Apple Seeds Second Beta of watchOS 4.2 to Developers

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 4.2 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after releasing the first watchOS 4.2 beta and a little under a week after releasing the watchOS 4.1 update.

Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS 4.2 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.

watchos4
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 4.2 appears to focus primarily on under-the-hood bug fixes and security updates. No major outward-facing changes were found in the first beta, but should new features be found in the second beta, we'll update this post.

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

Popular Stories

iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Aiming to Release 'Breakthrough' New iPhone Accessory

Wednesday February 18, 2026 12:43 pm PST by
Apple is looking for a "breakthrough" with its push into wearable AI devices, including an "AirTag-sized pendant," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the pendant is reminiscent of the failed Humane AI Pin, but it would be an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone product. The pendant would feature an "always-on" camera and a microphone for Siri voice...
Multicolored Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature

Low-Cost MacBook Expected on March 4 in These Colors

Wednesday February 18, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple will announce its rumored low-cost MacBook at its event on March 4, with the device coming in a selection of bold color options, according to a known leaker. Earlier this week, Apple announced a "special Apple Experience" for the media in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET. Posting on Weibo, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" said that the...
iphone 17 pro green

iPhone 17 Pro Max Curiously Becomes Most Traded-In Smartphone

Wednesday February 18, 2026 9:13 am PST by
New trade-in data indicates that Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max has rapidly become the single most traded-in smartphone. According to a new report from SellCell, Apple's latest flagship iPhone has quickly risen to the top of the independent trade-in market, accounting for 11.5% of all devices appearing in the top-20 trade-in rankings just months after release. The analysis is based on SellCell...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

iOS 26.4's New CarPlay Video Feature Shown in Action

Wednesday February 18, 2026 9:29 am PST by
Back at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, and the first beta of iOS 26.4 suggests the feature may be nearing availability. There are several new references to CarPlay video streaming functionality within the iOS 26.4 beta's source code. The feature is not yet visible to users, but...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

10 Reasons to Wait for Apple's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday February 18, 2026 5:12 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...

Top Rated Comments

themick4u Avatar
108 months ago
Let's see if they bring back the most primary feature I've used on this series 0 watch....... Browse & initiate playback of iphone stored music libraries / playlists.


EDIT: After updating both iPhone and Watch to latest release this issue is still not addressed. I am giving up hope that this feature is gone and not coming back, sadly. I will not be buying any new Apple Watches in the future since this was a core feature of the watchOS for me. If I could roll back to WatchOS 3.x I would......
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
108 months ago
I would just like some optimization tweaks to make my five month old Series 2 as responsive as it was with OS3!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
108 months ago
Let's see if they bring back the most primary feature I've used on this series 0 watch....... Browse & initiate playback of iphone stored music libraries / playlists.


EDIT: After updating both iPhone and Watch to latest release this issue is still not addressed. I am giving up hope that this feature is gone and not coming back, sadly. I will not be buying any new Apple Watches in the future since this was a core feature of the watchOS for me. If I could roll back to WatchOS 3.x I would......
Couldn't agree more. Apple doesn't really seem to care about the actual user. The only reason I can see for taking away the feature is because they want to sell more Apple Music subscriptions. I won't be one of them. I buy vinyl and download the music. Apple couldn't care about people like me. They also don't realize how the ability to control the iphone music while driving was such a useful feature. I don't trust Apple anymore. What will they take away next? Maybe it will be the ability to tell time on the watch since that doesn't provide any revenue like streaming or apple pay. I'll be looking at Android phones and devices next time.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)