On the last day of February 2023, Apple placed the second developer beta of watchOS 9.4 in the hands of testers, two weeks after the first. The steady rhythm of that gap suggests a company moving patiently toward a spring release, a quiet reminder that even small software updates pass through many careful stages before they reach ordinary wrists. Among the changes are thirty-one new emoji, a playful expansion of how people can express themselves, alongside a web notification feature that reaches the watch through the paired iPhone.
Apple Seeds Second Beta of watchOS 9.4 to Developers, Adding 31 New Emoji
Thirty-one new emoji, from a donkey to a pea pod
Mark
Two weeks between betas. Is that a notable gap, or just the usual rhythm?
Mimi
It reads as routine. The first beta landed two weeks earlier, and this one follows on that schedule, with more rounds still to come.
Luke
Worth saying that the "routine" part is my inference from the two-week spacing. The report only states the gap, not that it's typical.
Mark
What actually changes for someone wearing the watch?
Mimi
Mostly emoji. Thirty-one new characters, including a donkey, a goose, a shaking head, a hyacinth and a pea pod.
Mark
And the Web Push piece?
Mimi
It comes through iOS 16.4. Websites added to the iPhone Home Screen can be set up to send notifications to the phone.
Luke
Notice that's described as an iPhone feature. The report doesn't say those notifications show up on the watch, so I wouldn't assume it.
Mark
Is the spring release date firm?
Luke
No. It's expected, not announced. The report says several beta rounds remain, and the timing is tied to iOS 16.4.
Mimi
Right, so the next betas are the thing to watch.
El Pulso
- Apple has seeded the second watchOS 9.4 beta just two weeks after the first, keeping a tight testing rhythm.
- Developers must download a configuration profile and dig through the Apple Watch app to find the update, adding friction to every trial.
- The watch must hold at least half its battery, rest on its charger, and stay within range of its iPhone before it will accept the software.
- Thirty-one new emoji, from a donkey and goose to a pea pod, arrive alongside Web Push support, with a spring launch beside iOS 16.4 now on the horizon.
On the last day of February 2023, Apple placed the second developer beta of watchOS 9.4 in the hands of testers, two weeks after the first. The steady rhythm of that gap suggests a company moving patiently toward a spring release, a quiet reminder that even small software updates pass through many careful stages before they reach ordinary wrists. Among the changes are thirty-one new emoji, a playful expansion of how people can express themselves, alongside a web notification feature that reaches the watch through the paired iPhone.
On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Apple released the second developer beta of watchOS 9.4 to testers. It came two weeks after the first, a steady cadence that signals the software is moving toward public release.
Getting the beta onto a watch takes some effort. Developers download a configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center, then find the update in the Apple Watch app on their iPhone under General and Software Update. The watch itself must have at least 50 percent battery, sit on its charger, and remain within range of its paired phone.
The most visible addition is a set of 31 new emoji, including a donkey, a goose, a black bird, a shaking head, a hyacinth, and a pea pod. A quieter change arrives through the phone: iOS 16.4 brings Web Push notifications to websites saved on the iPhone Home Screen.
The beta is not finished. Apple will run more rounds of testing before the spring release, which is expected to arrive alongside iOS 16.4.
On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Apple pushed the second developer beta of watchOS 9.4 out to testers. It arrived two weeks after the first beta, which puts the software on a steady, two-week cadence as it moves toward public release.
Getting the beta onto a watch is not a one-click affair. Developers first have to download a configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once that profile is installed, the update shows up in the dedicated Apple Watch app on the paired iPhone, under General, then Software Update.
There are physical conditions, too. For the watch to take new software, it needs to have at least 50 percent battery, sit on its charger, and stay within range of the iPhone it is paired with.
The most visible addition in watchOS 9.4 is a batch of new emoji. In total, 31 new characters are supported. Among them are a donkey, a goose, a black bird, a shaking head, a hyacinth, and a pea pod, along with others the report does not list individually.
There is also a change that reaches the watch by way of the phone. Through iOS 16.4, the update brings support for Web Push notifications sent to an iPhone. The notifications can be set up for a website that has been added to the iPhone's Home Screen.
The watchOS 9.4 beta is not finished. Apple is expected to run it through several more rounds of testing. The release is expected in the spring, arriving alongside iOS 16.4. Further beta seeds in the weeks ahead will mark the path to that launch.
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