A number of Apple Watch options get used time and again — for me, screening notifications and calls is useful all through the day, plus telling time and checking the climate, in fact. But it is simple to neglect that Apple’s smartwatch fashions can achieve this rather more. Whether you have purchased a brand new Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3 or Apple Watch Ultra 3, or in case you have an older watch that may run WatchOS 26, I like to recommend testing these 9 options to actually reap the benefits of your clever timepiece.Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content material and lab-based critiques. Add CNET as a most well-liked Google supply.Swipe between watch faces (once more)Until WatchOS 10.0, you would swipe from the left or proper fringe of the display screen to change energetic watch faces, an effective way to rapidly go from a chic workday face to an exercise-focused one, for instance. Apple eliminated that function, doubtless as a result of individuals had been by accident switching faces by brushing the sides of the display screen. Swipe from the sting to change between faces. Apple/Screenshot by CNETHowever, the common technique entails extra steps (contact and maintain the face, swipe to vary, faucet to substantiate), and other people realized that the occasional shock watch face change wasn’t actually so dangerous. Therefore, as of model 10.2, together with the present WatchOS 26, you possibly can flip the function on by toggling a setting: Go to Settings > Clock and activate Swipe to Switch Watch Face. Watch this: Apple Watch Series 11 Review: Is It Worth the Upgrade?
06:18 Stay on prime of your coronary heart well being with Vitals Wearing your Apple Watch whereas sleeping presents a trove of knowledge — and never nearly the way you slept final night time. If you don the timepiece in a single day, it tracks a lot of well being metrics. The Vitals app gathers that information and experiences on the earlier night time’s coronary heart charge, respiration, physique temperature (on supported fashions) and sleep period. The Vitals app also can present information collected throughout the earlier seven days — faucet the small calendar icon within the top-left nook. If you personal a watch mannequin bought earlier than Jan. 29, 2024, you may additionally see a blood oxygen studying. On newer watches within the US, that function works in another way due to an mental property combat: The watch’s sensors take a studying, after which ship the information to the Health app in your iPhone. You can verify it there, nevertheless it does not present up within the Vitals app. The Vitals app experiences coronary heart and well being tendencies collected whilst you sleep. Apple/Screenshot by CNETHow is this useful? The software program builds a baseline of what is regular for you. When the values stray outdoors regular ranges, similar to irregular coronary heart or respiratory charges, the Vitals app experiences them as atypical to provide you with a warning. It’s not a medical analysis, however it could actually immediate you to get checked out and catch any troubles early. Check your Sleep Score to be taught why you’re feeling rested or tiredSpeaking of sporting your watch whereas sleeping, the brand new Sleep Score function appears to be like at information taken throughout the night time to judge whether or not you bought a great night time’s sleep. When you get up, open the Sleep app or verify the Sleep Score widget within the Smart Stack to view a quantity between 0 and 100. See which components contributed to the standard of final night time’s sleep. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNETSpecifically, it takes under consideration the period of sleep general, how early or late you went to mattress and what number of occasions it detected you waking up throughout the night time. (Wake-ups will be restlessness, not whether or not you really obtained up and off the bed.) With that info, plus the information from the Vitals app, you possibly can regulate components like if you go to mattress to hopefully enhance your sleep general.Make the Wrist Flick gesture second natureWatchOS 26 provides a brand new gesture that has rapidly turn out to be a favourite. On the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Ultra 3, Wrist Flick is a fast movement to dismiss incoming calls, notifications or actually something that pops up on the display screen. Wrist Flick joins Double Tap as a method to work together with a watch even should you’re not able to faucet the display screen. Quickly give the watch a twist of your arm towards the highest of the watch to do the Wrist Flick gesture. Apple/Screenshot by CNETBut what I like most concerning the gesture is that it is also a shortcut for leaping again to the watch face. For instance, when a Live Activity is mechanically exhibiting up within the Smart Stack, a fast flick of the wrist hides the stack. Or as an instance you are configuring a function within the Settings app that is buried a couple of ranges deep. You needn’t repeatedly faucet the again ( Make the Smart Stack be just right for you Bring up the Smart Stack utilizing the crown or by swiping. Apple/Screenshot by CNETThe Smart Stack is a spot to entry fast info which may not match into what Apple calls a “complication” (the issues on the watch face aside from the time itself, similar to your Activity rings or the present outdoors temperature). When viewing the clock face, flip the digital crown clockwise or swipe from the underside of the display screen to view a sequence of tiles that present info such because the climate or instructed picture recollections. This seems to be a fantastic spot for accessing options if you’re utilizing a minimal watch face that has no problems. Choose which Live Activities seem mechanically The Smart Stack can be the place Live Activities seem: If you order a meals supply, for instance, the standing of the order seems as a tile within the Smart Stack (and on the iPhone lock display screen). And as a result of it is a well timed exercise, the Smart Stack turns into the primary view as an alternative of the watch face. Live Activities, like cellular orders, seem within the