diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 0ed862cb9..b4cf4e3cc 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,53 @@
+42.beta
+=======
+* Add Swiss French and Swiss German OSK layouts [Jürg; !2096]
+* Add switches for debug flags to looking glass [Sebastian; !1994]
+* Support auth lists on the login screen [Ray; !1978]
+* Overhaul shell stylesheet [Sam; !2104, !2111, !2150, !2161, !2172]
+* Fix timing issue on login screen [Naïm; !2116]
+* Fix activating apps with tracked OR windows [Florian; !2131]
+* Fix banding issues with the vignette lightbox shader [Jonas; !2133]
+* Implement in-shell screenshot and screencast UI
+  [Ivan; !1954, !2103, !2149, !2147, !2106, !2105, !2107, !2163]
+* Fix keyboard navigation to windows/apps in overview [Florian; !2124]
+* Adjust to Clutter grab API changes [Carlos; !2045, !2046, !2140]
+* Fix stuck transition when using super-scroll gesture [kyte; !2135]
+* Support the new 'high-contrast' setting [Alexander, Florian; !2069]
+* Remove rounded top bar corners [Florian; !2151]
+* Fix calendar events with custom timezone [Milan; !2145]
+* Support dark wallpapers [Alexander; !2137]
+* Improve terminology for pinning icons to dash [Rachit; !2136]
+* Use libadwaita for extension preferences [Florian; !2012]
+* Fix out-of-sync location indicator [Florian; !2170]
+* Fade screen when switching between dark/light mode [Alexander; !2070]
+* Improve presentation of multi-day events in calendar [Björn; !2108]
+* Implement Extensions redesign [Romain; !2114]
+* Implement OSD redesign [Florian; !2127]
+* Misc. bug fixes and cleanups [Florian, Evan, Jonas, Aleksandr, Ivan, Georges,
+  Leleat, Daniel, Carlos, Sam, Olivier, Bastien, Mohammed, Sebastian, Razze,
+  Alexander, Marek; !2089, !2040, !2097, !2047, !2102, !2118, !2123, !2121,
+  !2115, !2113, !2125, !337, !2098, !2126, !2139, !2138, !2143, !2146, !2155,
+  !2141, !2157, !2158, !2153, !2156, !2152, !2117, !2101, !2162, !2164, !2055,
+  !2165, !2166, !2168, !2169, !1972, !2174, !2175, !2171, !2173, !2160, !2167,
+  !2176, !2177, !2178, !1744, !2179, !2099]
+
+Contributors:
+  Milan Crha, Björn Daase, Rachit Keerti Das, Jonas Dreßler, Naïm Favier,
+  Olivier Fourdan, Carlos Garnacho, Sam Hewitt, Sebastian Keller, Leleat,
+  Jürg Lempen, Aleksandr Mezin, Alexander Mikhaylenko, Ivan Molodetskikh,
+  Florian Müllner, Georges Basile Stavracas Neto, Bastien Nocera, Razze,
+  Mohammed Sadiq, Ray Strode, Romain Vigier, Daniel van Vugt, Evan Welsh,
+  Sebastian Wick, kyte, Marek Černocký
+
+Translators:
+  Tao Liu [zh_CN], Yosef Or Boczko [he], Matej Urbančič [sl],
+  Yuri Chornoivan [uk], Daniel Mustieles [es], Aleksandr Melman [ru],
+  Rafael Fontenelle [pt_BR], Sveinn í Felli [is], Matheus Barbosa [pt_BR],
+  Luming Zh [zh_CN], Fran Dieguez [gl], sicklylife [ja], Hugo Carvalho [pt],
+  Quentin PAGÈS [oc], Yaron Shahrabani [he], Asier Sarasua Garmendia [eu],
+  Aurimas Černius [lt], Kukuh Syafaat [id], Marek Černocký [cs],
+  Leônidas Araújo [pt_BR], Alexander Shopov [bg]
+
 42.alpha
 ========
 * Fix icon updates while hidden [Marco; !1983]
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 9ae4ddef7..9025d1525 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 project('gnome-shell', 'c',
-  version: '42.alpha',
+  version: '42.beta',
   meson_version: '>= 0.58.0',
   license: 'GPLv2+'
 )
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-app/data/metainfo/org.gnome.Extensions.metainfo.xml.in b/subprojects/extensions-app/data/metainfo/org.gnome.Extensions.metainfo.xml.in
index b96642e9d..275a27393 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-app/data/metainfo/org.gnome.Extensions.metainfo.xml.in
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-app/data/metainfo/org.gnome.Extensions.metainfo.xml.in
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@
   </description>
 
   <releases>
+    <release version="42.beta" type="development" date="2022-02-14">
+      <description>
+        <p>Modernize look and feel.</p>
+      </description>
+    </release>
     <release version="42.alpha" type="development" date="2022-01-10">
       <description>
         <p>Use libadwaita for platform integration and consistency.</p>
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-app/meson.build b/subprojects/extensions-app/meson.build
index b6943f37e..2f8c9b47e 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-app/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-app/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 project('gnome-extensions-app',
-  version: '42.alpha',
+  version: '42.beta',
   meson_version: '>= 0.58.0',
   license: 'GPLv2+'
 )
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
index 3817763fe..2d0172270 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 project('gnome-extensions-tool', 'c',
-  version: '42.alpha',
+  version: '42.beta',
   meson_version: '>= 0.58.0',
   license: 'GPLv2+'
 )
diff --git a/subprojects/shew/meson.build b/subprojects/shew/meson.build
index ba05e21ee..5e6090284 100644
--- a/subprojects/shew/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/shew/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 project('shew', 'c',
-  version: '42.alpha',
+  version: '42.beta',
   meson_version: '>= 0.58.0',
   license: 'LGPLv2+',
 )