Apple on Monday pushed out the watchOS 26.4 developer preview Beta 2 update (build number: 23T5221e) to Apple Watch users. This update comes 7 days after the last Beta/RC release.
According to media reports, watchOS 26.4 Beta 2 has adjusted its animations. Apple introduced the Liquid Glass design in watchOS 26, which was scheduled for release in September 2025. During the 26.4 testing phase, Apple further refined the animation effects, indicating that Apple is stabilizing the visual layer before moving on to deeper feature development.
MacRumors has confirmed that watchOS 26.4 introduces an average bedtime metric, syncing sleep data to the iPhone Health app. This is a further addition to the sleep tracking system built into watchOS 26, which already includes sleep scores based on sleep duration, bedtime consistency, and sleep interruptions.
No new health sensors, watch faces, fitness tools, or navigation changes have been confirmed for watchOS 26.4 Beta 2. Currently, only developers can install watchOS 26.4 Beta 2, and the public beta is expected to be released approximately one day after the developer release.
The following Apple Watch models support the upgrade to watchOS 26.4 Beta 2:
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Apple Watch Series 6 and later
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Apple Watch Ultra (all models)
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Apple Watch SE 2 and later
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Pair with iPhone 11 and later running iOS 26.
How do I upgrade to the iOS/iPadOS/watchOS/macOS developer and public beta versions?
• Public beta: Requires registration for the Apple Beta Software Program, then upgrade via Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Update;
• Developer Preview: You need to log in and register for the Apple Developer Program, and then upgrade through Settings > General > Software Update.
Here is a complete list of Apple iOS historical firmware downloads:
Apple iOS / iPadOS / macOS Firmware Downloads / Update Logs (Complete List )
Appendix: watchOS 26 release history:
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2026-02-17: watchOS 26.4 Beta (23T5209m)
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2026-02-12: watchOS 26.3 (23S620)
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2026-02-05: watchOS 26.3 RC (23S618)
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2026-01-27: watchOS 26.2.1 (23S314)
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2026-01-27: watchOS 26.3 Beta 3 (23S5611c)
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2026-01-13: watchOS 26.3 Beta 2 (23S5600d)
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2025-12-16: watchOS 26.3 Beta (23S5586d)
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2025-12-13: watchOS 26.2 (23S303)
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2025-12-04: watchOS 26.2 RC (23S303)
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2025-11-18: watchOS 26.2 Beta 3 (23S5297b)
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2025-11-13: watchOS 26.2 Beta 2 (23S5286d)
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2025-11-05: watchOS 26.2 Beta (23S5280e)
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2025-11-04: watchOS 26.1 (23S37)
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2025-10-29: watchOS 26.1 RC (23S36)
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2025-10-21: watchOS 26.1 Beta 4 (23S5031a)
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2025-10-14: watchOS 26.1 Beta 3 (23S5022e)
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2025-10-07: watchOS 26.1 Beta 2 (23S5017d)
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2025-09-30: watchOS 26.0.1 (23R8362)
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2025-09-23: watchOS 26.1 Beta (23S5002i)
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2025-09-10: watchOS 26 RC (23R351)
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2025-09-03: watchOS 26 Beta 9 (23R5350b)
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2025-08-26: watchOS 26 Beta 8 (23R5350a)
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2025-08-19: watchOS 26 Beta 7 (23R5346a)
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2025-08-12: watchOS 26 Beta 6 (23R5340a)
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2025-08-06: watchOS 26 Beta 5 (23R5328g)
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2025-07-23: watchOS 26 Beta 4 (23R5317g)
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2025-07-08: watchOS 26 Beta 3 (23R5307g)
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2025-06-24: watchOS 26 Beta 2 (23R5296f)
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2025-06-10: watchOS 26 Beta (23R5280m)
