Apple Seeds Third WatchOS 2 Beta to Developers

Apple-Watch-Midnight-Blue-250x299Apple today seeded the third watchOS 2 beta to developers, just over two weeks after seeding the second watchOS 2 beta and a month after announcing the new operating system update at its Worldwide Developers Conference.

watchOS 2 requires iOS 9 and can be downloaded over-the-air through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General -> Software Update.

watchOS 2 is the first major update to the software that runs on the Apple Watch. The new software brings many new features that Apple Watch developers can take advantage of, including native apps that run on the Apple Watch itself instead of the iPhone. It also allows developers to access the Taptic Engine and a number of other sensors in the Apple Watch, including the heart rate monitor, the microphone, and the accelerometer.

Along with these features for developers, which will lead to much more complex and full-featured third-party Apple Watch apps, the update introduces new watch faces (photo albums and time-lapse), third-party Complications, Time Travel for viewing upcoming events in a watch face Complication, and a Nightstand mode that's activated when the watch is charging, displaying the time.

watchOS 2 is currently only available to registered developers who have also installed iOS 9 on their iPhones. Apple plans to release the software to the public in the fall.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 8
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Top Rated Comments

bemaniac Avatar
101 months ago
So if you go to a doctor and he/she misdiagnoses you, would you say that the quality of medical care has matured because we know more diseases now, hence it's OK to be misdiagnosed?

Apple has > $400 billion in their pockets. There is no excuse for rookie mistakes like that. They can hire all the talent in the world if they wanted to, to make sure major mistakes don't happen, yet major mistakes continue to happen.
Yes, but never in the history of the universe has anyone expected a BETA to be polished software. This is why it's not available to the general public. It's not even a public beta yet. The purpose for THESE beta builds are so that DEVELOPERS (like me) can start building apps for the new SDKs and report bugs to Apple. They're not for a bunch of whiney early adopter users to complain about Apple's software quality.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NotSafeForWork Avatar
101 months ago
I think I'll bite the bullet and install beta 3 on my Watch. The previous 2 betas were apparently really bad but...I'll give it a shot because why not.
Regret coming in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iNosey Avatar
101 months ago
Same issue here...
On the "bright" side, iOS9 beta 3 broke a lot of things that were just fine in beta 2... quality of Apple software has decreased so much in the recent years, it's disappointing :(
Ugh, I can't stand it when people say that. It hasn't decreased... Its just that as you get into more lines of code, the more bugs will appear. It's the whole point of a BETA. For you to test it and tell them the bugs. You try making a Mobile OS and I guarantee you there will be bugs, if you can even do it at all. So no, the quality of their software hasn't decreased, it's just matured. In all essence, I like iOS 8. It's one of the most updates they've ever had. And that's because of the betas and the feedback. And iOS 9 will be even better. So will watchOS 2. That's why they specifically say not to install on a device that is used daily. If you're gonna complain, go get a new iPhone and new AppleWatch and install that stuff on there. It's not a big deal.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Suckfest 9001 Avatar
101 months ago
I suggest that we agree to disagree... it seems that everyone is so focused on using my statement in relation to the betas alone, not accounting previous public releases, that it makes no sense to argue.
Well you did post it in a beta thread...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iNosey Avatar
101 months ago
So if you go to a doctor and he/she misdiagnoses you, would you say that the quality of medical care has matured because we know more diseases now, hence it's OK to be misdiagnosed?

Apple has > $400 billion in their pockets. There is no excuse for rookie mistakes like that. They can hire all the talent in the world if they wanted to, to make sure major mistakes don't happen, yet major mistakes continue to happen.
Like I said, you go build one and we'll see.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Suckfest 9001 Avatar
101 months ago
So if you go to a doctor and he/she misdiagnoses you, would you say that the quality of medical care has matured because we know more diseases now, hence it's OK to be misdiagnosed?

Apple has > $400 billion in their pockets. There is no excuse for rookie mistakes like that. They can hire all the talent in the world if they wanted to, to make sure major mistakes don't happen, yet major mistakes continue to happen.
It's a beta. It's not supposed to be nor expected to be stable. If you're seriously going to whinge about beta software behaving like beta software, then I really don't know what to tell you.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...