Apple has pushed out public beta 5 of watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and HomePod 26, keeping its weekly cadence as we move closer to the official September launch.
Public Beta 5 Matches Developer Beta 8
Just yesterday, Apple seeded developer beta 8 of its major fall updates across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Vision Pro, and HomePod.
Now, those same builds have been released for public testers as public beta 5.
Mostly Bug Fixes and Stability
Like the last round, this update seems to focus mainly on bug fixes and performance refinements.
- watchOS 26 – The blood oxygen tracking feature remains the highlight this cycle, along with under-the-hood optimizations.
- tvOS 26 & HomePod 26 – So far, testers haven’t spotted any noticeable new features. These platforms tend to receive smaller tweaks late in beta season.
The flashier updates — like new ringtones, Liquid Glass visuals, and other UI tweaks — are still largely tied to iOS 26.
What’s Next?
We’re only a few weeks away from Apple’s big September software rollout. That means the next betas will likely be about polish and reliability rather than surprises.
The good news? Each build, including today’s public beta 5, should feel more stable than the last, making it safer for early adopters to try.
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