Apple Seeds watchOS 6 Golden Master to Developers

Apple today seeded the golden master version of watchOS 6, the software that runs on the Apple Watch. The new update comes two weeks after the ninth beta and over three months after Apple first unveiled the new watchOS update at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

To install the watchOS 6 beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. The golden master version of watchOS 6 represents the final version of the software that will be released to the public.

watchOS 6
Installing the software requires the Apple Watch to have 50 percent battery. It also needs to be put on a charger and it has to be in range of the ‌iPhone‌.

watchOS 6 is a major update that offers up a long list of new features. First and foremost, there's an App Store right on the Apple Watch, so you can find and download new Apple Watch apps on your wrist.

Apple Watch apps no longer need to have an ‌iPhone‌ component, which means developers can create standalone Apple Watch apps for the first time. Apps are able to take advantage of new APIs so you'll be able to do things like follow along with a workout or listen to streaming music from third-party services.

appstoreapplewatch
Since Apple Watch apps are now independent of apps on the ‌iPhone‌, you can now remove some built-in apps from the Apple Watch, a feature that was enabled in beta 3.

There are several new watch faces in watchOS 6, including Numerals Mono and Duo with huge numbers, Modular Compact, a Gradient watch face that shifts over the course of a day, a Solar Dial watch face that visualizes the sun in a 24 hour path around the dial, and the California watch face with a mix of standard numbers and roman numerals.

watchos6ewatchfaces
A new Taptic Chimes feature provides a silent touch on the wrist at every hour, and if sound is turned on, you'll hear an audible chime. You can also hold two fingers on the Apple Watch's display to hear the time spoken out loud.

There are new Audiobooks, Voice Memos, and Calculator apps, along with a new Noise app that warns you if you're exposed to sound that's too loud and a new Cycle Tracking app for period tracking. Activity Trends, visible on the ‌iPhone‌, are also available to chart your fitness progress and make sure your fitness trends are improving.

watchos6apps
New complications are available for wind speed, chance of rain, and the new Noise app, plus there's a Voice Memos complication for recording a memo quickly, a cellular strength complication, and a complication for the Calculator that opens up the app.

Siri can now provide full web search results right on the watch when asked a question, and for Mac users, the Apple Watch can now approve Mac security prompts.

When it launches on September 19, watchOS 6 will be available on the Series 3 and Series 4 Apple Watch models. It will come out for Series 1 and Series 2 models later this year. For more on what's new in watchOS 6, make sure to check out our watchOS 6 roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses: These 17 U.S. States Offer Them or Will Later

Thursday June 19, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states and Puerto...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Wednesday June 18, 2025 10:24 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. When the...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Apple Says iOS 26 Won't Be Available on These iPhone Models

Tuesday June 10, 2025 6:58 am PDT by
Apple this week revealed that iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. That means that iOS 18 is the end of the road for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, which were all released in 2018. However, those devices will continue to receive security updates for at least a few more years. iOS 26 is compatible with the following iPhone models: iPhone 16e iPhone...
new iphone lockscreen ios 26

iOS 26: Five Changes Coming to Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday June 17, 2025 8:46 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has made some additions to the iPhone Lock Screen that aim to make it more customizable than ever. Of course, things can always change before the software makes its way to the general iPhone-owning public, but here are five new things iOS 26 can do on the Lock Screen as of the current developer beta. Widgets Top or Bottom In iOS 18, the row of widgets on your Lock...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
Craig Federighi No

John Gruber Reacts to Apple Declining His Interview After His Criticism

Wednesday June 18, 2025 8:10 pm PDT by
Every year between 2015 and 2024, at least one Apple executive agreed to be interviewed by Daring Fireball's John Gruber for a special WWDC episode of his podcast, The Talk Show. Last year, for example, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, and top AI researcher John Giannandrea joined Gruber on stage at the California Theatre in San Jose to discuss...
iOS 26 Hold Assist

Google Says iOS 26 Copies Three Android Features

Tuesday June 17, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
In a new ad, Google says iOS 26 copies three Android features that have been available on Pixel phones for years: Live Translate, Hold Assist, and Call Screening. The video, part of the ongoing #BestPhonesForever series, shows an iPhone and a Pixel 9 Pro talking to each other on a fictional podcast. "I announced live translation for text messages," the iPhone says. "And it turned out...

Top Rated Comments

Dwood1970 Avatar
75 months ago
I’m running iOS 13 GM and have a S4 watch - from what I have read in regards to 13.1 at least is that the face does not show in the Watch app on iPhone but can be added on the watch by pressing firmly on screen and adding there.
That’s exactly right. I’ve added the meridian and the new Nike faces directly from then watch but they haven’t shown on the watch app on the phone.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
confirmed Avatar
75 months ago
Footnote on https://www.apple.com/watchos/watchos-6/:

“** watchOS 6 will be available for Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch Series 2 later this fall.”

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
75 months ago
This requires iOS 13. Considering the sorry state iOS 13 GM is in (mail issues), no thanks. I'll wait until 13.1 is released to the public to install both.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boxermansr Avatar
75 months ago
anyone have the build number for the gm ?

thanks
17R575

Took 40 minutes to download (Series 4) at 1.3 GB from Beta 9. Once it got to "installing" took literally 2 minutes to finish. Already booted back up.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jhfenton Avatar
75 months ago
How’s the battery life on series 4? People wrote it was shorter than on watchOS 5.
The battery life on the most recent beta 9 has been great on my Series 4. I don't have solid benchmarks, but it definitely seems more efficient during GPS workouts.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boxermansr Avatar
75 months ago
Still not seeing the Meridian Watch face with the GM build of watchOS installed. Do I need GM Of iOS 13.1 too?
I’m running iOS 13 GM and have a S4 watch - from what I have read in regards to 13.1 at least is that the face does not show in the Watch app on iPhone but can be added on the watch by pressing firmly on screen and adding there.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)