An Apple Watch works much like a shortcut for your iPhone.
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If you have one, you're probably used to taking calls on it, pinging your iPhone whenever you can't find it, tracking your workouts, and checking your notifications right on your wrist while your phone stays in your pocket.
But the truth is that your Apple Watch can do much more than work as a mini version of your iPhone.
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Here are just a few ways your Apple Watch can become a tool to help your productivity at work and in your day-to-day life.
5 top ways to get the most out of your Apple Watch
1. Control the iPhone camera
Speaking of featuring shortcuts for your iPhone, the Apple Watch can control your iPhone's camera. This is particularly useful if you need to record yourself or want to take a group picture.
One of the apps on the Apple Watch is similar to the iPhone's camera app. When you open it, it'll turn on your phone's camera. The app will has a three-second timer by default so you don't appear tapping your watch in that selfie. Just prop your iPhone on a table or shelf, or a tripod if you want to get fancy, and you're ready to control the camera remotely.
To find the camera app on your Apple Watch, simply look through your apps by pressing down on the digital crown, then choose the one with the camera icon. This will open the camera on your iPhone and show a preview of what the camera sees on your watch's display.
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You can choose from the front or rear camera from your watch, as well as options like flash, live photo, and HDR. Holding down the shutter button will record a video.
2. Automatic hand-washing timer
The importance of hand-washing in personal health and hygiene can't be overstated -- as we all know more than ever now that we've lived through a pandemic.
To help us all keep up with the thorough hand-washing habit, the Apple Watch can automatically detect when you start washing your hands. It then starts a 20-second countdown, vibrating when the time is up. If you don't already wash for the recommended 20 seconds, this is a great tool to motivate you to start.
This feature is unfortunately not available for teeth-brushing, but I wouldn't put it past Apple to consider it in the future.
Review:I put the Apple Watch Ultra through a Tough Mudder
Now you can stop singing the ABC's every time you wash your hands.
3. Use Apple Maps on your Apple Watch
If you need directions often and have an Apple Watch, then I can't recommend using Apple Maps enough.
In true Apple ecosystem fashion, your Apple Watch works best when combined with Apple's proprietary navigation app. You can search for directions from the Apple Watch, and when you're using step-by-step navigation, you'll get haptic feedback when you need to make a turn or take an exit.
Also:How to share your location on iPhone (and do it safely)
This feature is particularly helpful if you live in a big city and do a lot of walking. You can avoid getting distracted by looking down at your phone for turn-by-turn directions. This can also prevent distracted driving, or if you just tend to miss turns and exits no matter what navigation app you use.
Keep in mind that this is more of a guide than a replacement for GPS navigation, as the Apple Watch doesn't give different vibration patterns to alert to make a right or left turn, rather it vibrates when you need to take an action. You'd still need to look down at your watch to see what to do, unless you have earphones in to hear the voice direction at the same time.
4. The sleep schedule
The Apple Watch is a great sleep tracker. It's able to track sleep stages and cycleswith decent accuracy, especially for a device we wear on our wrists. But using it in combination with your sleep schedule on your iPhone is even more helpful.
Also:How to sleep better with the Apple Watch
The Health app houses your sleep options. Here you can see all your sleep data from nights past and also edit your sleep schedule.
Adding a sleep schedule from 11:15 p.m. to 6:15 a.m. means I get reminders to start winding down each night at 10:30 p.m. The sleep focus comes on automatically every day during my "asleep" times on both the iPhone and Apple Watch. And I set an alarm for each morning.
Personally, using the Apple Watch for my alarm alone has made it a lot easier to get up in the mornings, since I feel the vibrations on my wrist every morning rather than just an audible alarm. I don't know how I'd be able to peel myself off the bed without it anymore.
5. Repurpose your stand reminders
If you're always trying to close the activity rings on your Apple Watch, then you're probably used to getting reminders to stand up every hour at fifty minutes past.
Now, I'm not sure about you, but I've grown to appreciate the reminders to get out of my chair and move around. It did wonders when house-training my dog, too, but that's an added benefit. However, the Apple Watch's stand reminders can be applied to create your own version of the Pomodoro Technique, for example.
This is a time management and productivity technique that alternates focused work sessions with restorative breaks.
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Though the timing for stand reminders is different when you follow the true Pomodoro Technique, the purpose remains: Give yourself time every hour to take your eyes off of any screens and stretch, maybe walk around or, if you work from home, pet your furry friend for some extra endorphins.
Other great ways to use an Apple Watch
- Tip calculator: If you're dining out and need to calculate your tips quickly, just open the Apple Watch calculator app, enter the bill amount, tap on Tip, and have your watch figure out the amount. You can edit tip percentages, see both the tip amount and total amount in the calculator, and even add a number of people to split the check with.
