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Apple Watch

How to use apps on Apple Watch

by Chris Smith

You can browse and open apps from the Home Screen. Your Apple Watch comes with a collection of helpful apps designed to keep you connected right from your wrist, and these built-in apps work with your iPhone to help you stay active, communicate with others, and access important information.

The dynamic app grid shows the apps you use most and the ones you’ve used recently. And if an app isn’t responding, you can quit and reopen it.

Open apps from the Home Screen

  1. From the watch face, press the Digital Crown to see the dynamic app grid, which shows the apps you use most and have used most recently.

    The dynamic app grid shows the apps you use most.

  2. Tap an app to open it.
  3. To see more apps, turn the Digital Crown.

    The Home Screen showing all your apps.

To return to the Home Screen from an app, press the Digital Crown once, then press it again to switch to the watch face.

Apps included with Apple Watch

App icon App name For more information
Activity icon Activity Track daily activity
Alarm icon Alarms Add an alarm
App Store icon App Store Get apps
Audiobooks icon Audiobooks Listen to audiobooks
Blood Oxygen icon Blood Oxygen

(not available on Apple Watch SE; not available in all countries or regions)

 Measure blood oxygen levels
Calculator icon Calculator Use Calculator
Calendar icon Calendar Check and update your calendar
Camera Remote icon Camera Remote Use Camera Remote
Compass icon Compass Use the compass
Contacts icon Contacts See contact information
Cycle Tracking icon Cycle Tracking Use Cycle Tracking
Depth icon Depth Measure underwater temperature, duration, and depth
ECG icon ECG Record an electrocardiogram
Find My icon Find My Set up Find My
Heart Rate icon Heart Rate Check your heart rate
Home icon Home Control your home
Mail icon Mail Read and write mail
Maps icon Maps Get directions
Medications icon Medications Track your medications
Memoji icon Memoji Use Memoji
Messages icon Messages Read and respond to messages
Mindfulness icon Mindfulness Practice mindfulness
Music icon Music Add and play music
Music Recognition icon Music Recognition Identify songs with Shazam
News icon News

(not available in all countries or regions)

 Read news stories
Noise icon Noise Measure noise levels
Notes icon Notes Take notes
Now Playing icon Now Playing Use Now Playing
Phone icon Phone Answer and make phone calls
Photos icon Photos View photos and Memories
Podcasts icon Podcasts Play podcasts
Readiness

(available on Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4)

 Use the Readiness app
Reminders icon Reminders Use reminders
Remote icon Remote Control Apple TV 4K
Settings icon Settings Change the settings
Shortcuts icon Shortcuts Use shortcuts
Siren icon Siren

(available on Apple Watch Ultra models)

 Activate the siren
Siri icon Siri

(Siri AI is available in beta on watchOS 27 or later on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later with Siri and device language set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not initially be available in the EU on iOS and watchOS. Usage limits may apply.)*

 Use the Siri app
Sleep icon Sleep Track your sleep
Stocks Track stocks
Stopwatch Use a stopwatch
Tides Tides
Timers Set timers
Tips View tips
Translate Translate text and voice
Vitals Track your vitals
Voice Memos Record and play voice memos
Wallet Set up cards and passes
Weather Check the weather
Workout Start a workout
World Clock Check the time in other locations

Quit an app

If an app isn’t responding, you can quit and reopen it to try to resolve the issue. (Typically, there’s no reason to quit an app; quitting it doesn’t save battery power, for example.)

  1. From the app you want to quit, press and hold the side button until the sliders appear.
  2. Press and hold the Digital Crown until the watch face appears.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

Tag: Home Screen
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How to identify songs with Shazam on Apple Watch

by Dave Johnson

Use Shazam in the Music Recognition app or via the Smart Stack to identify a song playing around you, see it in Apple Music, add it to a playlist, and revisit your Shazam history.

If the song is identified, you’ll see the title and artist, plus details like the album, release date, and genre. You can add it to your library, too.

Here’s how to identify songs with Shazam on Apple Watch.

Recognize music with Shazam

  1. Open the Music Recognition app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the Tap to Recognize button.

    A screen showing the title and artist of a song identified by Music Recognition. The play button is at the bottom right.

