On a Thursday in early August, Apple placed a new pair of test versions of its software for the Apple TV and Apple Watch into the hands of people who had volunteered to try them. The move came two weeks after the first round, and it is one more quiet step in the long procession of software that asks ordinary owners to help shape what will eventually reach everyone in the autumn. Behind it lies a company trying to make its devices feel like a single family, with the same translucent design now stretching from phone to wrist to living room. The reason is simple enough: the final release is near,
Apple Seeds Second Public Betas of tvOS 26 and watchOS 26 With Liquid Glass Redesign
Notes arrive on the Apple Watch, right from your wrist
Mark
So what actually landed today?
Mimi
The second public betas of tvOS 26 and watchOS 26, two weeks after the first ones. Anyone enrolled in Apple's public beta program can install them through Settings.
Mark
What's the big visible change?
Mimi
Liquid Glass. Transparency and rounder menus, matching what's coming to iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe.
Mark
And on the watch specifically?
Mimi
Workout Buddy, an Apple Intelligence feature meant to motivate you during workouts. Plus Notes on the wrist, Call Screening and Hold Assist in the Phone app, and Live Translation in Messages.
Luke
Worth saying: the report describes what the features are meant to do. It doesn't test whether Workout Buddy actually motivates anyone.
Mark
Fair. What about the Apple TV?
Mimi
Apple Music Sing turns your iPhone into a microphone, with lyric translation and pronunciation tools. FaceTime gets call notifications and contact posters, and there are new aerial screen savers.
Luke
And nothing here says what changed between the first and second betas. We know what's in the software, not what's new in this particular build.
Mark
When does it all ship?
Mimi
This fall, alongside iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe. Apple hasn't given a specific date in this report.
Il Polso
- Testers who joined Apple's public beta program are receiving a second round of unfinished software for their Apple TV and Apple Watch.
- The new Liquid Glass design reshapes menus and screens so the wrist and the television finally match the look of the iPhone and Mac.
- Workout Buddy, Notes on the wrist, and Call Screening arrive on the watch, pushing more of the phone's work onto a smaller screen.
- Apple Music Sing turns an iPhone into a microphone for karaoke on the television, with lyric translation and pronunciation help along the way.
- Both systems are still in testing and are expected to reach the public this fall, alongside iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe.
On a Thursday in early August, Apple placed a new pair of test versions of its software for the Apple TV and Apple Watch into the hands of people who had volunteered to try them. The move came two weeks after the first round, and it is one more quiet step in the long procession of software that asks ordinary owners to help shape what will eventually reach everyone in the autumn. Behind it lies a company trying to make its devices feel like a single family, with the same translucent design now stretching from phone to wrist to living room. The reason is simple enough: the final release is near, and the testing must come before it.
On Thursday, Apple sent the second public betas of tvOS 26 and watchOS 26 to people enrolled in its public beta program. Anyone with an Apple TV or Apple Watch who signed up can now download the new software through the Settings app on the device. It follows the first public betas by two weeks, and the same design language, Liquid Glass, runs through both systems, bringing the translucent, rounder menus of the iPhone and Mac to the wrist and the living room.
On the watch, the centerpiece is Workout Buddy, an Apple Intelligence feature meant to keep you motivated mid-exercise. The Workout app has been redesigned, the Smart Stack offers more actionable suggestions, and Messages gains Live Translation and better Smart Replies. Call Screening and Hold Assist arrive on the wrist for the first time, and Notes can now be read and written without a phone nearby.
On the Apple TV, the focus is entertainment. Apple Music Sing lets an iPhone serve as a microphone, with new tools for lyric translation and pronunciation. FaceTime gains incoming call alerts and contact posters, there are new aerial screen savers, and an AirPlay speaker can be set as the permanent audio output.
These remain betas, meant for testing rather than everyday use. Apple plans to release both systems this fall, alongside iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe.
On Thursday, Apple pushed the second public betas of tvOS 26 and watchOS 26 to people who have enrolled in its public beta program. Owners of an Apple TV or Apple Watch who signed up can now pull the new software down onto their devices.
The release arrives two weeks after the first public betas of the same two systems. To get either one, testers sign up on Apple's beta website and then download the update through the Settings app on the device itself.
Both systems adopt Liquid Glass, the design language Apple is also bringing to iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe. It leans on transparency and a rounder look for menus and other interface elements, so the Apple TV and the Apple Watch are meant to look of a piece with the iPhone and Mac.
On the watch, the headline addition is Workout Buddy, an Apple Intelligence feature designed to keep you motivated while you exercise. The Workout app has been redesigned, and the Smart Stack now offers more suggestions you can act on directly. In Messages, watchOS 26 brings Live Translation and improved Smart Replies. The Phone app picks up Call Screening and Hold Assist, features that were previously absent from the wrist. Apple has also brought Notes to the Apple Watch, so you can create new notes and read existing ones without reaching for a phone.
The Apple TV side of the release is built around entertainment and the living room. tvOS 26 includes Apple Music Sing, which uses an iPhone as a microphone, along with new tools for lyric translation and pronunciation. FaceTime on the Apple TV gains incoming call notifications and contact posters. There are new aerial screen savers, and users can now designate an AirPlay speaker as the permanent speaker for an Apple TV.
These are still betas, meant for testing rather than final use. Apple plans to release both watchOS 26 and tvOS 26 this fall, alongside iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe.
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