Test Out New Apple Watch Features and Take watchOS 9 Beta 1 for a Spin on Your Compatible Apple Watch Today
After taking a significant amount of time showcasing the features of its new software for Apple Watch, watchOS 9 beta is now available for download. If you are a registered developer with Apple (sign up here) then you too can take the latest software for a spin. You can learn about watchOS 9 for Apple Watch by going here:
Apple Announces watchOS 9 for Apple Watch: Everything You Need to Know
Before you go ahead, please make sure that you have a compatible Apple Watch model with you. Thanks to Apple’s legendary software support, you can install watchOS 9 beta on Apple Watch Series 7, 6, 5, 4 and SE.
watchOS 9 Beta Compatible Apple Watch Models
But, there’s a small catch before you move forward, as usual. See, the thing is, you can’t just go ahead and install watchOS 9 beta 1 on a compatible Apple Watch instantly. You need to update your iPhone to iOS 16 before you do it. You can learn all about it by going here:
Download iOS 16 Beta on iPhone
Once updated, you will then go to the Apple Developer Program website using your iPhone, head over to the Develop > Downloads section and then download the watchOS 9 beta configuration profile from there. Once the profile is installed on your iPhone / Apple Watch you can then download the latest watchOS 9 beta update by going to Watch > General > Software Update on your iPhone. Not exactly smooth sailing but you get the point. Should you install watchOS 9 beta on your Apple Watch? If you’ve been waiting for this day anxiously then sure, go ahead. But, from a stability point of view, it is not recommended at all. You haven’t seen unfinished software quite like this. It’s best that you stay away from this beta until a couple of releases until some sort of stability kicks in. It is always advised that you install betas on a spare device, in this case, a spare, compatible Apple Watch. This way, you can always test out new features without worrying about anything at all. There is also one more thing which you should know at this point - watchOS beta updates cannot be rolled back to public releases. In other words - downgrade is not possible. Learn more here:
Downgrade watchOS 9 Beta to watchOS 8?
If you are installing the update on a primary Apple Watch then think twice or thrice. Once you get onboard with the beta, you can’t go back. You have to install all the betas all the way till the final one until you’re back on the public software release track. Cool with that? Then go ahead and download watchOS 9 beta today!