    If the song is identified by Shazam, the title and artist are displayed.

  3. Do any of the following:

    • See the song in Apple Music: Tap Apple Music.
    • Add it to your library or a playlist: Tap More and then tap Add to Apple Music Library or Add to Playlist.
    • See details about the song: Scroll down to see the album, release date, and genre.

Quick tip: You can customize the Action button on Apple Watch Ultra models to start Shazam.

Use Shazam in the Smart Stack

Before you begin, make sure you’ve turned on Music Detection in Settings. Go to the Settings app, tap Smart Stack, then turn on Music Detection. You can also tap Enable Music Detection when it appears in the Smart Stack.

  1. From the watch face, turn the Digital Crown upward or swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

    When music is detected, the Music Recognition widget appears in the Smart Stack.

  2. Tap Shazam. If the song is identified, the title and artist are displayed.

    On Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, the widget recognizes music automatically and shows the title and artist even faster, without having to tap. (Automatic recognition requires the Always On processor.)

  3. Tap the Add button to save the song to your Shazam history.

See songs identified previously

  1. Open the Music Recognition app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Scroll down to see the history.

See also

Tags: Music, Shazam
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How to read news stories on Apple Watch

by Abigail Shilets

The News app on your Apple Watch helps keep you up to date with current events, presenting stories selected with your interests in mind.

You can browse and save news stories, then read the saved stories on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. On iPad and Mac, they’re in Saved Stories in the sidebar, and on iPhone, they’re under Following. You can share a news story, too.

Here’s how to read news stories on Apple Watch.

Note: The News app isn’t available in all countries or regions.

Browse and save news stories

  1. Start the News app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Turn the Digital Crown to scroll through the list and tap a story to preview it.
  3. To save a story to read later, scroll to the bottom of the story and tap the Bookmark button.
  4. To go to the saved stories on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, do one of the following:
    • iPhone: Go to the News app, tap Following, and then tap Saved Stories.
    • iPad: Go to the News app and then tap Saved Stories in the sidebar.
    • Mac: Go to the News app and click Saved Stories in the sidebar.

Share a news story

  1. Start the News app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Scroll to a story and then tap it.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the story and tap the Share button. Then choose a sharing option.

See also

Tag: News
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How to use shortcuts on Apple Watch

by Chris Smith

The Shortcuts app lets you automate tasks you do often with just a tap or by asking Siri. With the shortcuts you create on your iPhone, you can quickly get directions home, create a top 25 playlist, and more.

When you add a new shortcut on your iPhone, it also appears on your Apple Watch, as long as it’s compatible. Not every iPhone shortcut works on your watch, though.

Here’s how to use shortcuts on Apple Watch.

Note: Not all shortcuts on iPhone are compatible with Apple Watch.

The Shortcuts app on showing three shortcuts: Break Timer, Compass, and Record Backtrack.

Run a shortcut

  1. Open the Shortcuts app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap a shortcut.

Add more shortcuts to Apple Watch

A new shortcut you add on your iPhone also appears on Apple Watch, as long as it’s compatible.

Quickly access your shortcuts

To quickly access your shortcuts, do any of the following:

See also

Tag: Shortcuts
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How to use Apple Watch without its paired iPhone

by Moses Johnson

Apple Watch uses Bluetooth® wireless technology to connect to its paired iPhone and uses the iPhone for many wireless functions.

When your iPhone is turned off or isn’t nearby, Apple Watch can connect to a Wi-Fi network instead. It’s flexible. And with a cellular plan, your Apple Watch can stay connected even when you’re away from your iPhone. Even without either, you can still use alarms, timers, and the stopwatch, and the built-in GPS tracks distance during outdoor workouts.

If Apple Watch is connected to Wi-Fi

Even with your iPhone turned off, you can still do the following when Apple Watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network:

Use Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby

You can stay connected away from your iPhone if your Apple Watch has a cellular plan. On all other models of Apple Watch, you can still do things while you’re away from your iPhone and not connected to Wi-Fi.

