Go ahead and download the new watchOS 26 developer beta 3 on your Apple Watch over the air. Here’s how you do it.
watchOS 26 Beta 3 Arrives with Loads of Bug Fixes and Improvements for Apple Watch Users
Testing out watchOS 26 beta? Developer beta 3 of watchOS 26 with Liquid Glass is now available for download. You can install it like any other watchOS update too.
Do note that you have to place your Apple Watch on its charger during the entire installation process. Which also means your Apple Watch will be essentially useless during the entire duration of installation.
It’s recommended that you download watchOS 26 beta 3 overnight when your iPhone and Apple Watch are both on charge.
Here’s how you download and install watchOS 26 developer beta 3 once you’re ready:
Step 1. Place Apple Watch on its magnetic charger.
Step 2. Make sure your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi.
Step 3. Launch the Watch app on iPhone and go to General > Software Update.
Step 4. Initiate the download and installation by tapping on Update Now.
It takes a lot of courage to test of watchOS beta updates because you cannot downgrade back to the publicly available firmware in case something goes wrong.
If you’re looking to test out watchOS 26 beta anyway, then it’s important to know that you must have iOS 26 installed on your iPhone as well otherwise the update won’t show up for download.
You’ll find all the details by going to this link.
Though you do need an Apple Developer Program membership in order to download and test out the beta, you don’t have to pay for it at all. You only have to shell out $99 if you’re planning to publish an app or game on the App Store.
As long as you’re just testing out beta software, Apple has made that part absolutely free for everyone, developer or not.
The first public beta of watchOS 26 should be available soon, and that’s another way to download the latest operating system on your Apple Watch.
Developer beta and public beta software are exactly the same, and the only difference is that developer betas are available for download sooner than any public beta.
