The 'friends' button is useless...here's how it SHOULD work

[Kavier]

I like the idea of being able to customize that button to do other things. Someone in another thread suggested it could be a shortcut to frequently used apps which I really like.

 

[TallManNY]

Of course, for the vast majority of Apple Watch users (those of us who don't live in the U.S.), ApplePay doesn't work, so 1/3 of that button's functionality is completely wasted.

This is probably a short term issue. Apple Pay is great. It just needs to be accepted in more places. And available overseas. Complain to your bank if they don't support it.

 

[starbot]

TL;DR, but agree completely with the sentiment of the OP... I tap that button twice quite often, and press and hold it (then another hold from there for force quit).

I've never used the friends crap and definitely would prefer it as a wake/sleep.

No one else finds the palm cover to sleep thing akward and unnatural? In fact, even tap to wake is kind of too much movement for me-- too ostentatious(maybe not the exact word I'm looking for but..)

 

[mightyjabba]

I've never used the friends crap and definitely would prefer it as a wake/sleep.

No one else finds the palm cover to sleep thing akward and unnatural? In fact, even tap to wake is kind of too much movement for me-- too ostentatious(maybe not the exact word I'm looking for but..)

There's really no need to intentionally put your watch to sleep, though. Just leave it alone when you're done with it and it'll go to sleep very quickly. It's not like you have to be doing the palm cover thing dozens of times a day. And I'm not sure how tapping the screen to wake it is any different than pressing a button.

Still, I would support adding the option to use the button as sleep/wake if you didn't want to use the wrist raise feature, as long as you could also choose to assign it to an app, etc.

 

[mavis]

This is probably a short term issue. Apple Pay is great. It just needs to be accepted in more places. And available overseas. Complain to your bank if they don't support it.

Actually, I should complain to Apple that they don't support the industry standards here in Japan (NFC payments have been around for ages, here) but we both know how much good that would do.

 

[mitchleeh]

tap the screen with a finger to wake it up and tap your palm on the screen to sleep it. I do this countless times every day. I don't use the raise to wake feature.

I don't have my watch yet, but can agree with this, I also think that having a dedicated button for friends may not be the most useful. What if it were a customizable button? Maybe to pull up my fav app, or to quickly get to an important glance. Again, don't have a watch, so I may be wrong.

 

[J.gerbes]

I don't have my watch yet, but can agree with this, I also think that having a dedicated button for friends may not be the most useful. What if it were a customizable button? Maybe to pull up my fav app, or to quickly get to an important glance. Again, don't have a watch, so I may be wrong.

It'll be interesting to see how your opinion changes.

 

[kingofwale]

not completely useless, I used it once in first day to send my friend some drawing.

I would like to see it either removed or turn into a shortcut button. the entire "friend list" is as useless as sending heartbeat to each other

 

[coolerkid]

Totally useless, I agree. I never use this to access my friends, and certainly don't need a dedicated button for it. I'm guessing Apple did this because they really want people to use this feature because it creates a new communication method that you can only do on the Apple Watch, forcing others to buy one if they want to participate. Only problem is the doodle, heartbeat, ect. are silly and useless. Also confusing because they use this style button as the power button on the iPhone.

 

[A MacBook lover]

TL;DR, but agree completely with the sentiment of the OP... I tap that button twice quite often, and press and hold it (then another hold from there for force quit).

I've never used the friends crap and definitely would prefer it as a wake/sleep.

No one else finds the palm cover to sleep thing akward and unnatural? In fact, even tap to wake is kind of too much movement for me-- too ostentatious(maybe not the exact word I'm looking for but..)

I thought it was just me!!! Tapping to wake the device doesn't seem natural no matter how many times I do it.

Covering to sleep seems the same way.

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There's really no need to intentionally put your watch to sleep, though. Just leave it alone when you're done with it and it'll go to sleep very quickly. It's not like you have to be doing the palm cover thing dozens of times a day. And I'm not sure how tapping the screen to wake it is any different than pressing a button.

Still, I would support adding the option to use the button as sleep/wake if you didn't want to use the wrist raise feature, as long as you could also choose to assign it to an app, etc.

One application is at a movie, I couldn't figure out how to make it turn off manually until a macrumors member mentioned the palm cover trick, which is unnatural if you ask me.

 

[Cuyler]

There's really no need to intentionally put your watch to sleep, though. Just leave it alone when you're done with it and it'll go to sleep very quickly. It's not like you have to be doing the palm cover thing dozens of times a day. And I'm not sure how tapping the screen to wake it is any different than pressing a button.

Still, I would support adding the option to use the button as sleep/wake if you didn't want to use the wrist raise feature, as long as you could also choose to assign it to an app, etc.

I agree completely. It's easy to turn on and off the screen manually (or just let the screen timeout). I'm confused why people think they need an on/off button. Since touching the display itself acts as an on/off button, dedicating the side button also do this would be useless.

I see tapping or covering the screen as more natural and easier than hunting for the small side button.

...I never use this to access my friends, and certainly don't need a dedicated button for it. I'm guessing Apple did this because they really want people to use this feature because it creates a new communication method that you can only do on the Apple Watch, forcing others to buy one if they want to participate. Only problem is the doodle, heartbeat, ect. are silly and useless...

You also use friends to send messages or start phone calls — although I assume the people complaining about the feature don't want to do that on their watch either.

You might be right about Apple wanting to make the digital touch features easy to access — it is one of the more unique features of the Apple Watch (although AndroidWear has now added similar functions).

 

[Vundu]

I agree it is a total waste having a button dedicated just to friends. Only used it a couple of times.

 

[Cuyler]

I agree it is a total waste having a button dedicated just to friends. Only used it a couple of times.

It could be true that it's absolutely stupid and wasteful feature that very few people will use. However, it is no exaggeration to say there are millions of people using the Apple Watch — just because you or I don't use a particular feature doesn't mean other people won't.

 

[TallManNY]

It could be true that it's absolutely stupid and wasteful feature that very few people will use. However, it is no exaggeration to say there are millions of people using the Apple Watch — just because you or I don't use a particular feature doesn't mean other people won't.

Do you think two million Apple Watches have been shipped at this point? I'm skeptical considering many pre-orders from April 10 still have not been filled.

 

[A MacBook lover]

It could be true that it's absolutely stupid and wasteful feature that very few people will use. However, it is no exaggeration to say there are millions of people using the Apple Watch — just because you or I don't use a particular feature doesn't mean other people won't.

And just because you use it, doesn't mean other people will. It goes both ways you know.

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also use friends to send messages or start phone calls — although I assume the people complaining about the feature don't want to do that on their watch either.

Bear in mind that when inititiating a text from the friends circle, it does not show the previous conversation. So if you need to remember what you or your party said last, you'd have to open the messaging app.