Thanks to a built-in GPS, Apple Watch can give you more accurate distance and speed information during an outdoor workout, even without your paired iPhone. There’s also a built-in barometric altimeter in Apple Watch, which provides accurate elevation gain/descent information along with your current elevation in real time.

See also

Tag: watchOS
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How to record and play voice memos on Apple Watch

by Stacey Butler

Use the Voice Memos app on Apple Watch to record personal notes. It’s simple. Recordings on your Apple Watch automatically sync to your iPhone, iPad, and Mac where you’re signed in with your Apple Account.

That means your watch recordings play back on your paired iPhone and on other devices signed in to your Apple Account, through iCloud. You can play a voice memo right on your watch, too.

Here’s how to record and play voice memos on Apple Watch.

Record a voice memo

  1. Start the Voice Memos app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the Record button.
  3. Tap the Stop Recording button to end the recording.

    The Voice Memos app in the midst of recording a memo. A red Stop button is in the middle. Below is the recording’s elapsed time. The word Recording appears at the top right.

Play a voice memo

  1. Start the Voice Memos app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap a recording on the Voice Memos screen and tap the Play button to play it.
  3. Tap the Skip Ahead button or the Skip Back button to skip ahead or back, respectively.

Access your voice memos on other devices

With iCloud, your watch recordings can play on your paired iPhone, along with other devices where you’re signed in to your Apple Account.

  1. Go to the Voice Memos app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
  2. Tap or click Watch Recordings.

See also

Tag: Voice Memos
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How to check the weather on Apple Watch

by Abigail Shilets

Use the Weather app to track current and upcoming weather conditions, locally or in locations around the globe. You can easily check on current weather details such as clear or cloudy skies, temperature, precipitation, wind, ultraviolet (UV) conditions, visibility, humidity, and air quality.

You can also see severe weather alerts, view the weather in other locations, and get rain alerts for remote locations. Your Apple Watch keeps its list of locations synced with the list on your iPhone.

The Weather app showing an overview of the current weather. The location appears above the current temperature.

Check the weather

You can see current conditions and hourly views for humidity, visibility, UV index, wind speed, precipitation, temperature, and air quality, though air quality isn’t available for all locations.

  1. Start the Weather app on your Apple Watch.
  2. View the current conditions.

    If the local weather doesn’t appear on your Apple Watch when you open the Weather app, make sure that Location Services is turned on.

  3. Tap the display to cycle through the views.

    The Weather app showing the hourly temperature forecast.

See severe weather alerts

When a significant weather event is predicted, an alert may appear at the top of the Weather app. Tap the alert for more information.

Note: Severe weather alerts aren’t available in all locations.

View the weather in other locations

Your Apple Watch keeps its list of locations in sync with the list on your iPhone.

  1. Start the Weather app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Do any of the following:
    • Add a location: Tap the Add button, then enter a city.
    • Remove a location: Swipe left on the location you want to remove and tap the Delete button.

Get rain alerts for remote locations

Apple Watch can notify you about rain at the locations of appointments within 150 miles, so you can plan accordingly.

  1. Go to the Calendar app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Add an appointment and include the location address.

    If precipitation is forecast at this location as the appointment time nears, the Precipitation widget appears in the Smart Stack.

  3. Tap the Precipitation widget to see detailed weather information, including hourly forecasts.

See the weather forecast for a trip

If you add trips to Calendar with location details, the Smart Stack shows a 5-day weather forecast for your destination automatically.

  1. Start the Calendar app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Add an event and include the destination location.

    As your trip approaches, the Trip widget appears in the Smart Stack.

  3. Open the Smart Stack and scroll to the 5-day weather forecast for your destination.
  4. Tap the Trip widget to see detailed weather information, including hourly forecasts.

See also

Tag: Weather
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How to check and update your calendar on Apple Watch

by Dave Johnson

Use Calendar to check your schedule, add or update events, and see scheduled reminders. You can also respond to invitations, get directions to an event, and choose which calendars appear on your watch.

There’s a list view, a day view, and a month view. Each event shows details like time, location, invitee status, and notes, and you can even open Calendar right from the watch face.

