Apple today seeded the ninth developer betas of watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. These updates are part of the company’s final development cycle ahead of September’s expected event and the public launch of the new operating systems. Coming just one week after beta 8, the pace indicates that Apple is finalizing features and preparing release candidates.
watchOS 26 is among the most significant updates for Apple Watch in recent years. Alongside the addition of the Journal app and the new Magnifier accessibility tool, Apple is introducing its Liquid Glass design language to the smaller screen. This design shift brings more depth, translucency, and dynamic motion to system elements while maintaining clarity and legibility in glanceable interactions. Siri also benefits from faster on-device processing, while refinements to notifications, complications, and Fitness+ integration help streamline the overall experience.
tvOS 26 may not always headline Apple’s announcements, but it plays a crucial role as the foundation for Apple TV and Home integration. With beta 9, Apple continues to emphasize stability, ensuring smooth playback across streaming apps and reliable performance for gaming through Apple Arcade. The new Liquid Glass design aesthetic is present here as well, enhancing the Apple TV interface with subtle translucency and fluid animations that create a more immersive feel when navigating between apps or switching user profiles.
visionOS 26 beta 9 is also available to developers working on apps for Apple Vision Pro. Spatial computing is at the heart of Apple’s long-term strategy, and this update refines multitasking, environments, and app stability. Liquid Glass is particularly prominent in visionOS, where layered transparency and motion effects enhance the sense of presence in immersive spaces. For developers, beta 9 provides an important opportunity to validate spatial experiences, test performance under load, and prepare for broader availability later this year.
At this stage, Apple’s focus across all three platforms is reliability and consistency. While major new features have already been introduced in earlier betas, these late builds are designed to polish, stabilize, and ensure compatibility across devices and apps. Developers are strongly encouraged to install beta 9 to confirm that their software runs smoothly before the release candidate. Public testers can continue trying watchOS 26 and tvOS 26 betas, though visionOS remains developer-only.
Apple typically pushes release candidates for all platforms shortly after its September event, with public availability following later in the month. With beta 9 now live, Apple is clearly aligning watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 under the broader Liquid Glass design framework, signaling a unified visual identity for all of its devices going forward.
