Apple Seeds watchOS 8.6 Release Candidate to Developers
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming watchOS 8.6 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming a week after the release of the fourth beta.

To install watchOS 8.6, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, watchOS 8.6 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.
To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
The watchOS 8.6 update expands ECG functionality and irregular heart rhythm detection to Mexico, according to Apple's release notes.
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