Apple on Monday seeded new beta downloads to its registered developers who are enrolled in the Apple Developer Program. If you’re a developer, watchOS 3.1.1 beta 4 (build 14S879) and macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 4 (build 16C53a) are now readily available as standalone downloads through the company’s portal for developers or as over-the-air downloads on devices with a prior beta and an appropriate configuration profile.
macOS Sierra 10.12.2 includes new emoji, introducing Unicode 9 characters like clown face, selfie, face palm, fox face, owl, shark, butterfly, avocado, pancakes, croissant, bacon and more, plus many profession emoji are available in both male and female genders. Apple has also updated the artwork on many existing emoji, adding detail and design elements to make them look less cartoonish and more realistic.
There are few other outward-facing changes aside from the addition of new emoji, but the 10.12.2 update also likely includes many bug fixes and performance enhancements to address issues that have surfaced since the release of macOS Sierra 10.12.1.
As a minor 3.1.x update, watchOS 3.1.1 seems to focus on under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements, with no outward-facing changes discovered in the first three watchOS 3.1.1 betas. We’ll update this post should any new features be discovered in the fourth watchOS 3.1.1 beta.
watchOS 3 completely overhauls the interface on the Apple Watch, introducing a dedicated app dock, instant launch apps, new watch faces, and new complication options. There are new Activity sharing features, a “Breathe” app guides users through deep breathing sessions to cut down on stress, and an SOS feature can automatically call emergency service.
If you notice any other changes introduced by Apple in the latest macOS 10.12.2 & watchOS 3.1.1 betas, drop a comment and let us know.