Apple has released the watchOS 10 beta, the latest version of its operating system for the Apple Watch. The watchOS 10 beta brings new features such as widgets, redesigned apps, new watch faces, cycling and hiking capabilities, and more. If you want to try out the watchOS 10 beta on your Apple Watch, here’s how to do it.
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What you need to download the watchOS 10 beta
Before you can download the watchOS 10 beta on your Apple Watch, you need to meet some requirements:
- You need an Apple Watch Series 4 or later that is compatible with watchOS 10. You can check the compatibility list here.
- You need an iPhone Xs or later that is paired with your Apple Watch and running the iOS 17 beta. You can learn how to install the iOS 17 beta here.
- You need to enrol your iPhone in Apple’s beta software program and install the watchOS 10 beta profile on your device. You can do this from Apple’s beta site.
- You need to have at least 50% battery on your Apple Watch and iPhone, and keep them in range of each other and connected to Wi-Fi during the installation process.
- You need to back up your Apple Watch and iPhone before installing the watchOS 10 beta, as there is no way to downgrade to watchOS 9 once you update.
How to download the watchOS 10 beta on your Apple Watch
Once you have met the requirements, you can follow these steps to download the watchOS 10 beta on your Apple Watch:
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone running iOS 17.
- Tap on the My Watch tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on General > Software Update.
- Tap on Beta Updates > watchOS 10 Public or Developer Beta. It may take a few moments to appear.
- Tap on Download and Install and enter your passcode if prompted.
- Put your Apple Watch on its charger and wait for the download to complete.
- Once the download is done, tap on Install on your iPhone or on your Apple Watch.
- Wait for the installation to finish. Your Apple Watch will restart several times during the process.
What’s new in watchOS 10
The watchOS 10 beta brings a lot of new features and improvements to your Apple Watch. Here are some of the highlights:
- Widgets: You can now access widgets from your watch face by turning the digital crown or swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Widgets are small apps that show relevant information at a glance, such as weather, calendar, activity, heart rate, and more. You can customize your widget stack by pinning or removing apps, and they will update dynamically based on context and usage.
- Redesigned apps: All of the stock apps have been redesigned to fit more information on the screen and offer more functionality. For example, the Weather app lets you tap through or turn the crown to see different views of air quality, wind speed, humidity, and more. The Activity app shows a weekly summary, awards, and challenges around the edge of your rings. The Messages app can show pinned contacts and photos on the first opening, rather than a list of messages.
- New watch faces: The watchOS 10 beta introduces new watch faces that you can customize with different colors, complications, and widgets. Some of the new watch faces are Portrait, World Timer, Contour Face, Modular Duo, Typograph Face, Photos Face, Memoji Face, Artist Face, Pride Face, and Nike Face.
- Cycling and hiking capabilities: The watchOS 10 beta adds new features for cyclists and hikers who use their Apple Watch for fitness tracking. For cyclists, there is a new cycling mode that detects when you start and stop riding, shows elevation gain and calories burned, and gives turn-by-turn directions with haptic feedback. For hikers, there is a new hiking mode that tracks distance, pace, elevation gain and loss, heart rate zones, and calories burned.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about downloading the watchOS 10 beta on your Apple Watch:
Q: How do I uninstall the watchOS 10 beta?
A: Unfortunately, there is no way to uninstall or downgrade from the watchOS 10 beta once you install it on your Apple Watch. You will have to wait for the final release of watchOS 10 or a newer beta version to update your device.
Q: How do I report bugs or give feedback on the watchOS 10 beta?
A: You can use the Feedback Assistant app on your iPhone or Apple Watch to report bugs or give feedback on the watchOS 10 beta. You can also use the Apple Beta Software Program website to submit feedback or join discussions with other beta testers.
Q: How do I switch between the public and developer beta of watchOS 10?
A: You can switch between the public and developer beta of watchOS 10 by deleting the current beta profile from your iPhone and installing the new one from Apple’s beta site. You will then need to follow the same steps as above to download and install the new beta version on your Apple Watch.
Q: How do I update to the latest version of the watchOS 10 beta?
A: You can update to the latest version of the watchOS 10 beta by following the same steps as above to check for software updates on your iPhone or Apple Watch. You will see a notification when a new beta version is available.
