Apple today provided the first beta of the upcoming watchOS 10 update to public beta testers, allowing the general public to try out the new Apple Watch software ahead of its fall launch.
watchOS 10 can be downloaded after upgrading your iPhone to the public beta version of iOS 17 and after signing up on Apple's beta software website. With those criteria fulfilled, you can open up the Watch app on iPhone, go to General, select Software Update, and choose the watchOS 10 Public Beta option under Beta Updates.
With watchOS 10, Apple is making a major update to the Apple Watch interface with a focus on widgets. The Smart Stack, accessible with a turn of the Digital Crown, displays the information that you need most. What's available changes throughout the day and as the Apple Watch learns your usage habits.
Apple has updated almost all of the built-in apps with an information-forward design that allows for quicker interactions. Weather, Maps, Home, Messages, Activity, Heart Rate, Stocks, and more have all been overhauled.
There are two new watch faces, including Palette and Snoopy. Snoopy features characters from the popular Peanuts cartoon, with the animations changing throughout the day. Palette shows the time in a variety of overlapping colors.
The Maps app has a topography view that shows elevation information, contour lines, hill shading, and points of interest to make it more useful on hikes and when out and about, and for cyclists, there are new advanced metrics, views, and experiences that work through a connection to Bluetooth-enabled cycling accessories.
The Mindfulness app has a new feature for logging moods and emotions, Group FaceTime audio calls are now supported, and NameDrop allows you to quickly exchange contact information with somebody just by holding your Apple Watch near someone's iPhone.
For more on everything new in the watchOS 10 update, we have a detailed watchOS 10 roundup.
