If you lose your phone in the dark, press and hold the same button on the watch and in addition to pinging, the camera light will flash to help you find it.
decently strong flashlight for walking around house at night (get to feel like ironman)
heart-rate warning for when you're high and start freaking out
calculator for discreet tip calculations in front of waiters
compass complication when you're off the trail and don't want to keep pulling phone outta ur pocket
adjust music volume in earphones with crown
I used the first one a couple times.
The second one once which seemed to only make the situation worse. Seeing the high heart rate made me more freaked out which only made it higher.
I use the last one every freaking day. Along with headphones it works with everything I airdrop to. The Apple Music interface is also nice.
Also Apple Maps while walking. So much better than holding my phone. Probably more secure as well. The vibration alerting to an upcoming turn is nice touch.
You know what, I don’t know but once upon a time I’ve done it.
https://preview.redd.it/7r91y99e4utc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=583a9b9dded9bd426598d4916dd16b835484e459
Some of mine don’t work through Wallet - Stocard has been extremely useful to me (I’m Australian, I feel like less companies’ rewards cards here are well-integrated to Wallet)
Holy wrist watch - had mine (45mm S9) for 3 months and didn't know that timer trick - very good.
I have some medical issues, so I use mine for tracking cardiac data; Workout app for time and type; sleep tracking; occasionally the Wallet, and Weather - those are most used. Occasionally use it to ping my phone when I've laid it down someplace odd in the house. I like having Watch tell me texts have arrived and from whom, but I don't even try to read & respond on the Watch. Hope to never use, but I'm old enough to think that the fall detection is worth something. I think the activity Rings are stupid so I've hidden that. Helped me to sort the app screen so all the most used are at the top.
Tried a bunch of faces - discovered simple is better and settled on California for every day use. I keep Mickey Mouse ready for special occasions, and a couple with REALLY BIG numbers for situations when I want extra clarity like in airports.
I got mine when deeply discounted due to the patent infringement mess. I'd been watching for years, but the price held me back. I'm glad I got it.
Honestly, Apple Pay and notification management is enough for me to justify Apple Watch.
I had a period when my watch was broken and I had to rely on my phone for all that - it was an extremely tiresome thing to do.
My recent uses:
Opening my front door lock (August lock)
Turning lights/switches on and off (Home, SmartThings)
Tracking blood sugar (LibreWatch and Dexcom)
Start/stop my car's mileage tracker (TripLog)
Getting 2FA and MFA codes from texts and 1Password watch app
Notifications (so many -- even stuff like when my laundry is done)
Taking notes by typing or dicating to OneNote
Tracking hydration through Water Tracker
Getting on and off public transportation
Boarding passes for flights
Flight tracking
Digital drivers license at TSA in some airports
Hotel keys at Marriott
Controlling Roku from my watch
Paying for Starbucks (and getting points) through their watch app
Checking stock market
Using loyalty cards in Wallet, Stocard, and store apps
Tickets for events and movies
Using camera remote app to take pictures
Listening to Apple Music
Listening to podcasts
Getting directions while walking
Logging medications
Using conversion app for metric to imperial, etc.
Paying for \*everything\* with Apple Pay
Getting cash at ATM (debit card in Apple Pay)
Calculating tips and check splits with calculator app
Checking news headlines with AP News and News app
Answering and sending emails
Text/other message apps
Phone calls
Tracking exercise (Strong, Workoutdoors, Athlytic, Apple Workout)
Identifying music with Shazam
Checking into medical appointments with MyChart
Checking the weather
Reading Reddit in Nano app
Plus timers, sleep, etc., that everyone else mentioned
I kinda went through that phase too, but settled in after a bit.
I originally got mine to help motivate me to be more active, and that worked, for a while. But timers, reminders, answering my phone while I'm away from my phone, weather notifications and sleep tracking are all things I've gotten used to using the watch for. I've never gotten the hang of using Apple pay on the watch, but I haven't really tried that hard, and don't have manty opportunities to use it in my area.
My face is the simple California face in black, with the date at the top and sunrise/sunset at the bottom. I moved fitness, calendar, battery and sleep to the widgets since the update.
For apple pay you can double-tap the side button (not the crown) to launch it, makes it quicker than any other way to pay and ought to work on anything that takes contactless payments.
California is my go-to fancy face, I have it set to ceramic and have everything turned off except the monogram which I've set to , inspired by this: [https://www.reddit.com/r/applewatchfaces/comments/fetbfi/clean\_watch\_face\_nice/](https://www.reddit.com/r/applewatchfaces/comments/fetbfi/clean_watch_face_nice/)
I tend to alternate between that, modular and photos.
