Seven Useful Tips Every Apple Watch Owner Should Know

[MacRumors]

There are lots of hidden shortcuts and features that have gone under the radar in watchOS, the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch.

In our latest video over on YouTube, we've rounded up some Apple Watch tips and tricks that every Apple Watch owner should know. You may already be aware of some of these tips, but there's likely to be a few new things here for MacRumors readers.

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• Get to Control Center/Notifications Quickly - Swiping down on the Apple Watch's screen opens Notifications while swiping up opens up the Control Center, which everyone knows. But you can also quickly get to Control Center or your Notifications when using an app by pressing at the edge of the screen, holding for a second, and then dragging upwards or downwards.
• Locate a Missing iPhone - In the Control Center, if you press on the icon that looks like an iPhone, it will cause your iPhone to play a sound so you can find it if it's gone missing. If you long press on the button, it will also light up the flash, making it even easier to find a misplaced iPhone.
• Use Apple Watch as a TV Remote - If you've lost your Apple TV Remote, no worries. The Apple Watch works as a replacement if you download the Apple TV Remote app on your iPhone. It's easier than using an iPhone because the watch is always right on your wrist.
• Change Your App Layout - App grids look pretty on the Apple Watch, but can make it difficult when you just want to get to an app quickly. If you long press on the Apple Watch Home screen with the grid view open, you can swap over to a list view that lists all of the apps on your Apple Watch in alphabetical order. Scroll through them with a swipe or with the Digital Crown to find what you're seeking.
• Unlock Your Mac With Apple Watch - If you have a mid-2013 or newer Mac you can set your Apple Watch to unlock it automatically, which means you don't need to enter your password. It's super handy and can be enabled in your Mac's settings under Security & Privacy. The Apple Watch needs to be unlocked for this to work and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth need to be enabled, as does two-factor authentication. Apple has a full list of requirements.
• Scribble Predictive Text - The Scribble feature in Messages lets you spell out words on your Apple Watch, but it can be a hassle to write out long messages. If you spell out a few letters of a word, though, you can turn the Digital Crown to get some text predictions to speed things up.
• Turn Off Audio Controls - When you play audio on your iPhone, your Apple Watch defaults to offering up music controls front and center, which can be annoying if you want to do other things on your Apple Watch. You can turn off this feature in the Settings app by going to General > Wake Screen > and disabling "Auto-Launch Audio Apps."

Know of other useful Apple Watch tips that we didn't share in today's article? Let us know in the comments and we might include them in future tips and tricks coverage.

Article Link: Seven Useful Tips Every Apple Watch Owner Should Know

 

[otozuz]

Nice article and video. I wasn't aware of 2-3 tips!

 

[noraa]

I did not know about accessing Control/Notification Center from any app, that is super useful!

 

[otozuz]

Apple UI designers are pushing for a new iMac without giant bezels

 

[jim001]

My favorite tip not listed there is that you can use your nose to interact with your watch when your hands are full/messy.

 

[Unity451]

My favorite tip not listed there is that you can use your nose to interact with your watch when your hands are full/messy.

Truth. #powerusertip

 

[decypher44]

My favorite tip not listed there is that you can use your nose to interact with your watch when your hands are full/messy.

Glad to see I’m not the only one! Haha

As for the tips, THANK YOU for the audio controls!! I didn’t know you could turn that off.

 

[drumcat]

How do you get seconds on the Modular face? (Spoiler: you can't... for no good reason at all.)

The fact there's no face designer software is the biggest miss right now... I'm sure they're holding onto that for when they think they have nothing new.

 

[7thson]

Did not know the first one. Very good to know. Thanks!

 

[Cmd-Z]

My favorite, 'Flashlight' from Control Center has come in handy on more than one occasion when trying to unlock a door in a dark area.

2nd favorite is using the Camera remote while slipping the iPhone camera into a hard to reach area, allowing you to view things you couldn't otherwise see.

 

[0947347]

My favorite tip not listed there is that you can use your nose to interact with your watch when your hands are full/messy.

Finally!
I thought I was the only “nosy” one

 

[Swimrlad]

Is the feature to access control center in an app exclusive to watchos 5 and up? Can’t do it on my series 0

 

[rjp1]

I've been using an Apple Watch since the original, and didn't know most of these. Good tips!

 

[Apple_Robert]

Even though I was already aware of the tips, I appreciate the article. MR needs to do more educational videos.

 

[rjp1]

My favorite tip not listed there is that you can use your nose to interact with your watch when your hands are full/messy.

I've done this many times.

 

[MEJHarrison]

I knew about finding the phone, but not the long press causing the flash to go off! Not sure if I knew the Apple TV remote one or not, but if so, I've forgotten and never played with it. I also didn't know about the predictive text when scribbling a message.

Good article!

 

[Denver M]

I find it convenient to use the digital crown to adjust volume, when audio controls are on.

 

[cmoore56]

I love that, too! Good to know that I’m not the only one

 

[montycat]

Great tips, thanks

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

Great list of tips for someone who may not be as aware of all the features of the Watch! I would recommend saying "force press" instead of "long press" for switching the app views from honeycomb to list view. A long press on the honeycomb view actually causes your app icons to shake, indicating they can be dragged around and relocated, much like iOS.

 

[siddavis]

Does anyone else have issues with the Mac unlock feature? It only works for me some of the time and I cannot pinpoint why or what the difference is in the situations.

 

[groove-agent]

Thanks MR, I really dislike the honeycomb mode. The list mode is much better.

 

[MEJHarrison]

Does anyone else have issues with the Mac unlock feature? It only works for me some of the time and I cannot pinpoint why or what the difference is in the situations.

It's hit and miss with me. Usually hit these days. Many times, when it fails, I just hit the Esc(ape) key which puts it back to sleep and try again. Usually that works. But like all Apple devices, I do believe every once in a while you need to enter the password regardless.

 

[2013.1]

My favorite, 'Flashlight' from Control Center has come in handy on more than one occasion when trying to unlock a door in a dark area.

2nd favorite is using the Camera remote while slipping the iPhone camera into a hard to reach area, allowing you to view things you couldn't otherwise see.

I do that too

 

[Shanghaichica]

Does anyone else have issues with the Mac unlock feature? It only works for me some of the time and I cannot pinpoint why or what the difference is in the situations.

I have the same issues. Always have done with my series 0 and series 3 Apple Watch. . I upgraded to the series 4 Apple Watch about 3 weeks ago and I’ve not been able to get the feature to work at all yet.