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watchOS 26 public beta lets you try smarter workouts with personality, new and improved Apple Watch apps

watchOS 26 public beta

Apple is now offering the first public beta of watchOS 26, the next major update for Apple Watch, ahead of its official fall release. While the biggest visual update may appear to be the limited Liquid Glass elements, the substance of watchOS 26 exists in how it integrates with Apple Intelligence for smarter workouts and more context-aware communication. After some hands-on time with the update, here’s what stands out so far.

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PSA: Apple Watch Hermès owners should not install the current betas

Apple Watch Hermès owners should not install the current betas (current model shown)

Anyone running a beta version of any software should of course expect issues, but if you own an Apple Watch Hermès, you’ll want to completely avoid the beta 2 versions of both watchOS 26 and iOS 26.

Apple has warned of an incompatibility issue between watchOS 26 beta 2 and the Hermès watch, believed to be due to a problem with the watch faces unique to that model …

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How long should you wait before installing Apple betas on your primary devices?

iOS 26 release date

WWDC 2025 ends today, and we’ve seen all the new features on offer from Apple’s shiny glassy new iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26.

The first developer betas are available now, and anyone can sign up to try them – but you probably shouldn’t. If you’re not a developer with sacrificial test devices, exactly how long should you wait in the beta cycle before risking them on your daily drivers … ?

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watchOS 26: More Apple Watch faces using Series 10’s upgraded display

Apple Watch Series 10 advanced display tech | S10 on colorful background

Apple Watch Series 10 features an upgraded display with a faster refresh rate. This enables select watch faces to display a ticking seconds indicator even in always-on mode. However, most watch faces don’t actually take advantage of the new hardware yet. The watchOS 26 software update coming this fall will change that.

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