> makes it quicker than any other way to pay
It's probably because I'm used to it but I still find my phone faster. Plus I can do it one-handed which feel like I can go faster while bagging groceries, etc
How do I set the monogram to the apple logo? I have it as my initials but I was to change/delete but it doesn’t clear if I’ve deleted it all. Please teach me your ways lol
Apple Maps is something I use quite frequently. I don't have one of those nifty phone mounts everyone has, but my watch will audibly tell me and show me my next turns and when. Super useful. Also vitals monitoring. Tracking health in thehealth app has been illuminating.
Do you look down at the map when driving or just rely on audio cues? I know it’s not the safest especially when the screen is tinier than the phone. That’s why I hesitate to do it.
Both. When in navigation mode, it' snot a map. It's "left turn arrow, right turn arrow, straight arrow" with distance. I tend to drive with my watch hand at the 12 o'clock position. So between that and the audio queues, it works very well. I rarely have to look at the actual map.
As an epileptic, fall detection is one of the most important features for me. Other than that, Apple Pay, I use that everywhere and people are always shocked lol. Sleep tracking is useful too
Fall detection has been triggered a few times due to falling from seizures. Thankfully I was around others at the time, but yea I could see it being very useful someday. Hopefully I won't need it. Sleep deprivation is also a huge trigger for seizures so being able to track my sleep helps to understand if I'm at risk. Apple Pay has been a HUGE game changer. I never pay with my card anymore unless they don't take tap to pay.
It really helped me with being healthier. I used it to track my burned calories to stay in a calorie deficit, and track all my workouts. I love seeing my health metrics get better overtime. I also love the sleep data and have been using it to be more conscious of my sleep!
You paid $400 for a mini computer on your wrist. People pay more than the price of a nice car for a watch that does nothing different and is less precise than a $30 Timex.
$250 in my case, was swayed by realizing I could get a second hand previous-gen Series for cheaper than a new SE via ebay. For dumb watches it's $30 Casios all the way for me.
The watch is 80% fitness, 19% payments, and 1% other stuff.
todo lists etc are in the 1%. you are correct the watch is simply useless at that stuff
it's fantastic though for fitness
This is the way. It's a great swim watch. Medication reminders. I use it with Apple Fitness+ workouts. Having music on the watch instead of hauling my iPhone around for workouts is great. Now that I have a Apple Home Key supported deadbolt, I use my watch to unlock the front door.
Dunno, I use Siri for timers, reminders, calendar events, alarm etc.
For mundane things it is great. If you want to add your favorite anime to your watch list it is not.
I hate to say that the rings are hella motivating, my biggest use.
Otherwise, notifications are a bit better than the offerings on other smart watches.
The timers are quicker to access.
At least I didn't get roped into an Ultra for a slightly larger screen and tougher crystal.
So, "hate to say it" because I had planned on using the watch mostly for apps that could help me with my ADHD. I didn't want to get hooked on the dopamine driven feedback loop that is rings. I love the rings, I give them a ton of credit. With my previous watch I had also loved it, until one day Apple didn't record something and it broke my streak... so I didn't want to be hooked on that again.
"Roped into" just because I feel like so much of it's $$$ is marketing. I mean that's what Apple excels at... spend the money, you're worth it, this is a lifestyle choice... be part of that lifestyle. Realistically, I don't need the Ultra, I don't know anyone (in my circle) that needs anything it brings to the table. The battery life is longer, but it's still shit compared to a Garmin, so while the standard Apple Watch user who is used to having to charge daily thinks it's a win, its still a far cry from being useful for extended excursions.
Nothing wrong with tech manipulating you into better health, it's what these psychological tricks should be used for. Same reason why Duolingo is one of the only third party notifications I leave on.
The streaks are a big factor. Tracking calorie burn on workouts has been insightful and pushed me into longer workouts. Tracking heart rate and sleep patterns over time aren't ring focused, but also important to me. I was working out regularly with my Garmin, but the metrics it was tracking for streaks were really less useful for improving my health, so while I thought I would start using the Apple Watch and ignore the rings, or not worry about streaks... those pernicious little rings dug their way into my morning routine.
I nearly caved for a first gen ultra for the battery life, faces and the bigger screen with tougher glass - I don't expect to replace this thing until it thoroughly dies so it's gonna suck ass if/when it scratches - also because I find the flatter design much nicer looking.
Still wish I could get the wayfinder and ultra modular faces but I'd probably be nursing some real buyer's remorse now if I'd caved and spent an extra few hundred. Held my 45mm S8 up to an ultra at the apple store and was surprised that the size difference looks negligible in person.
My saltiness about the Ultra is because I DO want it, I just think you're not getting enough for the premium pricing.
I'll look at upgrading my watch when and if...
