Apple Seeds Sixth Beta of New watchOS 4 Operating System to Developers

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming watchOS 4 update to developers, one week after seeding the fifth beta and more than two months after introducing the watchOS 4 update at its 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference.

Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS 4 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.


To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 4 features three new watch faces, including a dedicated Siri watch face that displays dynamic information unique to each individual and is perhaps the most significant new feature in the update. There are also new complications for Now Playing and Apple News, and an enhanced Workout app that supports High Intensity Interval Training and new swimming options.

GymKit, a new technology platform, will let the Apple Watch interface with gym equipment for workout data sharing purposes, and the Activity app will offer up intelligent coaching and tailored workout encouragement along with new monthly activity challenges.

Many other small tweaks and changes have been introduced, all of which are outlined in our dedicated watchOS 4 roundup.

watchOS 4 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers, so non-developers need to wait until the software sees an official release in the fall to try it out.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...

Top Rated Comments

nutmac Avatar
108 months ago
Is it me or is watchOS 4 just underwhelming in terms of ideas and news?
Basically it's just a couple af new watchfaces. I have to admit I was hoping for a lot more.
And new watch faces are pretty underwhelming. Siri face has a potential to be very nice but not well executed in the current beta.

I would like:

* Improvements to existing watch faces, particularly two of my favorite faces, modular and utility.
* Automatically switch watch face based on location, day of week, and/or time.
* Smart complication. I don't want to dedicate certain area to certain complication all the time. watchOS should figure out which complication should be displayed based on the context (e.g., if I am listening to music or podcast, Now Playing complication, if I have a timer running, timer complication).
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Der Keyser Avatar
108 months ago
Is it me or is watchOS 4 just underwhelming in terms of ideas and news?
Basically it's just a couple af new watchfaces. I have to admit I was hoping for a lot more.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wilef Avatar
108 months ago
Is it me or is watchOS 4 just underwhelming in terms of ideas and news?
Basically it's just a couple af new watchfaces. I have to admit I was hoping for a lot more.
Agreed, some small refinements, but nothing major.

A couple no-brainers I'd have liked to see:

1. Custom watch faces (let app developers release their own!)
2. Fitbit-like workouts (instead of a handful of prepackaged ones, detect workouts automatically and have a wider variety)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ksnell Avatar
108 months ago
And new watch faces are pretty underwhelming. Siri face has a potential to be very nice but not well executed in the current beta.

I would like:

* Improvements to existing watch faces, particularly two of my favorite faces, modular and utility.
* Automatically switch watch face based on location, day of week, and/or time.
* Smart complication. I don't want to dedicate certain area to certain complication all the time. watchOS should figure out which complication should be displayed based on the context (e.g., if I am listening to music or podcast, Now Playing complication, if I have a timer running, timer complication).

Completely agree.

Smart complications/watch faces would be money. I do not need a Stocks complication when the market is closed and I do not need a workout complication when I am sitting at my desk during the day.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Craiguyver Avatar
108 months ago
Is it me or is watchOS 4 just underwhelming in terms of ideas and news?
Basically it's just a couple af new watchfaces. I have to admit I was hoping for a lot more.
WatchOS 4 the perfect companion for the equally underwhelming iOS 11
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
harriska2 Avatar
108 months ago
Agreed. As it is, I have three versions of the Modular watch face installed, and I swipe between them based on situation (at work, out and about, working out).
That's what I do too.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)