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Apple Watch

How to use gestures for notifications and alerts on Apple Watch

by Abigail Shilets

Instantly mute incoming calls, stop timers, and dismiss notifications and alerts by covering the display. You can also mute and dismiss notifications with a wrist flick.

It’s easy. Cover to Mute works on alerts like an incoming phone call or an expired timer, and a haptic tap confirms the notification is muted. Both gestures are on by default, and you can still take follow-up action, like answering the phone call.

Cover the display to temporarily mute an alert

Rest the palm of your hand on the display for at least 3 seconds to quickly silence an alert—such as an incoming phone call or when a timer expires. A haptic tap confirms the notification is muted. You can still take follow-up action such as answering the phone call or resetting the timer.

By default, Cover to Mute is turned on. To turn it off, go to the Settings app on Apple Watch, then tap Gestures.

Perform a wrist flick to mute and dismiss notifications

A quick turn of your wrist, over and back, dismisses anything and returns you to the watch face. When your hands are full, you can still mute incoming calls, stop timers, dismiss notifications, and more.

By default, Wrist Flick is turned on. To turn it off, go to the Settings app on Apple Watch, then tap Gestures.

If you need to silence notifications for an extended period, you can turn on Silent Mode, Do Not Disturb, or another mode in Control Center. For details, see our guide, Silence notifications for extended periods on Apple Watch.

See also

Tag: Notifications
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How to silence notifications for extended periods on Apple Watch

by Kevin Hollington

When you don’t want to get alerts and notifications for an extended period, you can turn on Silent Mode, Theater Mode, or Do Not Disturb. You can also use a Focus that you can customize with a schedule, allowable notifications, and more.

Silent Mode mutes alerts, but you still receive haptic notifications. Theater Mode goes further, keeping the display dark when you raise your wrist. Alarms and timers still sound when your watch is charging, even in Silent Mode.

To immediately silence something such as a phone call or alarm, see Use gestures for notifications and alerts on Apple Watch.

Choose a mode for extended silencing

Silent Mode Theater Mode Do Not Disturb Focus
Sounds Off Off Off Off (with exceptions you set)
Haptics On (if you allow) On (if you allow) Off Off (with exceptions you set)
Visual notifications On Off Off Off (with exceptions you set)
Display On Off On On (except for customizable modes like Sleep)
Options — — Can turn on for 1 hour, until you leave location, until event ends, or indefinitely Can set schedules and customize allowed notifications
Good for Quiet environments where you want to see and feel notifications Dark venues like theaters and movies Meetings, appointments, and instances when you want to prevent all notifications Sleep, work, and other activities with specific notification needs
Learn More Turn on Silent Mode Turn on Theater Mode Turn on Do Not Disturb Turn on Focus

Turn on Silent Mode

Silent Mode mutes all alerts, notifications, and sound effects, but you still receive haptic notifications.

Note: Even in Silent Mode, alarms and timers still sound while Apple Watch is charging.

  1. Press the side button to open Control Center on Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the Silent Mode button.

    Control Center with the Silent Mode button selected.

You can also go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Sounds & Haptics, then turn on Silent Mode.

Turn on Theater Mode

With Theater Mode, the Apple Watch display stays dark. It doesn’t turn on when you raise your wrist. Theater Mode turns on Silent Mode as well, and you still receive haptic notifications.

  1. Press the side button to open Control Center on Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the Theater Mode button.

    Control Center with Theater Mode button highlighted to show Theater Mode is on.

The Theater Mode status icon at the top of the screen shows when Theater Mode is on.

To wake Apple Watch when Theater Mode is on, tap the display, press the side button, or turn or press the Digital Crown.

Turn on Do Not Disturb or a Focus

To prevent sound and haptic notifications, do the following:

  1. Press the side button to open Control Center on Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the Do Not Disturb button and then choose Do Not Disturb or a Focus.
  3. Tap On or choose an ending point—such as On for 1 hour or On until I leave.

To set up your own Focus, read our guide, Create a custom Focus.