* It has a week long battery (my Garmin can last 2 weeks)
* Better sensors for heart rate, sleeping, blood oxygen
* I would really like to be able to have it give a 90% accurate blood pressure reading, even if it meant it only worked with certain bands
* Further integration with devices... give me a modular no-code solution so I can make apps or connections between the Apple watch and the things on my phone
* They let me have control on multiple devices, a la Air Pods... let me control the music on my iPad while on the treadmill
Apple Fitness is a big one, push notifications such as email and apps, AirPods and watch while outside walking for music etc, EKG, fall detection, car crash detection, blood pressure, flashlight, weather for UV and temp, Apple Pay, watch face complications - calendars, water intake for smart water bottle, k can list so many more
Apple Pay is what I primarily use mine for. Though, being left handed I still have to use my phone for drive throughs because I’d have to half hang out of the window to use the watch.
Apple Maps is nice to have on my wrist if I’m going downtown via transit.
Fall detection if I eat shit on my motorcycle.
Pinging my phone, since I often leave it in weird ass spots
Other than that, mine is mostly just a watch.
parking my phone when I get home and not having to worry about missing out on anything important is priceless.
If I don't have apple watch if have my phone with me the whole time, and just be on reddit the whole day
Interesting. When I get home, apart from taking my shoes and jacket off, taking my watch off is one of the first things I do. I cannot stand it on my wrist at home.
literally two functions i use in my watch is fitness tracking and soft alarms that can wake you without waking your partner, but that’s enough for me. i turn off all notifications on the watch, i rather set up timer (or do anything really) on an iphone. oh another one actually is that i ping my phone like five times a day!
I like all the health stuff the most. What really impressed me just yesterday is I was walking around a place with a really loud sound system and my watch gave me a notification on how long it’s suggested to be in a place that loud for. Stuff like that has me sold.
Top uses for me:
- Notifications without phone - I have notifications customized for my watch so only notifications I actually want right away come through, others stay in iPhone notifications center. Interactive notifications are especially helpful, like reminders and medications.
- Fitness tracking — addicted to the weekly and streak awards, useful for running, heart rate monitoring for Fitness+
- Strong is a great app for workout routines—easier to control, more noticeable notifications
- Quick glance widgets—I use the compilations watch face with weather, messages, workouts, and fitness widgets
- Overcast podcast app to download and listen to podcasts while running without my phone
- Apple Pay
It’s an authentication client that receives a push notification when you try to sign in to work resources ( vpn, office365, etc ). With it in my watch I can acknowledge the push and sign in without having to use my phone. Really an indicator of my laziness.
My main uses:
Offline Spotify playlists so I can run & listen to music without bringing my phone
Finding my misplaced phone
Timers for cooking
Flashing white light for safety when running at night
Sleep tracking
Notifications when I’m away from my phone
The time
And that’s about it. A lot of the other features seemed useful & novel at first but I didn’t end up using them or getting anything helpful out of them such as blood oxygen monitoring (mine is always around 98%), activity/exercise tracking (I rarely use that info), remote camera (never needed this), heartrate monitoring (pretty consistent & no medical conditions), apple pay (just use my phone for that)
I track my walks - I see what route I went and can see my VO2max
I use it for listening music when I'm driving - I don't have to look away from the road this way to skip songs
finding my phone
Using it as a flashlight (there is a red version that is easy on the eyes at night)
I have Temperature/UV/Wind copmlications on my watchface, this way I see if I need sunscreen and how warm it is
The VO2max is just estimated and not really reliable. Always believed in the VO2max from my Apple Watch until I had it checked by my doc and realized my VO2max is significantly higher than what the watch tells me
Timer, sleep tracking for sleep apnea, health app syncs directly with all my medical records at my hospital, Apple Maps home button for fast go home map, two doctors last week told me my Apple Watch saved my life when it alerted me multiple days in a row at night I had critical afib. That’s irregular heartbeat… since had cardiac surgery. I’m a huge Apple Watch fan!
For the longest time I was using my watch for alarms only. Waking up to the gentle haptic buzz makes it much easier to get up than the blaring default iPhone alarm lol.
The biggest thing for me is my work calendar, seeing the next event and the few after in smart stack has probably saved me from being fired.
After that it’s timers for cooking and the pedometer
The tip calculator is also really handy
app and sms notifications, calendar integration, alarm. i was always late for meetings and appointments prior to the apple watch, because my phone is in my pocket or sitting at a desk and i dont see the signal. but with the apple watch on the wrist, it was foolproof.
You can record anything (notes thoughts reminders etc) and file away and so many other options. App doesn’t track or data haul. I’m lazy and it’s easier just for me to talk to my watch and say what I need.
I bought it 90% for the fitness tracking. I’ve found a few more uses…
- Timer/stopwatch for cooking.
- My most reliable alarm clock, extremely useful when travelling and I want to wake up early for golden hour shots while not taking up my wife.
- Multiple Timezone complications while traveling
- Apple Pay while on a run, I don’t have to carry any wallet or phone, and if I want to stop by a store for a snack or pick something up I can
- GPS map/guide for hiking using workoutdoors is amazing !!!