Here’s how to check and update your calendar on Apple Watch.

Calendar screen showing a list of the day’s events. Events are color coded to match the calendar they belong to.

View your calendar

See what’s coming up next in a list, day, or month view.

  1. Open the Calendar app on your Apple Watch.

    Tip: From the watch face, you can also tap the date or a calendar event.

  2. Turn the Digital Crown to scroll through upcoming events.
  3. To change the view, tap the More Options button and then choose an option.
  4. Tap an event to see details about it, including time, location, invitee status, and notes.

    Tip: If the event includes a location, tap the address to get directions. See Get directions in Maps on Apple Watch.

Add an event

Events you add to the Calendar app on your Apple Watch sync to your iPhone by default, and the other way around. Each event can include details like location and “leave now” alerts.

  1. Open the Calendar app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the More Options button. Tap the Add button
  3. Enter event details, then choose the calendar you want to add the event to.

Edit or delete an event

  1. Open the Calendar app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap an event, then tap Edit or Delete.

View scheduled reminders

In Day or List view, Calendar puts scheduled reminders from the Reminders app alongside your events.

  1. Open the Calendar app on your Apple Watch.
  2. While using Day or List view, tap the reminder and tap Open in Reminders.

Change calendar settings and manage alerts

You can change the kind of calendar notifications you receive and pick which calendars appear on Apple Watch.

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap My Watch and tap Apps. Then tap Calendar.

See also

Tag: Calendar
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How to measure noise levels with Apple Watch

by Abigail Shilets

The Noise app measures the ambient sound levels in your environment using the microphone and duration of exposure. When Apple Watch detects that the decibel level has risen to a point where hearing could be affected, it can notify you with a tap on the wrist.

You can choose a threshold for those notifications and monitor your exposure to noise over time in the Health app. You can see noise levels on the watch face, too.

Note: The Noise app uses the microphone to sample and measure the sound levels in your environment. Your Apple Watch doesn’t record or save any sounds to measure these levels.

The Noise app showing a sound level of 89 decibels with the word “Loud” above.

Monitor the noise level

  1. Open the Noise app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the More Info button for details about sound levels.

Quick tip: For environmental noise levels on the watch face, add the noise complication.

Choose a threshold for noise notifications

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Noise, tap Noise Threshold, and then choose a threshold.

You can also go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Apps, tap Noise, then tap Noise Threshold.

Monitor your exposure to noise over time

The Health app shows your high, low, and average sound levels over different periods of time.

  1. Go to the Health app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. In the Hearing category, tap Environmental Sound Levels.

Turn off noise measuring

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Noise, then tap Environmental Sound Measurements.
  3. Turn off Measure Sounds.

You can also go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Apps, tap Noise, then turn off Environmental Sound Measurements.

See also

Tag: Health
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How to use offline maps on Apple Watch

by Kevin Hollington

In the Maps app on your iPhone, you can save a map area or a hiking route, then view it on your paired Apple Watch even when you can’t access Wi-Fi or cellular service. With downloaded maps, you can view information like hours and ratings on place cards, get turn-by-turn directions for hiking, driving, walking, cycling, or riding transit, and see your estimated time of arrival.

Offline maps are automatically available on your Apple Watch when your iPhone is on and within Bluetooth range (about 33 feet or 10 meters). And if you sync them, they’re available on your Apple Watch even when your iPhone isn’t nearby.

Note: Offline maps are available only in select regions, and a downloaded map works only in its specific region. Maps features vary by country and region.

Get offline maps on iPhone and sync with Apple Watch

Synced offline maps stay available on Apple Watch even when your paired iPhone isn’t nearby.

  1. Start the Maps app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your picture or initials next to the search field and tap Offline Maps. Then turn on Sync with Apple Watch.
  3. Do any of the following:

Use offline maps on Apple Watch

  1. Start the Maps app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the Search button and tap your picture or initials at the top-right corner. Then tap Offline Maps.
  3. Tap an offline map.

    Maps below “On This Watch” are available even when your iPhone isn’t nearby. Maps below “On Your iPhone” are available only when your iPhone is nearby.

See also

Tag: Maps
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