Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming watchOS 3 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fifth beta and two months after first unveiling watchOS 3 at its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference.

The sixth watchOS 3 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on an iPhone by going to General --> Software update.

To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery, it must be on the Apple Watch charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. watchOS 3 also requires an iPhone running iOS 10 to install.

watchOS 3 introduces significant changes to the watchOS operating system. A new dock, accessible by pressing the side button, replaces Glances and houses 10 favorite first and third-party apps. Apps in the dock are kept continually up to date and are stored in memory for a new instant launch ability.


New Activity Sharing options allow Apple Watch owners to share workout and activity information with friends, and there are new fitness features for Wheelchair users. A Breathe app guides users through daily deep breathing sessions, an Apple Watch can unlock a Mac, and Apple has added apps for Reminders, Find My Friends, and accessing one's heartbeat.

Additional watch faces support complications, there are three new watch faces to choose from, including a new Activity watch face, and an SOS feature will make sure an option to get help in an emergency is always right at your fingertips. On the iPhone, there's a new Face Gallery for customizing Apple Watch faces, and watchOS 3 allows the Apple Watch to be located via Find My iPhone for the first time.

For complete details on the new features coming in watchOS 3, which will be released to the public this fall, make sure to check out our watchOS 3 roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9

Top Rated Comments

MrGimper Avatar
104 months ago
I wish they did a PB beta for the watch. I would love to see how the new OS is doing. During the speech, it did look like a great update was coming.
There are a whole bunch of people that wish the same. However, with no user-capable facility to regress the firmware, it's not gonna happen.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
104 months ago
watchOS 3 can't come soon enough.

I feel as though I've been running beta software on my Watch for 2 years. I'd be happy to run this beta if there were a public release. watchOS 3 finally looks like an OS worthy of a 1.0 label.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jozeppy26 Avatar
104 months ago
Yes, I've noticed the brackets but come on. I'm talking full functionality here, not text descriptions LOL for that reason, I won't participate in iOS 11 beta next year. While the beta has been stable this year, it's just not worth the hassle.
Right but it's pretty cool they still get my finger drawings. lol.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
btrach144 Avatar
104 months ago
Not completely true, at least since beta 5. Drawings (both digital touch and the horizontal drawings) send as pictures now to iPhones on iOS 9. Heart beats and taps also send but as static photos. Sending a message using the screen effects still sends the message but writes the effect in brackets, for example [sent with lasers]. I know this wasn't in the first developer beta but I wanna say I noticed it started having this partial compatibility in at least beta 4, possibly 3.
Yes, I've noticed the brackets but come on. I'm talking full functionality here, not text descriptions LOL for that reason, I won't participate in iOS 11 beta next year. While the beta has been stable this year, it's just not worth the hassle.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jozeppy26 Avatar
104 months ago
...They're stable but again the new iMessage features require someone on the receiving end to have the same.
Not completely true, at least since beta 5. Drawings (both digital touch and the horizontal drawings) send as pictures now to iPhones on iOS 9. Heart beats and taps also send but as static photos. Sending a message using the screen effects still sends the message but writes the effect in brackets, for example [sent with lasers]. I know this wasn't in the first developer beta but I wanna say I noticed it started having this partial compatibility in at least beta 4, possibly 3.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...