The best Apple Watch apps are the ones already built in
Angela Lang / CNET
We just celebrated that fifth anniversary of Apple Watch in April, and it’s clear that the device, which was originally intended as an iPhone for your wrist and is full of third-party apps, has become a useful fitness tracker. The native apps have proven to be more useful than any app you can download. Companies like Amazon, eBay, Target, and TripAdvisor no longer support Apple Watch apps, but that doesn’t matter – we have our phones, tablets, and laptops to check for them. What matters are the integrated activity tracker, messaging and phone apps – the things we want to have on hand for a quick and convenient look.
“The watch is really about convenience,” said Ray Wang, principal analyst and founder of Constellation Research. “You won’t be spending as much time on the screen on your watch. I think the secret to creating a good Apple Watch app is to consider it as an accessory in addition to something. Very few people use it as a standalone device, unless it’s for fitness or health or some kind of surveillance. “
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When the Apple Watch launched in 2015, it had 3,000 apps available for download. Today there are more than 20,000 apps, 21 of which are integrated in the wearable. While watches were generally not a popular accessory in 2015, the Apple Watch proved to be a useful tool for checking messages, weather, and reminders, Wang added – all of this is already built into the device.
Here are some native Apple Watch apps that you may not be using.
Switch quickly through apps on Apple Watch.
Jason Cipriani / CNET
1. Noise
If you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or higher, you can use the Noise app to measure the ambient noise in your area. When the decibel level has risen so high that your hearing could be impaired, the app can notify you with a tap on your wrist.
2. Cycle tracking
Women can use the Cycle Tracking app to log details of their menstrual cycle, including flow information and symptoms such as headaches or cramps. This data enables the app to notify you when it predicts that your next period or fertile window is about to begin.
3. EKG
If you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or later, you have an electrical heart rate sensor that works with the EKG app to take an electrocardiogram (sometimes referred to as an EKG by cardiologists). You also need an iPhone 6S or higher, and both the phone and the watch must be on the latest version of iOS or watchOS. It is also not available in all regions.
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4. Messages
The news app helps you stay up-to-date on current events and shows you stories that you select based on your interests. However, it is not available in all areas.
5. Breathe
The Breathe app helps you take a few minutes each day to do just that: breathing (which can be especially handy after you’ve checked this news app). You can set or mute Breathe reminders or just open the app if you need help stopping and relaxing. You will see an animation that invites you to breathe in and out for 1 to 5 minutes. You can also check your heart rate during these breathing sessions.
6. Remote control
If you have an Apple TV, you can use your watch as another remote control – provided that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Use the remote app to swipe around on the watch face, navigate Apple TV menu options, and play or pause shows.
7. Camera
You cannot take a picture with your watch yourself. With the camera app, however, your watch can serve as a remote control for your iPhone’s camera. Use this option to take selfies or start recording across the room on your phone so you can finally take pictures of all the members of this large group.
8. Walkie-talkie
The Walkie-Talkie app lets you use your watch as a walkie-talkie to chat with someone who is wearing an Apple Watch. They press a key to speak and release it to hear the answer. The app is not available in all regions, and both participants must be connected to the iPhone, Wi-Fi or mobile phone via a Bluetooth connection. You also have to accept an invitation to connect to someone through the app – they can’t just talk to you.
9. Voice memos
As on iPhone, you can use the voice memo app on your Apple Watch to record personal notes and things to remember on the go. The voice memos that you record on the watch are automatically synced with all other iOS devices on which you’re signed in with the same Apple ID.
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The future of native Apple Watch apps
The collection of native Apple Watch apps is far from complete: we have been waiting for it an integrated sleep tracking app since the release of the watch. One of the main hurdles seems to be battery life, which may not be long enough to track sleep all night long on one charge. While Third party options such as AutoSleep Tracker, Sleep Tracker Plus Plus and Sleep watch are available for the Apple Watch, competitors from Samsung and Fitbit have been offering sleep tracking for years.
A sleep tracking app is now designed for that upcoming Apple Watch 6 – Hopefully another example of Apple waiting to enter the market until its end product is perfected.
The Apple Watch Series 6 will likely also offer more native health features. Apple has increasingly entered medical research with the watch and has partnered with hospitals and research agencies to study Heart health and women’s health. The 6 series is according to rumours to get SPO2 tracking that the watch can use to measure your blood oxygen level, similar to heart rate. Smartwatches from FitBit and Garmin already have a similar skill.
Supplements such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring are another limit, but will likely be further away in the future.