See also

Tags: Focus, Notifications
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How to use Focus on Apple Watch

by Moses Johnson

Focus helps you stay in the moment so you can concentrate on what matters most to you. It reduces distractions by allowing only notifications you want to receive (ones that match your focus)—and lets other people and apps know you’re unavailable.

You can choose from the default Focus settings—Do Not Disturb, Personal, Sleep, and Work—or create a custom Focus on your iPhone. You can choose who is allowed to contact you, which apps can send you notifications, and whether you receive time-sensitive notifications. And when you set up Focus on your iPhone, your Apple Watch automatically uses the same preferences, so turning on a Focus on your watch turns it on for your iPhone, too.

Turn a Focus on or off

Turning on a Focus on your Apple Watch automatically activates it on your iPhone too.

  1. Press the side button to open Control Center on Apple Watch.

    If no Focus is on, the Do Not Disturb button is gray.

    In Control Center, the Focus button is gray when Focus is turned off.

  2. Tap the Focus control, then choose a Focus.
  3. Select how long you want the Focus to stay active.

An active Focus shows its Focus icon in Control Center, at the top of the watch face, and next to the time in apps.

In Control Center, Do Not Disturb is turned on.

To turn off a Focus, tap the Focus control in Control Center.

Create a custom Focus

A Focus you customize on your iPhone automatically appears on your Apple Watch too, and you can pick a color, icon, and name for it.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Focus and tap the Add button.
  3. Choose a Focus type, then follow the onscreen instructions.

Choose a Focus watch face

You can choose a different watch face for each Focus on your iPhone, so it displays whenever that Focus is active. With Work Focus active, for example, your Apple Watch can display the Simple watch face.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Focus, then choose a Focus.
  3. Scroll down to Customize Screens. Then tap Choose (below the Apple Watch image).
  4. Select a watch face and then tap Done.

Create a Focus schedule

Whether you set up a schedule for a Focus on your iPhone or Apple Watch, it automatically works on both devices.

To create a schedule on your iPhone, go to Settings app, tap Focus, choose a focus, then tap Add Schedule.

To create a schedule on your Apple Watch, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Focus, tap a Focus—Work, for example—then tap Add new.
  3. Tap the From and To fields and enter the times you want the Focus to begin and end.
  4. Scroll down, then choose days when the Focus is active.
  5. Tap the Back button in the top-left corner to save the Focus.
  6. Repeat this process to add other events to the Focus.

Turn off or delete a Focus schedule

If you’re on vacation, for example, you can temporarily turn off a Focus schedule or delete it permanently.

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Focus and choose a Focus. Tap a schedule.
  3. Scroll down, then turn off Enabled or tap Delete.

Share your Focus settings across all your devices

Your iPhone and Apple Watch share the same Focus settings, and so do your other Apple devices that are signed in to the same Apple Account.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Focus and then turn on Share Across Devices.

See also

Tag: Focus
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How to change notification settings on Apple Watch

by Emily Long

By default, the notification settings for the apps on an Apple Watch that you set up for yourself mirror the settings on your iPhone. But you can customize how some apps display notifications.

You can choose how apps send notifications from the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, or change notification settings directly on Apple Watch. Swiping left on a notification gives you quick options, too, like Mute 1 hour or Mute for Today. And you can choose whether notifications show on the Lock Screen.

Note: An Apple Watch you manage for a family member doesn’t use mirrored settings.

Choose how apps send notifications

  1. Start the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap My Watch, then tap Notifications.
  3. Tap the app (for example, Messages), tap Custom, and choose an option. Options may include:
    • Allow Notifications: The app displays notifications in Notification Center.
    • Send to Notification Center: Notifications are sent directly to Notification Center without Apple Watch making a sound or displaying the notification.
    • Notifications Off: The app sends no notifications.
  4. Notification grouping: Choose how notifications for the app are grouped. Options include:
    • Off: Notifications aren’t grouped.
    • Automatically: Apple Watch uses information from the app to create separate groups. For example, News notifications are grouped by the channels you follow.
    • By App: All the app’s notifications are grouped.

