If you're a MacRumors reader who just got an Apple Watch for the holidays, we've created a list of 10 useful tips and tricks that you won't want to miss in order to get the most out of it.
The Apple Watch is basic.
Are you new to the Apple Watch? We have some how-tos for beginners that will show you how to use your device.
There are 10 tips for new Apple watch owners.
There are more useful tips about the Apple Watch.
1. Track your sleep.
If you wear your Apple Watch to bed, it will show you how long you're asleep, how much sleep you get, and your heart rate.
You can set up Sleep Mode in the Health app to have your Apple Watch track your sleep when you go to bed.
You can tell your devices when you want to go to sleep and when you want to go to bed with Sleep Mode. You can change who can contact you in Sleep Mode using the Focus interface.
When you wake up in the morning, Apple will give you a summary of the notifications that you received while you were sleeping, the weather for the day, and more.
The Sleep data gathered by Apple Watch can be found in the Health app. It will give you information on your sleep patterns, such as how well you sleep one night compared to another night, and how consistent your sleep is.
If you wear your Apple Watch to bed, you can get woken up by a alarm. If you sleep with a partner and want to wake quietly, the Apple Watch can be useful.
2. When wearing a mask, you canunlock your phone with your watch.
If you have both an Apple Watch and an iPhone with Face ID, you can enable a feature that will let you use the Apple Watch as an extra layer of security to get into your phone.
To use this feature, you need to enable it in the settings app, with specific instructions available in our how-to.
How to change the settings on your Apple watch.
After you turn on your Apple Watch, it will be possible to unlocked your phone through skin contact verification. When you wear a mask and use Face ID to get into your phone, it will read your face and give you a password.
It's much quicker than having to enter a password whenever you have a mask on, and it's also more secure. If you have an Apple Watch, Apple will let you know when your phone is unlocked through a notification on your wrist, but you need to be in close proximity to one another for the feature to work.
A feature that allows a Mac to be enabled with an Apple Watch is what leads to the unlocking of the iPhone with an Apple Watch. It's handy if you haven't turned it on. Go to System Preferences on your Mac, select Security and Privacy, and then use your Apple Watch to unlocked your Mac.
3. You can set a photo as your watch face.
If you want to look at your favorite places, people, or pets whenever you go to check the time, you can set one of your own photos as your watch face. It's easy to set a photo as a watch face.
Go to the Watch app on your phone.
"Face Gallery" is where you can tap on it.
Go to " Photos" and tap it.
You can choose between an album of photos, such as your Favorites, or 24 individual photos from your Camera Roll. Dynamic uses photos from your Memories.
To choose an album, tap on "Album", select "Choose Photos...", or tap on "Dynamic" to have it pull from Memories.
Pick a color from the top bar if you want to tint your photos.
If you want to use your Complications, scroll down to "Time position" and choose "Top or Bottom."
If you see a preview of your watch face, you can add it.
On the "My Watch" tab, tap on it.
Look at the face that you created.
"Set as Current Watch Face"
Apple added a new "Portraits" watch face in watchOS 8. You can choose a photo that you've captured using Portrait mode and set it as a watch face with the Portraits face. There is a sense of depth to the watch face with the data from the portrait photo. To set it, follow the steps above, but choose Portraits instead of Photos at step 3.
This effect only works with photos of people, not pets or objects captured in Portrait mode.
4. Express transit can be set up.
In some cities with robust transit options, you can use the Express Transit feature on your Apple Watch to pass through a transaction without having to wake your device or log in.
Whether you live in a city with the feature or are visiting, Express Transit is easy to use. We have a how-to with full instructions for the feature that can be set up through the wallet app. All you need is an Apple Watch and a credit card linked to Apple Pay to pay for your ride.
How to use Apple Pay on your phone.
In the United States, Express Transit is available in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington D.C.
If you're in an area where Express Transit is accepted, it's worth setting up. If you want to get on the subway in New York, you just have to tap your wrist. The charge goes onto your Apple Pay card without any interaction from you. You do not need a MetroCard.
You can add a card to your wallet app by opening it and selecting "Transit Card" from the menu, then tapping the "+" button. You can still use the Express function after this.
