ago

        and now as of 5:00pm it at least has stopped showing up in my software update in the apple watch app.

  9. Nicholas Gaglianese - 9 years ago

    i got the iOS 9 beta 2 but i still haven’t gotten the watches beta 2 is anyone else having this issue?

  10. Robbie Biederman - 9 years ago

    Everytme i hit download and install on watchOS 2 beta 2 it disappears and says my software is up to date???!?!?! ive tried restarting 3 times it will let me enter my passscode like it going to start the install after a iphone restart however once entering my password the apple watch app crashes and then it says my software is up to date when i reopen. Anyone experiencing this and what did you to to get watchOS 2.0 beta 2 on the watch?

    im giong to try to upgrade to ios 9 beta 2 first then try again.

  11. My app is not popping up the update for Watch OS 2 beta 2

    • tdgeditor1 - 9 years ago

      Reinstall profile if you don’t see the update

  12. Christopher Davies - 9 years ago

    Yay it’s back am downloading and installing now

  13. dasralph - 9 years ago

    I got it to update and everything works well so far
    seems way less buggy
    apps actually open and load for me now

  14. tdgeditor1 - 9 years ago

    Anybody seeing time lapse watch faces? Or voice memos?