So you have to pick between sleep tracking and flashlight access?

[MBHockey]

Coming from a Garmin Epix, where i had a dedicated flashlight button that worked the same regardless of whether or not the watch was in sleep mode, i find this choice problematic. Is there any solution?

It seems with the AWU2 when you put on Sleep Focus so that your sleep is tracked you lose easy access to the flashlight feature if you have the orange action button mapped to that. So at night, when i'm half asleep and the baby has gotten up for the third time, i have to first 'unlock' the watch by spinning the crown, then hit the action button for the flashlight? That is incredibly annoying to do in the dark.

How in the world has Apple left this design decision in? At least let us change the Long Press for siren to the flashlight feature while sleeping. This button his pretty hard to hit while you are asleep anyway given how flush it is with the side of the case.

Do i have this right?

 

[jz0309]

Coming from a Garmin Epix, where i had a dedicated flashlight button that worked the same regardless of whether or not the watch was in sleep mode, i find this choice problematic. Is there any solution?

It seems with the AWU2 when you put on Sleep Focus so that your sleep is tracked you lose easy access to the flashlight feature if you have the orange action button mapped to that. So at night, when i'm half asleep and the baby has gotten up for the third time, i have to first 'unlock' the watch by spinning the crown, then hit the action button for the flashlight? That is incredibly annoying to do in the dark.

How in the world has Apple left this design decision in? At least let us change the Long Press for siren to the flashlight feature while sleeping. This button his pretty hard to hit while you are asleep anyway given how flush it is with the side of the case.

Do i have this right?

Seems that way.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/awu-flashlight-at-night.2397488/

 

[jetsam]

Coming from a Garmin Epix, where i had a dedicated flashlight button that worked the same regardless of whether or not the watch was in sleep mode, i find this choice problematic. Is there any solution?

It seems with the AWU2 when you put on Sleep Focus so that your sleep is tracked you lose easy access to the flashlight feature if you have the orange action button mapped to that. So at night, when i'm half asleep and the baby has gotten up for the third time, i have to first 'unlock' the watch by spinning the crown, then hit the action button for the flashlight? That is incredibly annoying to do in the dark.

How in the world has Apple left this design decision in? At least let us change the Long Press for siren to the flashlight feature while sleeping. This button his pretty hard to hit while you are asleep anyway given how flush it is with the side of the case.

Do i have this right?

I use the Auto-Sleep app, which detects and tracks sleep without having to do anything. I can now use the action button to turn on the flashlight and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without tripping over anything (and waking SWMBO).

It's a paid app. I see it's now up to $9 (I got it for $5), as a one-time purchase. But I'd pay the $9 if I hadn't already bought it.

 

[Howard2k]

You don’t have to use sleep focus to track sleep.

 

[doogm]

I use the Auto-Sleep app, which detects and tracks sleep without having to do anything. I can now use the action button to turn on the flashlight and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without tripping over anything (and waking SWMBO).

It's a paid app. I see it's now up to $9 (I got it for $5), as a one-time purchase. But I'd pay the $9 if I hadn't already bought it.

AutoSleep is a good app, but if you merely want the ability to automatically detect sleep, without sleep focus, Sleep++ is free (with ads; you can pay a one-time purchase to disable the ads in the app.)

You don’t have to use sleep focus to track sleep.

You also don't need to use the special sleep screen watch face. On the iPhone, Settings / Focus / Sleep. Tap "Options" under "Customize Screens". Turn off "Sleep Screen".

 

[kitKAC]

i have to first 'unlock' the watch by spinning the crown

Which watchOS are you using? All you have to do is press the Crown to unlock the watch now.

 

[poofdadz]

Coming from a Garmin Epix, where i had a dedicated flashlight button that worked the same regardless of whether or not the watch was in sleep mode, i find this choice problematic. Is there any solution?

It seems with the AWU2 when you put on Sleep Focus so that your sleep is tracked you lose easy access to the flashlight feature if you have the orange action button mapped to that. So at night, when i'm half asleep and the baby has gotten up for the third time, i have to first 'unlock' the watch by spinning the crown, then hit the action button for the flashlight? That is incredibly annoying to do in the dark.

How in the world has Apple left this design decision in? At least let us change the Long Press for siren to the flashlight feature while sleeping. This button his pretty hard to hit while you are asleep anyway given how flush it is with the side of the case.

Do i have this right?

You don't have to spin the crown to unlock the watch. Learn how to use your device before complaining. Also, all you do is push the crown and then action button and the flashlight turns on, if you have the action button set for that. This is trivial even if you're half asleep - I do it often. Perhaps you should return to your Garmin if the Apple watch is so hard for you to use?

 

[MBHockey]

You don’t have to use sleep focus to track sleep.

oh, i did not realize this. i thought this was a requirement of having your sleep tracked. thank you for clarifying!

 

[jz0309]

oh, i did not realize this. i thought this was a requirement of having your sleep tracked. thank you for clarifying!

I think auto sleep tracking was introduced with watchOS 11…
I’m a creature of habit so I invoke my sleep tracking manually, also in part due to my preference of the screen off.
The other night I forgot, I woke up at like 1:30 or so and noticed my watch face was on so I put it in sleep mode then. It did record my sleep from about the time I went to bed though …

 

[WilliApple]

Garmin is just far ahead of Apple. I will be getting a Garmin Forerunner 275 as soon as it comes out. The only way for me to go back to Apple Watch is if they prioritize battery and L5 GPS on standard models. We got Garmin with a few weeks of battery over here while Apple is just behind in both of those regards.

I would argue that the current battery life on Apple Watch is the new 8 GB of Ram.

 

[Parowdy]

You don’t have to use sleep focus to track sleep.