Quick tip: In some apps, you can choose the specific kind of notifications you receive. Calendar, for instance, can allow notifications only for certain calendars or specific actions, such as when you get an invitation or someone changes a shared calendar. And in Mail, you get to choose which email accounts are allowed to send notifications.

Change notification settings directly on Apple Watch

You can manage other notifications preferences directly on Apple Watch by swiping left on a notification and tapping the More button. Options may include:

  • Mute 1 hour or Mute for Today: For the next hour or for the rest of the day, notifications are sent directly to Notification Center without Apple Watch making a sound or displaying the notification. To see and hear these notification alerts again, swipe left on a notification, tap the More button, then tap Unmute.
  • Add to Summary: Future notifications from the app appear in the Notification Summary on your iPhone.

    To have the app once again notify you immediately, go to the Settings app on your iPhone, tap Notifications, tap the app, then tap Immediate Delivery.

  • Turn off Time Sensitive: Time-sensitive notifications are always delivered immediately, even if you’re using a Focus that delays most notifications. However, if you want to prevent this app from delivering even time-sensitive notifications immediately, tap this option.
  • Turn off: The app sends no notifications. To reenable notifications from the app, go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Notifications, tap the app you want to adjust, then tap Allow Notifications.

Show notifications on the Lock Screen

How notifications appear on the Lock Screen of Apple Watch is your choice.

  1. Start the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Notifications.
  3. Choose the following options:
    • Show Summary When Locked: With this option on, Apple Watch shows a notification summary—or short look—when it’s locked. The summary includes the notifying app’s name and icon along with a brief headline.
    • Tap to Show Full Notification: When you raise your wrist to see a notification, you see a quick summary. Full details a few seconds later. For example, when a message arrives, you see who it’s from first. The message appears. Turn on this option to stop the full notification from appearing unless you tap it.
    • Show Notifications on Wrist Down: By default, notifications don’t appear on Apple Watch when your wrist is down. Turn on this option to make notifications appear, even when Apple Watch is turned away from you.

See also

Tag: Notifications
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How to check your heart rate on Apple Watch

by Dave Johnson

Your heart rate is an important way to monitor how your body is doing. You can check your heart rate during a workout; see your resting, walking, workout, and post-workout heart rates, and your heart rate during a Breathe session; or take a new reading at any time.

Heart rate data is on by default, and it feeds the Heart Rate app, workouts, and Breathe and Reflect sessions. You can see graphs of your data, too.

Here’s how to check your heart rate on Apple Watch.

Note: Make sure that your wrist and your Apple Watch are clean and dry. Water and sweat can cause a poor recording.

Turn on heart rate data

Your Apple Watch monitors your heart rate by default for workouts, the Heart Rate app, and Breathe and Reflect sessions. Turning heart rate data back on is always an option if you’ve switched it off.

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Privacy & Security and tap Health.
  3. Tap Heart Rate, then turn on Heart Rate.

You can also open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Privacy, then turn on Heart Rate.

See your heart rate

Go to the Heart Rate app on your Apple Watch to view your current heart rate.

A Heart Rate screen, with your current heart rate showing in the bottom left, and your last reading in smaller type below that.

As long as you’re wearing it, your Apple Watch keeps measuring your heart rate.

On Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, you can view a chart of your heart rate measurements as it updates in real time. To turn off these measurements, go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap Apps, tap Heart, then turn off Continuous Measurements.

The Heart Rate app showing a heart rate reading. A graph of heart rate data appears at the bottom of the screen.

See a graph of your heart rate data

  1. Open the Heart Rate app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Turn the Digital Crown to Range, Resting Rate, or Walking Average to show your heart rate throughout the day.
  3. To learn more about your heart rate data, tap the Info button.

To see your heart rate data over a longer period of time, go to the Health app on your iPhone, tap Browse, tap Heart, then tap an entry. You can show heart data for the last hour, day, week, month, or year.

