Following the availability of watchOS 9.5 and tvOS 16.5 to the public on May 18, Apple has introduced the first developer betas for watchOS 9.6 and tvOS 16.6, marking the start of a new beta cycle.
The initial watchOS 9.6 beta carries the build number 20U5527C, superseding the previous build 20T562 from the watchOS 9.5 beta release candidate. For tvOS 16.6 and HomePod software, the new build number is 20M5527E, replacing the 20L562 used for the release candidates.
It’s important to note that Apple strongly advises against installing beta operating systems or any other beta software on critical or primary devices. There is a possibility of encountering issues that could result in data loss. Testers are encouraged to use secondary or non-essential hardware and always maintain adequate backups of essential data.
These developer betas offer a preview of the upcoming watchOS 9.6 and tvOS 16.6 updates, allowing developers to test their apps and ensure compatibility with the forthcoming software releases. Apple will likely continue refining these versions based on developer feedback before making them available to the general public.
