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.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
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.
