Apple Seeds First watchOS 9 Public Beta

Non-developers will be able to experience the new watch software ahead of its fall release, thanks to the seeding of the first watchOS 9 update to the public.

You can download the watchOS 9 update after you upgrade your phone to the public version of the operating system. The proper watchOS 8 profile must be installed after installing iOS 16.

The Apple Watch app can be used to access the software. The Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and be in range of the iPhone to be updated.

The watchOS 9 expands the sleep tracking feature to allow the watch to track when users are in REM Core, or Deep sleep, as well as supporting a Medications app for managing and getting reminders for medications, vitamins, and supplements.

There are four new watch faces, including lunar, playtime, Metropolitan, and Astronomy, and the ECG app supports the tracking of how long a person has been in a heart rhythm disorder.

There are fitness improvements for runners, triathlons, and swimmers that can be found in the Workout app. Other new features include a CallKitAPI that allows VOIP calls to be answered on Apple Watch, Apple Watch Mirroring for controlling the Apple Watch with an iPhone, and Quick Actions for doing more with a double pinch gesture.

There is more on everything that's new in the watchOS 9 update.