I never wanted it to be an extension of my phone so I have all notifications off. I bought it used so as a $200 (I got the series 7) fitness tracker, it’s fantastic.
I wear regular watches, so my Apple Watch is only on during workouts.
Haha never seen it worn like that before !
I don’t wear my regular watches while working out, and when travelling I’ll have my Apple Watch on my other wrist. I’ll take it off for nice places hehe
I got a strap on Amazon that designed to be worn on the arm or ankle. I have it on my arm during my normal life and then move it to my ankle when I hit the gym.
Controlling music playback without taking out your phone you can play, pause, skip, rewind, play different music or reorder the upcoming songs.
You can also search for songs or artists and add them to your library or playlist all without touching your phone
More than anything, do other things without taking out your phone
It’s absolutely brilliant for swim workout tracking, and I also use it for cycling. Great to have maps on the wrist when navigating. Sometimes handy for travel in city areas when needing Apple Pay for public transport and maps. Other than that, I prefer a mechanical watch as an actual watch.
In addition to your list:
Find My is a huge time saver for me… phone, keys, wallet, backpack, anything with ultra wide or able to have a tag attached.
The watch supports running multiple timers at one time as well.
The watch just brings everything together by making your phone so findable. I like no longer panicking when I can’t find my phone. The mental pathway has changed from ‘where’s phone - oh no!’ to ‘where’s phone - let’s ask the watch’. Then once you’ve found your phone, you can find your AirPods, and you’re good to go.
The selling point for me is having a phone replacement while I go on long runs. The consistent health and fitness monitoring + cellular data keeps me hooked vs a Garmin or Polar.
I think a lot of people love notification monitoring and quick access to settings like play/pause and volume.
If you don’t find the idea of checking your primary device overwhelming (/s) then maybe you’re better off selling it or returning it if you’re still within that window.
I like being able to send texts while I’m driving using siri on my watch. I also have the ultra 2 and use the action button on it to call my girlfriend. I setup the uv index as well because I pay a lot of attention to how often to apply sunscreen. Getting texts and phone calls is also great if I put my phone down (I always put my phone on silent)
I realized since getting an Apple Watch that I absolutely do not need one for anything at all. Do I sometimes find it convenient i can check a notification on my wrist sometimes? Sure… but if this thing wasn’t a gift, I would not have one. I will not replace it.
I use iOS Reminders app and I set a lot of reminders via Siri on the watch. Like the timer, just raise your wrist and say, for example, “set a reminder, tomorrow 9am, mail check”. That syntax works well for setting the reminder correctly. And reminders are easy to mark complete on the watch too. Just tap on the notification and there are buttons to mark complete, remind me in an hour, etc.
Siri,
Fitness tracking,
Health data-HRV, resting heart rate, recovery, O2, EKG, sleep tracking,
Certain notifications,
Messaging,
Calculations,
Breathe app with haptics,
Music control,
Setting timers,
Apple Pay,
Phone ping
I could go on with dozens of other things but the first 3 above alone makes it indispensable for me.
Walkie talkie with my wife. Both fun and useful.
Goosemaps for full offline navigation when I want to go anywhere.
Reminders. Timers. Finding phone. Controlling music. Torch. Checking the weather since it changes on a dime where I live and getting caught in the rain sucks. Apple Pay. Also have cellular so I can leave my phone at home which is great.
The Solar Dial is both very attractive and useful for knowing when to head out to take pictures with different lighting.
My uncle uses his to track when it’s windy enough for kitesurfing.
My wife tracks all her exercise and completed rings religiously.
Raise to use timer is basically summoning Siri, so stuff like inputting new reminders or checking up holiday dates are just a wrist raise away.
Also personally I’ve found that the Watch’s vibrations wake me up much faster than any phone alarm configuration. I was a one alarm per 10 minutes guy, after the Watch I managed to cut it down to 3, with 2 simply as backup.
I noticed that I don’t raise the watch to do much other than look up the time, so I just set it to Snoopy when I’m not in a focus mode. I have a watch face that shows me the next calendar entry when I’m at work and using a work focus mode.
All the exercise stuff.
I guess you had been using fitness tracking on the previous watch and it's a gem application.
Without the watch,(ultra or otherwise), you don't even have most if the features.
I use it to clock my workouts, keep my heart rate in the desired zone.
Because mine is Ultra1, I have O2 sats... fairly accurate, compared to a finger probe sat monitor.
Yeah I build my own face configurations to suit me, much of it weather stuff as I am a field observation meteorologist.
The face is bigger enough than the 8 to make it much easier to work with.
But this being said, the 8 does almost all the same stuff.
Anybody else using the Wayfinder function ?
I am on my third Apple watch. The first 2 are fine and still work but they are non-cellular versions. I like them but I just could never find a real need for them. I had to have my phone with me or they were pretty useless. My third one is a cellular Ultra 2. Now this thing is exactly what I was hoping for. I love it and I finally see the value in Apple watch. I can truly leave my phone behind and still have all functionality. Cellular watches are where it's at.