- Never misplace your iPhone again: Whenever my kids are home, I can trust that one of them will take my iPhone to play with the camera. Then they will be called to dinner and abandon my phone in the weirdest places. I don't mind this, to be fair; it just means that I'm constantly using my Apple Watch to ping my iPhone. This shortens the time it takes for me to find my phone, especially when I find it under their beds.
- Walkie Talkie: When I moved into my house I used to joke that we'd need a 70's intercom system installed to communicate with each other, with all the rooms being separated and mostly walled off -- but the Apple Watch's Walkie Talkie feature was the solution. If there's someone else in your home with an Apple Watch, you can talk in real time with them using your watches.
- Apple Pay on your wrist: Using Apple Pay on your iPhone as a contactless payment option is already a great feature. But not even having to dig your phone out of your purse or pockets and using your Apple Watch to check out at the register is even better -- and it works even if you don't have your iPhone with you.
FAQ
Can I download apps on the Apple Watch?
If you go into the App Store from your Apple Watch, you can find a host of third-party apps made specifically for it. Explore your watch's App Store to find anything from note-taking and calendar apps to coloring book apps. Many of these apps can also be added as complications to your watch face.
Can I play games on the Apple Watch?
Even though the Apple Watch features a much smaller screen than your typical smartphone, there are a lot of games available to play on it. Granted, they tend to be simpler versions than you'd get on an iPhone, but they are available. The process to find games for your Apple Watch is just like looking for apps, simply go to the App Store and search through the games available.
See also
- How to use your Apple Watch's built-in Walkie Talkie
- This is the ultimate use of your Apple Watch Ultra's Action button
- How to unpair and pair an Apple Watch
- How to enable Low Power Mode on the Apple Watch (and why you should)
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FAQs
How can I download the Apple Watch user guide? ›
To download the Apple Watch User Guide and view it in the Books app, visit Apple Books.
Can I get my kid an Apple Watch without a phone? ›You can set up and manage Apple Watch for someone who doesn't have their own iPhone—your school-aged child or parent, for example. To do so, you must be the family organizer or parent/guardian in your Family Sharing group.
Can Apple Watch track recovery? ›When you use the Workout app, Apple Watch measures your heart rate continuously during the workout and for 3 minutes after the workout ends to determine a workout recovery rate. If you don't see your heart rate, check your settings.
How can Apple Watch improve your life? ›- Get All Your Notifications on Your Wrist. ...
- Leave Your iPhone at Home. ...
- Remove the Guesswork From Your Workouts. ...
- Keep Your Health Data in One Place. ...
- Make Contactless Payments From Your Wrist. ...
- Siri. ...
- Locate Your iPhone Easier Than Ever Before. ...
- Listen to Your Music on the Go.
When we compared Apple Watch users to iPhone only users, we discovered that the number of users who added their blood pressure reading was 52% higher if they had an Apple Watch app. The Watch lures in new users who never previously thought about regularly tracking their heart health.
What is the little hole on Apple Watch? ›However, the hole is actually a barometric vent to allow accurate measurements of altitude even with the Series 2's more waterproof design. Apple does not explicitly advertise that the Series 2 comes with a barometer, but teardowns of the watch have confirmed that it includes one.
What can Apple Watch do without iPhone? ›- Make and answer phone calls. ...
- Send and receive messages. ...
- Use Siri to get directions, send iMessages, and more.
- Check the weather.
- Track your stocks.
- Control your home.
Emergency SOS requires a cellular connection or Wi-Fi calling with an Internet connection from your Apple Watch or nearby iPhone.
What age should a kid get a phone? ›Many children are ready for a phone at an average age of 12 or 13.
Can you FaceTime on Apple Watch? ›Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch. Tap Contacts, then turn the Digital Crown to scroll. Tap the contact you want to call, then tap the phone button. Tap FaceTime Audio to start a FaceTime audio call, or tap a phone number.
Should an 11 year old have an Apple Watch? ›
Communication. The Apple Watch offers phone and messaging capabilities, which can be an excellent way for kids to stay in touch with their parents. This is especially useful for kids starting to spend more time away from home, like when they're at school or out with friends.
Can Apple Watch detect blood pressure? ›The smartwatch isn't equipped to measure your blood pressure alone, but there are tools and devices you can pair it with it that can -- usually wireless monitors that connect to your iPhone ($752 at Amazon) or Apple Watch and come with an arm cuff and their own app.