View your recovery heart rate variability

Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 can show your recovery heart rate variability, or HRV, which measures the overall variation in time between heart beats.

  1. Open the Heart Rate app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Turn the Digital Crown to Heart Rate Variability to view your data.
  3. To learn more, tap the Info button.

Note: The back of your Apple Watch needs skin contact for features like wrist detection, haptic notifications, blood oxygen level measurements, and the heart rate sensor. Wearing your Apple Watch with the right fit—not too tight, not too loose, and with room for your skin to breathe—keeps you comfortable and lets the sensors do their job.

See also

Tag: Health
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How to record an electrocardiogram with the ECG app on Apple Watch

by Kevin Hollington

Apple Watch has an electrical heart rate sensor that, along with the ECG app, allows you to take an electrocardiogram (or ECG). It’s quick.

To use the ECG app, update your iPhone 11 or later or iPhone SE (2nd generation or later) to the latest version of iOS and Apple Watch to the latest version of watchOS. Then you set it up in the Health app and record from your wrist, and at the end of the recording, you receive a classification.

Note: The ECG app isn’t available on Apple Watch SE 3 or in all countries or regions.

  1. Open the Health app on your iPhone and then follow the onscreen steps to set up ECG.

    If you don’t see a prompt to set up, tap Browse at the bottom-right, tap Heart, then tap Electrocardiogram (ECG).

  2. Open the ECG app on your Apple Watch.
  3. Rest your arm on a table or in your lap.
  4. With the hand opposite your watch, hold your finger on the Digital Crown. Wait while Apple Watch records the ECG.

    You don’t need to press the Digital Crown during the session.

At the end of the recording, you receive a classification. You can then tap Add Symptoms and choose your symptoms. Tap Save to note any symptoms, then tap Done. To view your results on iPhone, go to the Health app on iPhone, tap Browse at the bottom-right, tap Heart, then tap Electrocardiograms (ECG).

Important: To ensure the best reading after swimming, showering, heavy perspiration, or washing your hands, clean and dry your Apple Watch. It may take 1 hour or more for Apple Watch to completely dry. ECG is designed to function between 32 and 95 °F (0 and 35 °C).

See also

Tag: Health
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How to monitor your heart health on Apple Watch

by Stacey Butler

Your Apple Watch can tune in to your heart and send notifications when something out of the ordinary occurs. For example, it can notify you if your heart rate remains above or below a chosen threshold after you’ve been inactive for at least 10 minutes. You can turn on heart rate notifications when you first open the Heart Rate app, or at any time later.

Your watch can also notify you of an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be atrial fibrillation (AFib). If you have already been diagnosed with AFib, your Apple Watch can help you understand how frequently your heart is in this arrhythmia, and you can track lifestyle factors that may influence your condition.

Receive high or low heart rate notifications

A Heart Rate alert, indicating a high heart rate.

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch and then tap Heart.
  2. Tap High Heart Rate Notifications or Low Heart Rate Notifications. Set a heart rate threshold.

You can also open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, then tap Heart. Tap High Heart Rate or Low Heart Rate, then set a threshold.

Set up irregular heart rhythm notifications (not available in all countries or regions)

You can receive a notification if Apple Watch has identified an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be atrial fibrillation (AFib).

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap My Watch, tap Apps, tap Heart, and then tap Set Up Irregular Rhythm Notifications in Health.
  3. In the Health app, tap Set Up and then follow the onscreen instructions.

Show AFib history (not available in all countries or regions)

If you’ve been diagnosed with AFib, do the following:

  1. Open the Health app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Browse, tap Heart, tap AFib History, tap Set Up, and follow the onscreen instructions.
  3. To show your AFib history, open the Health app, tap Browse and tap Heart. Then tap AFib History.

Every Monday, if you’ve worn your watch for at least 5 of 7 days (12 hours a day), you may receive a notification with an estimate of the time you spent in AFib during the previous calendar week.

