A couple of weeks after seeding watchOS 26 beta 2, Apple is now releasing its third testing version. At this moment, it’s unclear what’s new with this update. However, Cupertino is likely fixing bugs and improving battery life ahead of the fall release.
In addition, Apple prepares the public beta of watchOS 26. If the company follows the trend, this version should be available in the next few days. Still, you shouldn’t update to the public beta before reading this.
That said, watchOS 26 also takes advantage of the new Liquid Glass design. While the visual changes are more subtle, Cupertino is improving some Watch Faces to use the maximum potential of the new Apple Watch Series 10 display. Unfortunately, so far, it seems watchOS 26 beta also removes loved Watch Faces, while it’s still unclear if Apple plans to add new ones during this testing cycle.
Besides that, the Smart Stack is now smarter, as it suggests information based on your location. Or, if you’re without cellular connection, the Apple Watch can retrace your way back. A new wrist flick for Apple Watch Series 9 and newer makes it easier to dismiss notifications and go back to the Watch Face. Users just need to turn their wrist over and then back for that.
Apple is also preparing interesting Apple Intelligence features that rely on an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. Two of the most important functions are:
- Live Translation: With an Apple Watch Series 9 and newer, you’ll see Live Translation capabilities inside the Messages app, which means messages in an unknown language will be translated automatically to your preferred language.
- Workout Buddy: Apple added a new fitness experience that “generates personalized pep talks using voice data from an Apple Fitness+ trainer.” The company wants to encourage users to challenge themselves based on the Health app data.
BGR will let you know if we find new features with watchOS 26 beta 3. Alongside it, Apple released the third test versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.
