Apple released watchOS 26.1 public beta 2 for testers. If you enrolled in Apple’s Beta Software Program, you can download the update today. The release follows yesterday’s developer beta and continues the 26.1 cycle with a focus on fixes and polish rather than headline features.
How to install the update
You install it from the Watch app on your iPhone. Open Watch, go to General, tap Software Update, choose Beta Updates, then download and install. Keep your watch on its charger and connected to Wi-Fi until the process completes. You run iOS 26 on your paired iPhone before you see the watchOS beta option.
You should treat this as pre-release software. Back up your iPhone and Apple Watch, expect shorter battery life for a few days, and check that your critical apps support the beta. Apple seeded this build as 23S5017d, which signals an early pass aimed at stability and minor tweaks.
What should you look for after updating? Early testing points to performance tuning and bug fixes over visible changes, which is typical for a point-one release at beta 2. Apple’s broader watchOS 26 feature set remains the backdrop, including the refreshed design, Smart Stack refinements, and accessibility additions like Live Captions for Live Listen. If you skipped earlier betas, those changes frame what you experience now.
One note for health features. Coverage last month indicated Apple reintroduced blood oxygen tracking in the U.S. during the watchOS 26 beta period, with access routed through the Health app on iPhone while legal challenges continue. If you rely on SpOâ‚‚, test carefully and watch for regional changes as Apple finalizes 26.1.