Set up low cardio fitness notifications

During an outdoor walk, run, or hike, Apple Watch can measure how hard your heart and lungs are working to provide cardio fitness estimates, and it can notify you when your cardio fitness level is low. Your cardio fitness falls into one of four ranges based on your age and sex: Low, Below Average, Above Average, or High. A cardio fitness level in the Low range brings a notification on your Apple Watch, and if it stays low, you’ll get another notification every 4 months.

A Heart Rate alert, indicating low cardio fitness.

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap My Watch, tap Apps and tap Heart. Then turn on Cardio Fitness Notifications.

Look in the Cardio Fitness section of the Health app to see your cardio fitness measurements and the range they fall into. Tap Show All Cardio Fitness Levels for more information.

See also

Tag: Health
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How to receive hypertension notifications on Apple Watch

by Kevin Hollington

You can wear Apple Watch to analyze your heart data, which can be used to detect signs of possible hypertension (available on supported models; not available in all countries or regions).

If your Apple Watch detects patterns of hypertension, you receive a notification to discuss with your healthcare provider. You’re also prompted to use a third-party blood pressure cuff to take measurements over a 7-day period, and you can set up reminders for the morning and evening. Then you can log your blood pressure in the Health app.

A Heart Rate notification, indicating possible hypertension.

Important: Your Apple Watch is not a medical device and is not intended to replace talking with your doctor for diagnosis, treatment, or monitoring of hypertension. Apple Watch cannot detect a heart attack or identify every instance of hypertension. Hypertension notifications are not intended for use if you have diagnosed hypertension, or are under 22 years old. Hypertension notifications should also not be used during pregnancy.

Set up hypertension notifications

  1. Open the Health app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your picture or initials at the top right.
  3. Tap Health Checklist, tap Set Up below Hypertension Notifications, and follow the onscreen instructions.

Set up a Blood Pressure Log

When you receive a hypertension notification, you’re prompted to get a blood pressure cuff and log your blood pressure twice a day for 7 days.

  1. Open the Health app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Browse, tap Heart, and then tap Blood Pressure.
  3. Tap Blood Pressure, tap Get Started below Blood Pressure Log, and follow the onscreen instructions.

    You’re asked to schedule reminders to log your blood pressure after you wake up and right before bedtime.

Log your blood pressure

To measure your blood pressure, put the cuff on your arm, then follow the instructions. After you measure your blood pressure, you can log it in the Health app on your iPhone.

  1. Open the Health app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Browse, tap Heart, and then tap Blood Pressure.
  3. Tap Blood Pressure and tap Add a Measurement below Blood Pressure Log.
  4. Do the following:
    • Change the date and time: Tap the date and time and then make a change.
    • Enter systolic and diastolic values: Tap the text field next to Systolic and Diastolic and then enter a value.
  5. When you’re finished, tap the Done button.

Turn off hypertension notifications

  1. Open the Health app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your picture or initials at the top right.
  3. Tap Health Checklist, tap Hypertension Notifications, and turn Hypertension Notifications off.

See also

Tag: Health
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How to use Camera Remote on Apple Watch

by Chris Smith

With the Camera Remote app, you can use your Apple Watch as a viewfinder for your iPhone camera and take photos and videos from a distance. You can even control the flash, set a shutter timer, and review your shots right on Apple Watch.

To work as a camera remote, your Apple Watch needs to be within normal Bluetooth range of your iPhone, about 33 feet or 10 meters. By default, each shot is taken with a 3-second timer, and the photo is saved in the Photos app on your iPhone.

Quick tip: For the best results, keep your iPhone steady during remote shooting by placing it on a stable surface or using a tripod. Opening your iPhone camera brings up a hint at the bottom of your Apple Watch face; tap it to open the Smart Stack, and then tap Camera Remote.

The Apple Watch screen showing what’s in the iPhone camera’s view. The shutter button is at the bottom center. The More Options button is at the bottom right.