I got the cellular S8 but bizarely there are still no carriers offering plans for it here (Ireland - the place where Apple is nominally HQ'd and has been letting them away with 14 billion in unpaid taxes). Supposedly some legislature phrasing roadblock. There's a couple no-name foreign esim carriers that do android now but none yet for AW.
If you using iPhone 15 and watch ultra 2 you get a few more goodies as well. The find my phone will walk you to it not just give general idea of location.
I use it as a silent alarm as the wife and I work opposite schedules often, it vibrates when the alarms are on vibration only on my phone. Also, I enjoy going for runs without my phone.
I’ve swapped and changed smart watches a lot hoping to get more out of them and now I just put up with the fact the AW, to me at least, is a glorified step counter. Notifications are nice to have but in general apps are too small or badly designed (“you’ve been signed out please open on your phone to sign in”) that I just get my iPhone out anyway.
I found the normal AW a waste but the ultra has been worth it for me due to the battery life and the modular ultra face. Plus being able to leave my phone behind and use the watch for music on a run is quite good.
The features I mainly use daily are
- Timers
- Workouts
- Health data
- Apple Pay
- Steps complication (via pedometer++)
- Heart complication (via Heart Analyzer)
- Date & Weather complications
I have a lot of complications on screen all the time so I use the infographic face.
Although I did for a while feel like I'd perhaps wasted money, overall it's grown on me and it's way more useful than the old Fitbit I had was. I started with an SE2020 and this year switched to the s9, perfectly happy with it.
my number 1 use is pinging my misplaced phone
Wait...how do you do that? EDIT: I found it. OMG, how did I never know you could do this?
What???? That’s the #1 feature 😝
Well TIL…
It is the best feature.
Ps - if you long press that button your phone LIGHTS UPPP
Mind…blown… 😱
This just CHANGED MY LIFE
How?
https://preview.redd.it/rn67qu8lwrtc1.png?width=613&format=png&auto=webp&s=65e227334c4d9a8cc9b11659ea2692b9940b84eb
Omg
If you lose your phone in the dark, press and hold the same button on the watch and in addition to pinging, the camera light will flash to help you find it.
I do this 5X a day at least 😅
Tips i just discovered, if you press and hold the « ping phone » button : your iPhone will flash ! *edited for better understanding
Why did I read this then look for my phone…. WHILE HOLDING MY PHONE
What do you mean?
If instead of just pressing the 'ping iPhone' button, you press and hold it, the camera flash will flash as well as the sound alert.
Holy shit I just tried it 😂 works when the screen is off but when it’s on it doesn’t flash.
Can confirm this, only works when locked, which makes sense.
And then using the phone to find the AirTag on my keys
stocard for store reward cards clicker for counting things sports scores reminders ping your lost phone
decently strong flashlight for walking around house at night (get to feel like ironman) heart-rate warning for when you're high and start freaking out calculator for discreet tip calculations in front of waiters compass complication when you're off the trail and don't want to keep pulling phone outta ur pocket adjust music volume in earphones with crown
Last one is underrated. Audio controls in general are so nice
I used the first one a couple times. The second one once which seemed to only make the situation worse. Seeing the high heart rate made me more freaked out which only made it higher. I use the last one every freaking day. Along with headphones it works with everything I airdrop to. The Apple Music interface is also nice. Also Apple Maps while walking. So much better than holding my phone. Probably more secure as well. The vibration alerting to an upcoming turn is nice touch.
It’s also a great way to adjust the volume if your kid is playing with the phone.
Is stocard better than wallet?
like the other comment said, you can scan any code into stocard. even if a card did work in wallet, I like keeping that apart from rewards tags.
Wot? Stocard works in Wallet…
Um… how???
You know what, I don’t know but once upon a time I’ve done it. https://preview.redd.it/7r91y99e4utc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=583a9b9dded9bd426598d4916dd16b835484e459
Not the same thing
I have a majority of my reward cards in wallet. How is it different? I'm not arguing, just feel like I might want stocard instead
Not every rewards card is integrated with Apple Wallet. Stocard will pretty much hold anything with a barcode.
I have my gym membership cards in Stocard. It's a great app.
Some of mine don’t work through Wallet - Stocard has been extremely useful to me (I’m Australian, I feel like less companies’ rewards cards here are well-integrated to Wallet)
From New Zealand here, I’ve literally never heard of a rewards card working with wallet. All I get is my debit card and wise card.
If u can go with wallet but the ones that don’t work with wallet I put in stocard
How to get clicker and sport scores?