Can someone wipe a stolen Apple Watch? ›So if your watch is lost or stolen, you can use Find My to help you find it again. And thanks to Activation Lock, your Apple ID and password are required before anyone can erase your Apple Watch and use it with their iPhone.
Can someone reset a stolen Apple Watch? ›So, even if you have a stolen watch, you can not reset it easily. It can only be unlocked with proper resting. The owner can use the Find My App to find their location and report the stolen watch to the authority. But, you must have the Apple ID and password with you to reset the stolen watch.
Did Apple Watch saves life? ›In another life saving incident attributed to Apple Watch, a 17-year-old boy from Pune, Maharashtra has thanked Apple technologies for saving his life. A tragedy happened in Lonavala when the boy went for a trek with his friends on a rainy day to enjoy the scenic beauty.
Has an Apple Watch saved a life? ›Apple's technology has come handy several times in saving people's lives. This time, a young girl's family has credited the heart monitoring features of Apple Watch to save her life, by helping her to discover cancer rarely seen in children.
How does Apple Watch help with stress? ›Your Apple Watch tracks multiple heart data during the day when you just wear your Apple Watch. Stress Monitor App is designed especially for Apple Watch users. The App processes your heart data and shows your current stress and capacity to perform at your mental, emotional, and physical best.
Will an Apple Watch motivate me? ›Motivation to stay healthy
The smartwatch has a pedometer, measures calories burned and your heart rate, and tracks workouts and breathing. Even if you don't have time to exercise, the Apple Watch motivates you to be active. Every hour, you'll get a reminder to stand up and move for at least a minute.
Apple Watch cannot detect heart attacks. If you ever experience chest pain, pressure, tightness, or what you think is a heart attack, call emergency services immediately. The irregular rhythm notification feature on Apple Watch is not constantly looking for AFib.
What is a bricked Apple Watch? ›An Apple Watch can get bricked if a software update is interrupted or fails. You will either see a red exclamation mark on its screen, or a graphic showing an iPhone next to an Apple Watch.
What does it mean to jailbreak an Apple Watch? ›
Jailbreaking is the process of exploiting the flaws of a locked-down electronic device to install software other than what the manufacturer has made available for that device. Jailbreaking allows the device owner to gain full access to the root of the operating system and access all the features.
What is the green snake on Apple Watch? ›Just like smartphones, the Apple Watch keeps some battery in reserve to show users the Green Snake, which means that the watch requires charging. Users should place their Apple Watch on the magnetic charger to fix this problem.
Can you print Apple Watch user guide? ›You can view the Apple Watch User Guide on iPhone within the Apple Watch app, in Safari, or in iBooks. You can also open and print a PDF of the user guide.
How much does Apple Watch user guide cost? ›Apple makes the official user guides for its devices available for free in digital formats. You can find physical copies from various third-parties ranging from around $10-$20 on Amazon, but the free official Apple Watch guide has some benefits.
Where can you locate manuals for Apple devices? ›On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then choose Help > User Manual.
How do I use Apple Watch for seniors? ›- Press and hold the watch's side button until the Emergency SOS slider appears on the screen.
- Drag the Emergency SOS slider over to start the call.
The answer is no. The Apple Watch Series 8 doesn't offer blood pressure monitoring. This feature is available on some Samsung smartwatches but not on the Apple Watch.
Is The Apple Watch water proof? ›Is my Apple Watch waterproof? Your Apple Watch is water resistant, but not waterproof. For example, you can wear and use your Apple Watch during activities such as exercise (exposure to sweat is OK), walking in rain, and washing your hands.
Can you mark an Apple Watch as stolen? ›Mark your Apple Watch as lost
Tap My Watch, then tap All Watches. next to your watch, then tap Find My Apple Watch. In the Find My app on your iPhone, tap Activate under Mark As Lost, then tap Continue. Enter a phone number if you want the person who finds your Apple Watch to contact you.
If this is your first Apple Watch, tap Set Up as New Apple Watch. If asked, update your Apple Watch to the latest version of watchOS. If you've set up another Apple Watch with your current iPhone, a screen appears that says Make This Your New Apple Watch.
Do you have to pay a monthly fee to use an Apple Watch? ›
No, you do not have to pay a monthly charge to use your watch. As long as you have your paired iPhone with you, you can answer and make calls from your watch, send messages, etc., without paying the $10 monthly fee.
What is system data in Mac? ›There is also a macOS storage tab, which contains all macOS-related files and data. So, what does System Data include? Application leftovers. Files that remain in the system after you delete an app. Temp files & cache.
How do I change my mouse Pointer on a Mac? ›Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, click Display on the right, then change the settings below Pointer.