The Apple Watch’s journey has been one of constant evolution. Originally positioned as an extension of your iPhone, it’s slowly evolved into a full-fledged fitness device that puts apps and notifications right on your wrist. Not only does it count your steps, but it can also detect if you’ve fallen and call for help afterward, track how noisy your environment is, and run an electrocardiogram on your wrist. Heck, there’s even a chance that the Apple Watch, combined with an app, could help prevent strokes.
As amazing as the medical features are, there’s still a lot about the Apple Watch that makes it look like a mini iPhone. For example, you can install apps, interact with Siri, check the weather, sports scores or send a quick message. There are many things to the Apple Watch that make it easy to miss features or settings, preventing you from using it to its full potential.
The Apple Watch now has eleven generations and is full of useful features that can be easily overlooked at first glance. To help you get the most out of your device, we’ve rounded up 15 handy tips you might not have discovered yet, including a few that long-time users often overlook.
- Bounce Between Two Apps
- Switch App Views
- Rearrange Apps
- Ping Your iPhone
- Skip the Countdown
- Customize Vibration Strength
- Perform Precision Timing
- Jump to the Top
- Remove Apps
- Customize Control Center
- Speak the Time Out Loud
- Customize Smart Replies
- Pause Activity Rings
- Create a Note
- Mute and Dismiss Alerts
Bounce Between Two Apps
On your Apple Watch, double-press the Digital Crown to see a layer of all currently open apps, and turn it to scroll through them. From this view, you can return to the last application you used. Tap on an app screen to switch to it, or swipe left on its card and tap the red X button to exit.
How It Works
- The Gesture: Double-click the Digital Crown (the rotating side dial).
- The Result: Your watch instantly closes your current app and opens the last app you used.
- Bouncing Back: Double-clicking it again flips you straight back to the first app, letting you toggle between them seamlessly.
Best Real-World Use Cases
This feature saves you from returning to the Home Screen or opening the Dock every few seconds. It is incredibly useful for:
- Workouts: Bouncing between the Workout app (to check stats) and the Music/Podcasts app (to skip a track).
- Navigation: Flipping between Apple Maps (for directions) and Messages (to text someone updates on your arrival time).
- Cooking or Gym Timers: Toggling between a Timer app and a Notes or recipe app.
- Calculations: Switching between the Calculator app and the Wallet app to figure out splitting a bill.
Troubleshooting & Limitations
- The Clock Face Exception: If you return to your main watch face, the memory resets. Double-clicking the Crown on the watch face opens the most recently used app, but double-clicking again does not return you to the watch face.
- Speed Matters: The double-click needs to be relatively quick. If you click too slowly, the watch will register it as two separate single clicks, which will just take you to your App Screen and back to the Watch Face.
- App Refresh: If you haven’t opened a second app since turning on your watch, double-clicking will open only the most recently used app.
Switch App Views
The Switch App Views feature lets you change how your apps appear on the main home screen when you press the Digital Crown. Apple Watch offers two different layouts designed to suit different visual preferences and navigation styles.
The Two View Options
- Grid View (Honeycomb): This is the default Apple layout. It displays all your apps as round icons in a floating, fluid cluster. You swipe in any direction to move around the cloud and use the Digital Crown to zoom in and out.
- List View: This layout organizes all your apps in a clean, single-column vertical list. The apps are sorted in alphabetical order, showing both the icon and the full text name of the app. You scroll up and down using your finger or the Digital Crown.
How to Switch the View
Depending on your watchOS version, you can change this setting directly on your wrist or via your phone:
Method 1: Directly on the Apple Watch
- Press the Digital Crown to go to your home screen.
- Scroll all the way to the very bottom of your apps.
- Tap the button that says either Grid View or List View to toggle to the other style.
(Note: On older watchOS versions, press firmly on the center of the app screen to force-touch the menu open, then select your preference).
Method 2: Using your iPhone
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap the My Watch tab at the bottom.
- Select App View.
- Choose either Grid or List.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Choose List View if: You prefer predictability, struggle to remember what specific app icons look like, or find the clustered grid visually overwhelming. It is much easier to find rarely used apps alphabetically.
- Choose Grid View if: You have good visual memory, prefer a modern aesthetic, and want to group similar apps together (like putting all fitness or travel apps in their own clusters).
Additional Features
Fall Detection. Apple Watch Series 4 and later devices have a built-in fall detection feature that detects when it thinks you’ve fallen and, after a few seconds of not moving, will call emergency services for you. Fall detection is a feature you’ll want to enable, but hopefully never have to use.
Want to feel like a gadget spy? Then learn how to use the Walkie-Talkie app. Using the app is simple: raise your wrist, press a button, speak, and let go. Keep in mind that your approved contacts can start talking to you at any time, so marking yourself as unavailable is key to avoiding embarrassment.