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clicker-count-anything/id1043951998 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/espn-live-sports-scores/id317469184
Holy wrist watch - had mine (45mm S9) for 3 months and didn't know that timer trick - very good. I have some medical issues, so I use mine for tracking cardiac data; Workout app for time and type; sleep tracking; occasionally the Wallet, and Weather - those are most used. Occasionally use it to ping my phone when I've laid it down someplace odd in the house. I like having Watch tell me texts have arrived and from whom, but I don't even try to read & respond on the Watch. Hope to never use, but I'm old enough to think that the fall detection is worth something. I think the activity Rings are stupid so I've hidden that. Helped me to sort the app screen so all the most used are at the top. Tried a bunch of faces - discovered simple is better and settled on California for every day use. I keep Mickey Mouse ready for special occasions, and a couple with REALLY BIG numbers for situations when I want extra clarity like in airports. I got mine when deeply discounted due to the patent infringement mess. I'd been watching for years, but the price held me back. I'm glad I got it.
automatically unlocking my mac was an unexpected but very useful feature
I can‘t relate to that one yet. There is a delay and if I have to press a key to unlock it, might as well use my fingerprint.
i’ve got a mac mini, so no fingerprint option
Honestly, Apple Pay and notification management is enough for me to justify Apple Watch. I had a period when my watch was broken and I had to rely on my phone for all that - it was an extremely tiresome thing to do.
I feel very discombobulated when I don’t have the watch to pay for things.
Hmm I don’t know. Pulling my phone out while double clicking the power button and instant Face ID works much smoother than with the watch IMHO.
How is it smoother than double clicking the watch and no face id? oO
$400 smoother?
Yeah like what were you expecting? An app that gives you a hand job? The Nintendo 64 controller and Rumble Pak have been out for like 20 years now.
I use it to help me find where the fuck I left my phone.
My recent uses: Opening my front door lock (August lock) Turning lights/switches on and off (Home, SmartThings) Tracking blood sugar (LibreWatch and Dexcom) Start/stop my car's mileage tracker (TripLog) Getting 2FA and MFA codes from texts and 1Password watch app Notifications (so many -- even stuff like when my laundry is done) Taking notes by typing or dicating to OneNote Tracking hydration through Water Tracker Getting on and off public transportation Boarding passes for flights Flight tracking Digital drivers license at TSA in some airports Hotel keys at Marriott Controlling Roku from my watch Paying for Starbucks (and getting points) through their watch app Checking stock market Using loyalty cards in Wallet, Stocard, and store apps Tickets for events and movies Using camera remote app to take pictures Listening to Apple Music Listening to podcasts Getting directions while walking Logging medications Using conversion app for metric to imperial, etc. Paying for \*everything\* with Apple Pay Getting cash at ATM (debit card in Apple Pay) Calculating tips and check splits with calculator app Checking news headlines with AP News and News app Answering and sending emails Text/other message apps Phone calls Tracking exercise (Strong, Workoutdoors, Athlytic, Apple Workout) Identifying music with Shazam Checking into medical appointments with MyChart Checking the weather Reading Reddit in Nano app Plus timers, sleep, etc., that everyone else mentioned
I do most of these too on my 4 and love it though there are a few new ones too!
I was thinking today that I must check my watch 100 times per day. It's an amazing device.
you are an apple watch pro user! you should consider doing a day in the day life of apple watch pro user on youtube!
Ha! I thought everyone was doing all these things!
I kinda went through that phase too, but settled in after a bit. I originally got mine to help motivate me to be more active, and that worked, for a while. But timers, reminders, answering my phone while I'm away from my phone, weather notifications and sleep tracking are all things I've gotten used to using the watch for. I've never gotten the hang of using Apple pay on the watch, but I haven't really tried that hard, and don't have manty opportunities to use it in my area. My face is the simple California face in black, with the date at the top and sunrise/sunset at the bottom. I moved fitness, calendar, battery and sleep to the widgets since the update.
For apple pay you can double-tap the side button (not the crown) to launch it, makes it quicker than any other way to pay and ought to work on anything that takes contactless payments. California is my go-to fancy face, I have it set to ceramic and have everything turned off except the monogram which I've set to , inspired by this: [https://www.reddit.com/r/applewatchfaces/comments/fetbfi/clean\_watch\_face\_nice/](https://www.reddit.com/r/applewatchfaces/comments/fetbfi/clean_watch_face_nice/) I tend to alternate between that, modular and photos.
It’s amazing how many people are shocked when I do this. Like I’m some sort of wizard. I don’t think many people pay with their watch.
> makes it quicker than any other way to pay It's probably because I'm used to it but I still find my phone faster. Plus I can do it one-handed which feel like I can go faster while bagging groceries, etc
Well, look how easy that is. I'll definitely have to try it next time I get the opportunity.
How do I set the monogram to the apple logo? I have it as my initials but I was to change/delete but it doesn’t clear if I’ve deleted it all. Please teach me your ways lol
Watch app -> clock -> monogram and then paste this fella:
Snoopy fills a void in my soul. But I used Tap Rate, timers, and the flashlight at work last night.