Smart Stack. Apple/Screenshot by CNETSome individuals discover that too intrusive. To disable it, in your watch open the Settings app, go to Smart Stack > Live Activities and switch off the Auto-Launch Live Activities possibility. You also can flip off Allow Live Activities in the identical display screen if you do not need them disrupting your watch expertise. Apple’s apps that use Live Activities are listed there if you wish to configure the setting per app, similar to making energetic timers seem however not media apps similar to Music. For third-party apps, open the Watch app in your iPhone, faucet Smart Stack and discover the settings there. Add and pin favourite widgets within the Smart Stack When the Smart Stack first appeared, its usefulness appeared hit and miss. Since then, Apple appears to have improved the algorithms that decide which widgets seem — as an alternative of it being an annoyance, I discover it does a great job of exhibiting me info in context. But you may as well pin widgets that may present up each time you open the stack. For instance, I take advantage of 10-minute timers for a variety of issues. Instead of opening the Timers app (through the App checklist or a complication), I added a single 10-minute timer to the Smart Stack. Here’s how: View the Smart Stack by turning the Digital Crown or swiping from the underside of the display screen.Tap the Edit button on the backside of the stack. (In WatchOS 11, contact and maintain the display screen to enter the edit mode.)Tap the + button and scroll to the app you wish to embrace (Timers, on this instance).Tap a tile so as to add it to the stack; for Timers, there is a Set Timer 10 minutes possibility.If you need it to look increased or decrease within the stack order, drag it up or down.Tap the checkmark button to simply accept the change. Add particular widgets to the Smart Stack. Apple/Screenshot by CNETThe widget seems within the stack however it could get pushed down in favor of different widgets the watch thinks ought to have precedence. In that case, you possibly can pin it to the highest of the checklist: While enhancing, faucet the yellow Pin button. That strikes it up however Live Activities can nonetheless take priority. Use the watch as a flashlight You’ve most likely used the flashlight function of your telephone dozens of occasions however do you know the Apple Watch will also be a flashlight? Instead of a devoted LED (which telephones additionally use as a digital camera flash), the watch’s full display screen turns into the sunshine emitter. It’s not as brilliant because the iPhone’s, nor are you able to regulate the beam width, nevertheless it’s completely sufficient for shifting round at the hours of darkness when you do not wish to disturb somebody sleeping. To activate the flashlight, press the facet button to view Control Center after which faucet the Flashlight button. That makes your complete display screen white — flip the Digital Crown to regulate the brightness. It even begins dimmed for a few seconds to provide you an opportunity to direct the sunshine away so it does not fry your eyes. Your Apple Watch can double as a hands-free flashlight. Apple/Screenshot by CNETThe flashlight additionally has two different modes: Swipe left to make the white display screen flash on a daily cadence or swipe once more to make the display screen brilliant crimson. The flashing model will be particularly useful if you’re strolling or operating at night time to make your self extra seen to autos. Press the Digital Crown to show off the Flashlight and return to the clock face. Pause your Exercise rings should you’re touring or ailing Closing your train, motion and standing rings will be nice motivation for being extra energetic. Sometimes, although, your physique has different plans. Until WatchOS 11, should you turned ailing or wanted to be on a long-haul journey, any streak of closing these rings that you just constructed up could be dashed. Now, the watch is extra forgiving (and sensible), letting you pause your rings with out disrupting the streak. Open the Activity app and faucet the Weekly Summary button within the top-left nook. Scroll all the best way to the underside (take a second to admire your progress) and faucet the Pause Rings button. Or, should you do not want that further validation, faucet the center of the rings after which faucet Pause Rings. You can select to pause them for at this time, till subsequent week or month, or set a customized variety of days. Give your self a break when wanted and pause your train rings. Apple/Screenshot by CNETWhen you are able to get again into your actions, go to the identical location and faucet Resume Rings. Bypass the countdown to begin a exercise Many exercises begin with a three-second countdown to prep you to be able to go. That’s advantageous and all, however often when I’m doing an Outdoor Walk exercise, for instance, my toes are already on the transfer. Instead of shedding these steps, faucet the countdown as soon as to bypass it and get proper to the calorie burn. How to force-quit an app (and why you’d wish to) Don’t neglect, the Apple Watch is a small laptop in your wrist and each laptop can have glitches. Every infrequently, as an illustration, an app could freeze or behave erratically. On a Mac or iPhone, it is simple to pressure a recalcitrant app to stop and restart, nevertheless it’s not as obvious on the Apple Watch. Here’s how: Double-press the Digital Crown to convey up the checklist of latest apps.Scroll to the one you wish to stop by turning the crown or dragging along with your finger.Swipe left on the app till you see a big crimson X button.Tap the X button to force-quit the app. You can force-quit an app on the Apple Watch. Apple/Screenshot by CNETKeep in thoughts that is just for occasions when an app has really crashed — as on the iPhone, there is not any profit to manually quitting apps. These are a few of my favourite Apple Watch suggestions, however there’s much more to the favored smartwatch. Be positive to additionally take a look at why the Apple Watch SE 3 might be the sleeper hit of this yr’s lineup and Vanessa Hand Orellana’s go to to the labs the place Apple assessments how the watches talk.