Take a photo using your iPhone camera

  1. Open the Camera Remote app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Do any of the following:

    • Frame the shot: Use your Apple Watch as a viewfinder.
    • Zoom: Turn the Digital Crown.
    • Adjust exposure: Tap the key area of the shot in the preview image.
    • Take the photo: Tap the Shutter button.

      By default, the shot is taken with a 3-second timer. Tap the More Options button to turn off the timer or change other settings.

The Camera Remote app lets you review the photo, and it’s saved in the Photos app on your iPhone.

Record video using your iPhone camera

With the Camera Remote app on Apple Watch, you can record video using your iPhone.

  1. Open the Camera Remote app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Position your iPhone to frame the shot using your Apple Watch as a viewfinder.

    To zoom, turn the Digital Crown.

  3. Touch and hold the Shutter button until the recording begins.
  4. Tap the Stop button to end the recording.

Review the video in the Camera Remote app afterward. It’s saved in the Photos app on your iPhone.

Review your shots

  1. Open the Camera Remote app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the thumbnail at the bottom left.
  3. Do any of the following:
    • View more shots: Swipe left or right.
    • Zoom: Turn the Digital Crown.
    • Pan: Drag a zoomed photo.
    • Fill the screen: Double-tap the photo.
    • Show or hide the controls: Tap the screen.
  4. When you’re finished, tap the Close button.

Switch the camera and adjust settings

  1. Open the Camera Remote app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the More Options button. Then set any of the following:
    • Timer: Turn the 3-second timer on or off.
    • Camera: Choose Front or Rear.
    • Flash: Choose Auto, On, or Off.
    • Live Photo: Choose Auto, On, or Off.

See also

Tag: camera
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How to see timely widgets in the Smart Stack on Apple Watch

by Moses Johnson

The Smart Stack suggests helpful information or actions that you can take depending on your context—like the time of day, your location, or recent activity. The Smart Stack also shows Live Activities for real-time updates on workouts, timers, and more.

When the Smart Stack has an immediately useful suggestion, Apple Watch gently taps your wrist with a hint. You can open the hint right away, or mute it for 24 hours.

The Smart Stack on Apple Watch showing Live Activities and widgets.

Use tap gestures to access widgets in the Smart Stack

  1. From the watch face, open the Smart Stack with the double tap gesture.
  2. Scroll through the widgets with the double tap gesture.
  3. Open a widget with the single tap gesture.
  4. Select a button in the widget—such as play or pause music—with the single tap gesture.
  5. To close the Smart Stack and return to the watch face, perform a wrist flick.

Open the Smart Stack

  1. From the watch face, turn the Digital Crown upward or swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
  2. Scroll to the widget you want to use. Tap it to open the associated app.

    Tip: To access Music, Workouts, or Messages, scroll to the bottom of the Smart Stack.

Use Smart Stack hints

Using on-device data and trends from your daily routine, Apple Watch gently taps your wrist with a hint when the Smart Stack has a suggestion that’s immediately useful for you. A small icon appears at the bottom of the watch face.

When a hint appears, do one of the following:

  • Open the hint: Tap the Smart Stack hint at the bottom of the watch face to open the Smart Stack.

    The Apple Watch face with a Smart Stack hint at the bottom center.

  • Mute the hint for 24 hours: Swipe down on the Smart Stack hint.

Note: For suggestions like workouts, Apple Watch needs some time to learn your routine.

Customize the Smart Stack

The widgets in the Smart Stack are yours to add, remove, and rearrange. Some apps offer more than one widget, and you can customize some widgets to see what’s most important for you, like choosing a frequently used home accessory in the Home widget.

  1. Open the Smart Stack.
  2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Edit. Do any of the following:
    • Add a widget: Tap the Add Widget button, then choose a widget. With certain widgets, you can tap the Expand button for customization options.
    • Remove a widget: Tap the Delete button.
    • Pin widgets: Tap the Pin button on the right side of each widget you want to stay in a fixed position.
    • Reorder pinned widgets: Touch and hold a widget you want to move and drag it to a new position.
  3. When you’re finished, tap the Done button.

See also

Tag: Smart Stack
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