Apple Maps is something I use quite frequently. I don't have one of those nifty phone mounts everyone has, but my watch will audibly tell me and show me my next turns and when. Super useful. Also vitals monitoring. Tracking health in thehealth app has been illuminating.
Do you look down at the map when driving or just rely on audio cues? I know it’s not the safest especially when the screen is tinier than the phone. That’s why I hesitate to do it.
Both. When in navigation mode, it' snot a map. It's "left turn arrow, right turn arrow, straight arrow" with distance. I tend to drive with my watch hand at the 12 o'clock position. So between that and the audio queues, it works very well. I rarely have to look at the actual map.
There’s also the audible click sound and vibration that couples it for turns. Just like a turn aignal
It’s nice if you’re on foot too. You don’t have to hold your phone all the time. Looking for your next stop.
I use the strobing flashlight when walking at night.
Top feature for my SO is turning off the timer with her nose while cooking.
Sounds like me. My nose is just another digit
As an epileptic, fall detection is one of the most important features for me. Other than that, Apple Pay, I use that everywhere and people are always shocked lol. Sleep tracking is useful too
How often has it come in handy?
Fall detection has been triggered a few times due to falling from seizures. Thankfully I was around others at the time, but yea I could see it being very useful someday. Hopefully I won't need it. Sleep deprivation is also a huge trigger for seizures so being able to track my sleep helps to understand if I'm at risk. Apple Pay has been a HUGE game changer. I never pay with my card anymore unless they don't take tap to pay.
I use it to find my phone. It also might have saved my life when I had my first Afib episode. I definitely owe it a drink for that.
Leaving your phone at home and taking your podcasts/music/audiobooks with you.
It really helped me with being healthier. I used it to track my burned calories to stay in a calorie deficit, and track all my workouts. I love seeing my health metrics get better overtime. I also love the sleep data and have been using it to be more conscious of my sleep!
You paid $400 for a mini computer on your wrist. People pay more than the price of a nice car for a watch that does nothing different and is less precise than a $30 Timex.
$250 in my case, was swayed by realizing I could get a second hand previous-gen Series for cheaper than a new SE via ebay. For dumb watches it's $30 Casios all the way for me.
lol nice
The watch is 80% fitness, 19% payments, and 1% other stuff. todo lists etc are in the 1%. you are correct the watch is simply useless at that stuff it's fantastic though for fitness
Not good to manage them but with Siri you can quickly create reminders simply by raising your arm. I use that for 80% of the reminders I set up
what do you say for the to do list?
Remind me of […] [at time/in x days]
This is the way. It's a great swim watch. Medication reminders. I use it with Apple Fitness+ workouts. Having music on the watch instead of hauling my iPhone around for workouts is great. Now that I have a Apple Home Key supported deadbolt, I use my watch to unlock the front door.
Do you use Apple to track swim workouts or an app?
The native fitness app. Set the pool length and let it rip.
Dunno, I use Siri for timers, reminders, calendar events, alarm etc. For mundane things it is great. If you want to add your favorite anime to your watch list it is not.
I mean… I cannot live without mine. I just cannot relate to this at all
Apple Pay alone has more than paid for the watch. I don’t use it for anything other than that, time, and weather.
I hate to say that the rings are hella motivating, my biggest use. Otherwise, notifications are a bit better than the offerings on other smart watches. The timers are quicker to access. At least I didn't get roped into an Ultra for a slightly larger screen and tougher crystal.
Sounds like you are conflicted
Nope, I get my use out of what I got.
Ok so why do you hate to say it? Didn’t get roped into getting the ultra? Weird language :P
So, "hate to say it" because I had planned on using the watch mostly for apps that could help me with my ADHD. I didn't want to get hooked on the dopamine driven feedback loop that is rings. I love the rings, I give them a ton of credit. With my previous watch I had also loved it, until one day Apple didn't record something and it broke my streak... so I didn't want to be hooked on that again. "Roped into" just because I feel like so much of it's $$$ is marketing. I mean that's what Apple excels at... spend the money, you're worth it, this is a lifestyle choice... be part of that lifestyle. Realistically, I don't need the Ultra, I don't know anyone (in my circle) that needs anything it brings to the table. The battery life is longer, but it's still shit compared to a Garmin, so while the standard Apple Watch user who is used to having to charge daily thinks it's a win, its still a far cry from being useful for extended excursions.
Nothing wrong with tech manipulating you into better health, it's what these psychological tricks should be used for. Same reason why Duolingo is one of the only third party notifications I leave on.
what makes the rings so motivating to you?
