Apple Providing watchOS 6 Beta to Select AppleSeed Members

Apple today started offering the watchOS 6 beta to select AppleSeed members, allowing some non-developers to test the software for the first time.

AppleSeed is a version of the public beta testing program that's invite only, making it more selective and limited than the open betas that are provided to all public beta testers. As AppleInsider notes, some AppleSeed members are now receiving invites for watchOS 6.

watchOS 6

We are extending you an exclusive invitation to join the AppleSeed Program and to take part in shaping watchOS 6. As a participant, you'll get to test-drive pre-release software and provide your feedback.

Our program also includes a community discussion board, questionnaires, and a Feedback Assistant application that lets you report any quality and usability issues you find, directly to Apple. Help us improve the quality of our next release and join today.

There's no way to apply to be an AppleSeed member, so the watchOS 6 beta made available to AppleSeed participants will be limited in scale. Apple does not provide traditional watchOS public betas because there's no way to downgrade the software installed on the Apple Watch. Most people will need to wait for the fall release of watchOS 6 to give the software a try.

The watchOS 6 update brings a new App Store to the Apple Watch, so you can find and download new Apple Watch apps right on your wrist. Apple Watch apps are also no longer required to have an iPhone component, so developers can now create standalone Apple Watch apps.

watchos6appstore
There are quite a few new watch faces in watchOS 6, including Numerals Mono and Duo with huge numbers, Modular Compact, a Gradient watch face that shifts over the course of a day, a Solar Dial watch face that visualizes the sun in a 24 hour path around the dial, and the California watch face with a mix of standard numbers and Roman numerals.

watchos6ewatchfaces
watchOS 6 also includes new Audiobooks, Voice Memos, and Calculator apps, along with a new Noise app that warns you if you're exposed to sound that could damage your hearing and a new Cycle Tracking app for period tracking. Activity Trends, visible on the ‌iPhone‌, is a new feature that lets you chart your fitness progress and make sure your fitness trends are improving.

watchosnoise
New complications are available for wind speed, chance of rain, and the new Noise app, plus there's a Voice Memos complication for recording a memo quickly, a cellular strength complication, and a complication for the Calculator that opens up the app.

Siri can now provide full web search results right on the watch when asked a question, and for Mac users, the Apple Watch can now approve Mac security prompts.

For more on what's new in watchOS 6, which is going to launch this fall, make sure to check out our watchOS 6 roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

Braderunner Avatar
62 months ago
like the song says – all this "wearable" – are complete and total bullshhhhhh...

(also the touch bar)

here's proof:
I mean....whatever that guy says is obviously fact. I'm throwing my Watch in the trash.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iDento Avatar
62 months ago
Secret societies! How can I be one of those, I shall sell my souls to whom?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
62 months ago
like the song says – all this "wearable" – are complete and total bullshhhhhh...

(also the touch bar)

here's proof:
Tell us why you feel that way. We're waiting.
[doublepost=1561410492][/doublepost]
Love my AW3 too, really love it, but idk why we don't have option to keep it always on while working out, it should be our decision.
Lift your wrist and the display lights up. Why waste battery power when you aren't looking at the watch? Seems totally logically to me.

Maybe, instead, you want them to tweak *when* it triggers the screen to come on?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joemama2300 Avatar
62 months ago
Can we just get a "Delete all" option for Text messages on the Watch?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Solver Avatar
62 months ago
Appleseed membership seems to be picked from people that have provided Apple with official bug reports.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
62 months ago
There isn't... which boggles my mind, given how they push it as a fitness device. It was basically the only thing I wanted in the new OS.

I love my Apple Watch, but watchOS 6 is overwhelmingly underwhelming.
Ridiculous idea in practice cause if you’re really working out you’d not have more than a brief few moments to look at the watch:

Running: 100m (fastest personal time 10.45sec! Guess how many times I’d look at my wrist during the run?! Not once the goal line is we’re my eyes are focused on, or my stride nothing else.

110m hurdles (personal best 12.05). Every hurdle is my focus, along with how fast my foot can get back to the floor for every precious .10th of a second and watching no ****** puts his foot over mine and pulls my foot down faster than I can and forces me not only to trip but twist and break my ankle! I sprained an ankle not knowing about this!

Long distance running: something I ne’er trained for you may get several occasional glances to help focus on. Stride, time or breathing but again not your terrain or other data while running. Pulls your focus.

Weight lifting, body building and CrossFit again you’re lifting weight and moving looking at your wrist is in between sets and reps and for me I adjust specifics then back at it.

Rowing, skiing swimming ... what workout do you really need to have battery wasted with the screen always on that boggles your mind where you’re going to be looking at it so often? Or are you just asking for something because you want it without considering how practical or useful in real world practice it really is.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
iphone reasons to upgrade

Apple Outlines 'Reasons to Upgrade' Your iPhone on New Website

Monday March 25, 2024 12:53 pm PDT by
Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model. The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older...