Apple Seeds Tenth Beta of New watchOS 5 Operating System to Developers - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Seeds Tenth Beta of New watchOS 5 Operating System to Developers

Apple today seeded the tenth beta of an upcoming watchOS 5 update to developers, one week after releasing the ninth beta and more than two months after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

To get the beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 5 beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update.

watchos5roundup
To install the update, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 5 is a major update to the watchOS operating system, introducing Activity Competitions so you can compete on workouts with friends, Walkie-Talkie with push-to-talk functionality for quickly communicating with the people you talk to most, and auto workout detection to make it easier to start and stop workouts if you forget.

Other new features include an improved Siri watch face with support for third-party apps through Siri Shortcuts, a dedicated Apple Podcasts app, new Workout types that include Yoga and Hiking, new features for runners, WebKit support for viewing some web content on Apple Watch, and enhanced notifications, which will make notifications on the Apple Watch interactive.

watchOS 5 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers (because there's no way to downgrade Apple Watch software), so non-developers will need to wait until the software is officially released in the fall to try it out.

The watchOS 5 update runs on all Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 Apple Watch models, but it is not available for the first-generation "Series 0" Apple Watch models.

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

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra 3 1

Apple Now Requires UNiDAYS Verification for Education Discounts in U.S. and Canada, Adds Apple Watch

Friday May 8, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Starting today, Apple will require customers in the U.S., Canada, and Chile to verify their status as a student or educator to get educational discounts. Apple is adopting the UNiDAYS verification system that it uses in other countries, with a new process to accommodate homeschool families. Apple is also adding the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to its...
Apple Watch Series 10 Jet Black Touch ID

Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: What to Expect Later This Year

Friday May 8, 2026 2:07 pm PDT by
While not too much has been reported about the next Apple Watch models, there are a few rumors about potential design changes and watchOS 27 features. Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 models are expected to be released in September, and we have outlined some of the key rumored hardware and software changes below. A new Apple Watch SE is not expected this year, as that model was...
Apple Watch Series 10 Jet Black Touch ID

Next Apple Watch Models Unlikely to Add Touch ID, Focus on Battery Life

Monday May 11, 2026 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is prioritizing larger batteries and more advanced health sensors over fingerprint authentication for the Apple Watch, according to a new claim from a prominent Chinese leaker. In a new Weibo post, Instant Digital pushed back on recent speculation about biometric recognition coming to Apple's wearable lineup, claiming instead that the company remains content to let users unlock their...

Top Rated Comments

wir43 Avatar
101 months ago
My contacts haven't synced to the watch for the last 5 betas. Has anyone else found a resolution to this issue? I know I'm far from the only person to have submitted this feedback.
* Open the Watch App on your iPhone
* Go to General -> Reset -> Reset Sync Data
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seatton Avatar
101 months ago
My Sept 1 notification for the challenge has not shown up on my phone yet :(
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
101 months ago
My Sept 1 notification for the challenge has not shown up on my phone yet :(
Not in mine either. :(
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)