Apple tips
Force it to restart
The Apple Watch will sometimes get stuck without apparent reason. Maybe a third-party software has a bug or maybe it’s simply one of those times when you can’t push buttons on your Apple Watch. As the buttons aren’t working, it’s impossible to restart your watch. It is possible to restart the Apple Watch manually though. Press and hold the side button along with the Digital Crown until the Apple logo appears on screen.
Automatically start a playlist when you start working out
When you start a Workout on Apple Watch, you can select a playlist to play automatically. Note, though, it will not play if you are currently listening to music or other sounds. To enable this function, go to the Apple Watch app for iPhone > Workout > Enable this feature. Select Workout Playlist from the drop-down menu. You’ll need to have the playlist downloaded from Apple Music.
Check the battery life of your AirPods
Apple Watch users probably listen to music through AirPods. It’s probably already common knowledge that AirPod’s battery life can be checked using the widget on your iPhone, but did you know it’s possible to check it from your Apple Watch as well? To view your watch’s battery percentage, go to Control Center > Battery. As well as displaying the percentage of the battery in your Apple Watch, this will also display the battery level in your AirPods. One of the best things about it is that it still works if the AirPods are linked to either your iPhone or Apple Watch.
Take a power nap
In order for you to wake up from a nap, you can ask Siri to “Wake me in 10, 20, 30 minutes,” and your Watch will set a timer and then gently (but insistently) tap your wrist to wake you up.
Take a photo on your iPhone
Open the Camera app on your Apple Watch to see what your front-facing iPhone camera is aiming at. A timed shot can be taken by tapping the timed button or the big round button. The picture will be taken by your iPhone – this is particularly helpful for taking portrait photos.
Find your favourite apps quickly
To access your favourite apps, press the side button on the watch, which will open your current apps by default. However, if you open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap the Dock you can change it to display a selection of the favourite apps. To open shortcuts on your iPhone, tap the three dots next to one of your existing shortcuts and the slider icon will appear on your Apple Watch but the option won’t appear and it will not launch on the smartwatch.
Display apps in a different view
You can customise Honeycomb View – The app that Apple uses on the Apple Watch by default shows Watches apps in a list view, not a grid view. To set or change the Apps Grid, tap the digital crown next to the Grid and press Display to switch to a nice, readable list view. Don’t worry, you can switch the view back to the list view when your watch is in the app list.
Reply to messages without typing
You don’t have to type anything on your Apple Watch but you can set up a few precomposed answers on your iPhone when tapping a conversation that is automatically sent. Scroll down and select the Messages app option, then select the default response menu. Tap one of the items in the list to customise it, and when you get to messages, swipe down on your response options. You can change the default responses to My Watch messages at any time, add or remove predefined responses. If you prefer to have your messages sent via audio clips rather than by diction, then you can do this by going to Apple Watch app on your iPhone and going to My Watch > Messages > Audio Messages.
Control the volume on your AirPods
The Apple Watch is great for controlling other Apple products, including your HomePod or Apple TV. For example, you can use it to control music on your HomePod or as a remote control for your Apple TV. Even when listening to music, you can use it to adjust the volume of your AirPods by looking at your Watch. The Digital Crown is used to adjust the volume when your AirPods are connected and you’re streaming via the Watch.
Turn on charge reminders
One of the most prominent complaints about the Apple Watch is the less-than-24-hour battery life. Setting a reminder before bedtime will ensure that your Apple Watch has sufficient battery power to monitor your sleep. For iPhone, open the Apple Watch app > Toggle on Charging Reminders by scrolling down to Sleep. I hope you’ve learned some new Apple Watch tips and tricks! Why not check out what the rumour mill is saying about the new Apple Watch 7? Then head over to what the latest WatchOS 8 might have in store for us.