But using sleep focus can be much more convenient, I like the dim and simple watch face and that raise to wake and touch input are disabled. It’s also more compatible with shortcuts and automations instead of using theater mode at night.

 

[doogm]

But using sleep focus can be much more convenient, I like the dim and simple watch face and that raise to wake and touch input are disabled. It’s also more compatible with shortcuts and automations instead of using theater mode at night.

I always hated the long-press to disable the sleep screen before watchOS 11, so I created shortcut automations that turned on theater mode, and turned off always-on display and raise to wake when sleep focus started and toggled them back when sleep focus ended. (It also switched to a specific red-colored Modular Ultra watch face when sleep focus started.)

Now I just use the sleep screen since a simple press of the crown shows the watch face.

 

[ignatius345]

I use the Auto-Sleep app, which detects and tracks sleep without having to do anything. I can now use the action button to turn on the flashlight and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without tripping over anything (and waking SWMBO).

It's a paid app. I see it's now up to $9 (I got it for $5), as a one-time purchase. But I'd pay the $9 if I hadn't already bought it.

Interesting! Does it detect naps? Any false positives?

 

[jz0309]

Interesting! Does it detect naps? Any false positives?

yes, it doesn't detect naps though there are mixed posts on that here, for some it seems to work but not for others

Edit: should say "it does detect naps ..."

 

[ignatius345]

yes, it doesn't detect naps though there are mixed posts on that here, for some it seems to work but not for others

LOL, I'm terrible at napping anyway. Just bought it, and for $1 more added in the same developer's heart monitoring app as well.

 

[jz0309]

LOL, I'm terrible at napping anyway. Just bought it, and for $1 more added in the same developer's heart monitoring app as well.

my response should have read: "it does detect naps ..."
sorry about that typo

I don't do naps so no 1st hand experience.

What app did you get?

 

[v0lume4]

oh, i did not realize this. i thought this was a requirement of having your sleep tracked. thank you for clarifying!

They only just added it in watchOS 11. I just got an Apple Watch (SE 2) for the first time and I’m learning all this myself. It tracked my sleep last night, no sleep focus and no sleep schedule set up. It just knew when I fell asleep.

 

[ignatius345]

my response should have read: "it does detect naps ..."
sorry about that typo

I don't do naps so no 1st hand experience.

What app did you get?

The Auto-Sleep app that someone was mentioning above.

 

[transpo1]

You don't have to spin the crown to unlock the watch. Learn how to use your device before complaining. Also, all you do is push the crown and then action button and the flashlight turns on, if you have the action button set for that. This is trivial even if you're half asleep - I do it often. Perhaps you should return to your Garmin if the Apple watch is so hard for you to use?

Come on— it’s absolutely idiotic that there’s not a way to use the Action Button when in Sleep Focus. Let’s not denigrate the OP’s instinct for design that actually makes sense. Apple has been missing on the Apple Watch UX/UI lately. It’s nearly impossible to double click the crown to get to the app switcher, too. There are some big software misses lately.

Edit: tested my iPhone 15 PM and the Action Button works when when in Sleep Focus. Why wouldn’t the watch be the same?

 

[wilderkun]

I mean you can’t track it sleep if you’re awake

 

[Ctrlos]

Coming from a Garmin Epix, where i had a dedicated flashlight button that worked the same regardless of whether or not the watch was in sleep mode, i find this choice problematic. Is there any solution?

It seems with the AWU2 when you put on Sleep Focus so that your sleep is tracked you lose easy access to the flashlight feature if you have the orange action button mapped to that. So at night, when i'm half asleep and the baby has gotten up for the third time, i have to first 'unlock' the watch by spinning the crown, then hit the action button for the flashlight? That is incredibly annoying to do in the dark.

How in the world has Apple left this design decision in? At least let us change the Long Press for siren to the flashlight feature while sleeping. This button his pretty hard to hit while you are asleep anyway given how flush it is with the side of the case.

Do i have this right?

I would invest in a few Eufy lights fron Anker. You can get a pack of 3 for about £15/$20 from Amazon and they run off of 3x AAA batteries for a year. You can screw or stick them just about anywhere and they automatically turn on if they detect motion.

Whack a few on the route to your babies' room and you'll never need to activate a torch ever again, just get up and out of bed under a soft light that won't wake anyone.

 

[DougiePhresh]

The level of first-world problem in this post is unbelievable 😂

You mean you have spin the crown and then press the action button? Totally unacceptable. How can anyone be expected to do those two extremely difficult actions in succession like that? Shame on Apple.

 

[brofkand]

The level of first-world problem in this post is unbelievable 😂

You mean you have spin the crown and then press the action button? Totally unacceptable. How can anyone be expected to do those two extremely difficult actions in succession like that? Shame on Apple.

Do you have a worthwhile comment?

 

[brofkand]

Garmin is just far ahead of Apple. I will be getting a Garmin Forerunner 275 as soon as it comes out. The only way for me to go back to Apple Watch is if they prioritize battery and L5 GPS on standard models. We got Garmin with a few weeks of battery over here while Apple is just behind in both of those regards.

I would argue that the current battery life on Apple Watch is the new 8 GB of Ram.

Apple Watch battery life is horrible, that’s true.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Garmin is just far ahead of Apple. I will be getting a Garmin Forerunner 275 as soon as it comes out. The only way for me to go back to Apple Watch is if they prioritize battery and L5 GPS on standard models. We got Garmin with a few weeks of battery over here while Apple is just behind in both of those regards.

I would argue that the current battery life on Apple Watch is the new 8 GB of Ram.

Depends on what you use it for, as a long time garmin user, they are such a mess. Heck I still remember the brick I used to wear Garming fore runner 205, 305 and dropped them after Garmin forerunner 405 mess. As some one who has used Polar/garmin over last 20 years, there trade offs.