The Apple Watch is the most convenient way to use Express Transit, as it's right on the wrist.
5. Time your hand wash.
In the ongoing global health crisis and to make sure people are washing their hands for a full 20 seconds, Apple added a Handwashing timer.
The Apple Watch will detect when you're washing your hands based on the motion and sound of running water, and it will start a 20 second timer so you know how long to continue. Here's how to enable it.
The settings app on Apple Watch can be opened.
To scroll down to "Handwashing," you must use the Digital Crown.
The "hand washing Timer" can be turned on.
When you wash your hands, the Apple Watch will detect. If you want to receive a notification to remind you to wash your hands after returning home from an errand, you can also use the "Handwashing Reminders" option.
You can see how often you wash your hands and how long it takes in the Health app.
6. You can control your Apple TV with your watch.
If you lose your remote, you can use the Remote app on your Apple Watch to control it.
Press on the Digital Crown to get to your App List or App Grid.
The "Remote" app has a blue icon with a triangle in the center.
It's time to tap it.
Wait a moment as the watch syncs to the Apple TV sets in your home.
You can control the Apple TV by selecting it.
To turn on the Apple TV, you need to tap on the little TV icon in the bottom left of the display, and then scroll through the interface using gestures. Just tap to launch an app or make a selection.
If you want to add an Apple TV that isn't linked to your watch, go to settings > General > Remotes on the Apple TV set. The third-generation Apple TV is compatible with the remote feature.
7. Get help if you need it.
If you want to be able to get help in an emergency, you can use an Apple Watch feature that calls emergency services with the press of a button.
The settings app on the Apple Watch can be opened.
Click on "SOS."
Hold the side button.
If you hold down the side button, the Apple Watch will begin to dial emergency services in the country where you are located. The Digital Crown has a side button.
If the call gets activated by accident, you will have a time limit to stop the call.
If you want the Apple Watch to be able to call for help if you take a hard fall, you should enable fall detection in this section. If you slip and are knocked unconscious or have an accident on a bike, the Apple Watch can help you.
8. You can remove apps from your watch.
You can get rid of the apps on your Apple Watch if you don't need them.
Go to the App View if you don't have an Apple Watch.
Press on the display.
On the screen, tap on "Edit apps."
To locate apps you don't want, scroll through the list or use the grid.
If you use the List view, you can use the small "x" on the app to remove an app.
You should confirm that you want to uninstall the app.
There are core apps that can't be removed from the Apple Watch, but there are other apps that can be removed for a cleaner look.
You can remove Alarms, ECG, Blood Oxygen, Memoji, Find items, Cycle Tracking, and other similar apps. If you want them back later, you need to download them again from the App Store.
Users can now share photos from their Apple Watches. You can send an image from your watch to someone else if you come across it.
The Photos app is on the Apple Watch.
You can share a photo by selecting it and tapping it.
There is a small share icon on the bottom right of the photo.
You can either send it to someone using Messages or Mail, or you can scroll down and send it to someone else.
If you want to add one, you have to select a contact.
The Photos app on Apple watch can show one album from your photos. To change it, open up the Watch app on the iPhone, scroll down and select Photos, and then tap on "sync album" to choose an album to sync to your Apple Watch.
You can sync up to 500 photos, but be aware that the number of photos you choose affects the storage space on your Apple Watch. You can sync memories and featured photos in the watch app. The Photos app will show your featured memories and images, and the selection will change daily.
10. Make the Apple Watch bigger.
The smaller Apple Watch models can have small text. You can make it bigger by following these steps.
The settings app on Apple Watch can be opened.
Go to "Display & Brightness" and tap it.
"Text Size" is what you can tap on.
To make the text bigger, tap on the "Aa" on the right side of the display, while the "Aa" on the left side makes it smaller.
Any app that supports Dynamic Type will show you your preferred text size when you adjust the text size. If you want to make text more visible, you can use the "Bold Text" option.
You can learn more about your watch.
The Apple Watch Series 7 and the Apple Watch SE have been the subject of dedicated reviews, which give a complete overview of the different features available with each model. The newest features of the Apple Watch can be found in our watchOS 8 roundup.
