On the last day of May 2023, Apple quietly put a second developer beta of watchOS 9.6 into the hands of its testers, two weeks after the first. It is a small step in a long software cycle, the kind of point release that tends to appear late in an operating system's life, when the company's real attention has already begun drifting toward what comes next. Nothing in it has been confirmed as new, and the modest pace suggests a maintenance update rather than a turning point. Its arrival marks one more quiet stage in the passing of watchOS 9 toward watchOS 10.
Apple Seeds Second Beta of watchOS 9.6 to Developers Two Weeks After the First
Nothing new has turned up in the first beta, and the second arrives just as quietly
Mark
So what actually happened here? It sounds small.
Mimi
It is small. Apple gave developers the second beta of watchOS 9.6 on May 31, two weeks after the first.
Mark
Why does a point release like this matter at all?
Mimi
Mostly because of where it falls. It's expected to be one of the last watchOS 9 updates before Apple moves on to watchOS 10.
Luke
Does anyone know what's in it, though?
Mimi
Not yet. MacRumors says it's unknown whether there are new features, and they found nothing in the first beta.
Luke
So "final updates" is an expectation, not an announcement.
Mimi
Right. It's the publication's expectation, not something Apple has said in this report.
Mark
How does a developer get it?
Mimi
They download a configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center, then update through the Watch app on the iPhone under General, then Software Update.
Mark
Any catch?
Mimi
The watch needs 50 percent battery, has to be on its charger, and must be in range of the paired iPhone.
Luke
And nothing here tells us when the public release comes. That's still open.
The Pulse
- Apple has seeded the second watchOS 9.6 beta to developers, arriving just two weeks after the first.
- No new features have been confirmed, and MacRumors found nothing notable in the first beta either.
- Developers must install a configuration profile from the Developer Center before the beta can reach their watches.
- Installation runs through the paired iPhone's Watch app, with conditions requiring at least 50 percent battery, charging, and proximity.
- This is expected to be one of the final watchOS 9 updates as Apple turns its focus to watchOS 10.
On the last day of May 2023, Apple quietly put a second developer beta of watchOS 9.6 into the hands of its testers, two weeks after the first. It is a small step in a long software cycle, the kind of point release that tends to appear late in an operating system's life, when the company's real attention has already begun drifting toward what comes next. Nothing in it has been confirmed as new, and the modest pace suggests a maintenance update rather than a turning point. Its arrival marks one more quiet stage in the passing of watchOS 9 toward watchOS 10.
On May 31, 2023, Apple released the second developer beta of watchOS 9.6, the next planned update for the Apple Watch. It came two weeks after the first beta, a steady rhythm for a point release late in the life of its operating system.
The beta is built for developers to test. Getting it requires downloading a configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center, which makes the beta visible on the watch. From there, the update is delivered through the Apple Watch app on the paired iPhone, under General and then Software Update. The watch must have at least 50 percent battery, sit on its charger, and stay within range of its iPhone.
What the update holds is still unclear. MacRumors reports no confirmed new features, and its review of the first beta turned up nothing notable either.
That quiet fits the software's place in Apple's calendar. watchOS 9.6 is expected to be among the last watchOS 9 updates, with attention soon shifting to watchOS 10. For now, the open questions are whether later betas reveal anything beyond routine maintenance, and how soon Apple's developer focus moves fully to the next version.
On May 31, 2023, Apple pushed out the second developer beta of watchOS 9.6, the next planned update to the software that runs on the Apple Watch. It arrived two weeks after the first beta of the same update, a steady cadence for a point release that sits late in the life of its operating system.
The beta is meant for developers, who use it for testing. To get it, a developer first has to download a configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. That profile is what makes the beta available on the watch in the first place.
Once the profile is installed, the update is delivered through the Apple Watch app on the paired iPhone. The path is General, then Software Update. Apple sets a few conditions for any watch software update: the watch needs at least 50 percent battery, it must sit on its charger, and it has to be within range of the iPhone it is paired with.
What watchOS 9.6 actually contains is still unclear. MacRumors reports that it is not yet known whether the update brings any new features. The publication also looked through the first beta and found nothing new there, so the second beta arrives with no confirmed additions to point to.
That quiet profile fits where the software sits in Apple's schedule. watchOS 9.6 is expected to be one of the last updates to watchOS 9. Apple's attention is expected to move soon to watchOS 10, the next-generation version of the watch operating system.
For now, the thing to watch is whether later betas of watchOS 9.6 reveal anything beyond routine maintenance, and how soon Apple turns its developer focus fully to watchOS 10.
Notable Quotes
It is not yet known whether watchOS 9.6 includes new features, and none were found in the first beta.— MacRumors
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