Apple today seeded the third public betas of tvOS 26 and watchOS 26 to Apple TV and Apple Watch users who have signed up for the public beta program. The third tvOS 26 and watchOS 26 public betas come a week after Apple seeded the second public betas.
watchOS 26 and tvOS 26 can be downloaded through the Settings app on each device after you sign up on Apple's beta website.
The updates adopt Apple's Liquid Glass aesthetic, which is also coming in macOS Tahoe and iOS 26. Liquid Glass focuses on transparency and a more rounded look for menus and other interface elements.
watchOS 26 includes Workout Buddy, an Apple Intelligence feature meant to motivate you during your workouts. The Workout app interface has been redesigned, the Smart Stack has more actionable suggestions, the Messages app offer Live Translation and better Smart Replies, and the Phone app features like Call Screening and Hold Assist are available on the watch. Apple also brought the Notes app to the Apple Watch, so you can create notes and view existing notes right from your wrist.
tvOS 26 supports a new Apple Music Sing feature that uses the iPhone as a microphone, plus there are new lyric translation and pronunciation tools. FaceTime has been updated with incoming call notifications and contact posters, there are new aerial screen savers, and there's an option to set an AirPlay speaker as a permanent speaker for an Apple TV.
watchOS 26 and tvOS 26 are set to launch this fall alongside iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe.
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors.
According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
Thursday September 4, 2025 7:38 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
We're only days away from Apple's "Awe dropping" fall event scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023.
By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for...
Friday September 5, 2025 9:33 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 17 series in just four days from now, and the biggest design mystery surrounding the Pro models has finally been solved.
In a report outlining his expectations for Apple's event next week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the iPhone 17 Pro models will have "a new cutout area on the bottom two-thirds of the phone that doubles as the wireless charging area."...
Wednesday September 3, 2025 1:19 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26 introduces an Adaptive Power Mode on the iPhone, alongside the existing Low Power Mode.
Apple says Adaptive Power Mode can make "performance adjustments" when necessary to extend an iPhone's battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness, allowing some activities to "take longer," and automatically turning on Low Power Mode when the iPhone's remaining battery life...
Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices.
Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac:
Model
Starting Price
Model
Starting Price
Change
iPhone 16
$799
iPhone 17
...
Apple have totally messed the current Apple TV 4K since they went from dev beta to public beta. I find 50% of the time when I turn it on the previews at the top of the page are static images and done play video, plus none of the streaming apps will play video either. You have to reboot it for it to work. I reported this to Apple when they switched to public beta and it still hasn’t been fixed. Ironic it was fine on the original dev betas. Very poor quality control by Apple!
After the last PB update to tvOS beta 26 (3) My ATV remote control (ATV 4k gen2) does not work with my Samsung S90C TV anymore.
When I turn off the ATV with the ATV remote control, my TV usually turns off as well, but now my TV says that a device is off and it needs to be plugged in. (nothing has changed on my TV and has not updated since there are no new updates and it does not have an internet connection)
My settings on the ATV are TV via IR, this is because my SONOS does not work if it is not like that. I have tried other settings but the volume does not work on the SONOS when the ATV is off. I have reset the ATV remote control but no change.
Same on my S95B. Turning off via the power button on the remote seems to turn the TV off then trigger it right back on again. I have found that turning off the Apple TV via the soft power button in control centre works fine.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