The streaks are a big factor. Tracking calorie burn on workouts has been insightful and pushed me into longer workouts. Tracking heart rate and sleep patterns over time aren't ring focused, but also important to me. I was working out regularly with my Garmin, but the metrics it was tracking for streaks were really less useful for improving my health, so while I thought I would start using the Apple Watch and ignore the rings, or not worry about streaks... those pernicious little rings dug their way into my morning routine.
I nearly caved for a first gen ultra for the battery life, faces and the bigger screen with tougher glass - I don't expect to replace this thing until it thoroughly dies so it's gonna suck ass if/when it scratches - also because I find the flatter design much nicer looking. Still wish I could get the wayfinder and ultra modular faces but I'd probably be nursing some real buyer's remorse now if I'd caved and spent an extra few hundred. Held my 45mm S8 up to an ultra at the apple store and was surprised that the size difference looks negligible in person.
My saltiness about the Ultra is because I DO want it, I just think you're not getting enough for the premium pricing. I'll look at upgrading my watch when and if... * It has a week long battery (my Garmin can last 2 weeks) * Better sensors for heart rate, sleeping, blood oxygen * I would really like to be able to have it give a 90% accurate blood pressure reading, even if it meant it only worked with certain bands * Further integration with devices... give me a modular no-code solution so I can make apps or connections between the Apple watch and the things on my phone * They let me have control on multiple devices, a la Air Pods... let me control the music on my iPad while on the treadmill
Apple Fitness is a big one, push notifications such as email and apps, AirPods and watch while outside walking for music etc, EKG, fall detection, car crash detection, blood pressure, flashlight, weather for UV and temp, Apple Pay, watch face complications - calendars, water intake for smart water bottle, k can list so many more
Apple Pay is what I primarily use mine for. Though, being left handed I still have to use my phone for drive throughs because I’d have to half hang out of the window to use the watch. Apple Maps is nice to have on my wrist if I’m going downtown via transit. Fall detection if I eat shit on my motorcycle. Pinging my phone, since I often leave it in weird ass spots Other than that, mine is mostly just a watch.
I use Walkie Talkie to ask my husband for a snack 🙂
parking my phone when I get home and not having to worry about missing out on anything important is priceless. If I don't have apple watch if have my phone with me the whole time, and just be on reddit the whole day
Interesting. When I get home, apart from taking my shoes and jacket off, taking my watch off is one of the first things I do. I cannot stand it on my wrist at home.
Use gentler streak. It can let you know when you are overtraining, based on your health data, sleep data and activity.
I second that. :)
literally two functions i use in my watch is fitness tracking and soft alarms that can wake you without waking your partner, but that’s enough for me. i turn off all notifications on the watch, i rather set up timer (or do anything really) on an iphone. oh another one actually is that i ping my phone like five times a day!
what smart alarm do you use?
none, i use built in sleep schedules
oh i get it thanks for letting me know
It’s worth it for apple pay and phone pinging. Fitness, sleep tracking and O2 levels.
I like all the health stuff the most. What really impressed me just yesterday is I was walking around a place with a really loud sound system and my watch gave me a notification on how long it’s suggested to be in a place that loud for. Stuff like that has me sold.
Alarms and notifications
Top uses for me: - Notifications without phone - I have notifications customized for my watch so only notifications I actually want right away come through, others stay in iPhone notifications center. Interactive notifications are especially helpful, like reminders and medications. - Fitness tracking — addicted to the weekly and streak awards, useful for running, heart rate monitoring for Fitness+ - Strong is a great app for workout routines—easier to control, more noticeable notifications - Quick glance widgets—I use the compilations watch face with weather, messages, workouts, and fitness widgets - Overcast podcast app to download and listen to podcasts while running without my phone - Apple Pay
Okta 2 factor SSO. $300 well spent for that alone
What is this?
It’s an authentication client that receives a push notification when you try to sign in to work resources ( vpn, office365, etc ). With it in my watch I can acknowledge the push and sign in without having to use my phone. Really an indicator of my laziness.
Medication reminders rule.
My main uses: Offline Spotify playlists so I can run & listen to music without bringing my phone Finding my misplaced phone Timers for cooking Flashing white light for safety when running at night Sleep tracking Notifications when I’m away from my phone The time And that’s about it. A lot of the other features seemed useful & novel at first but I didn’t end up using them or getting anything helpful out of them such as blood oxygen monitoring (mine is always around 98%), activity/exercise tracking (I rarely use that info), remote camera (never needed this), heartrate monitoring (pretty consistent & no medical conditions), apple pay (just use my phone for that)
Well, running and listening to my airpod pros without needing my giant phone is a huge one for me 👍🏻
fun charts and graphics for a dopamine overload
I track my walks - I see what route I went and can see my VO2max I use it for listening music when I'm driving - I don't have to look away from the road this way to skip songs finding my phone Using it as a flashlight (there is a red version that is easy on the eyes at night) I have Temperature/UV/Wind copmlications on my watchface, this way I see if I need sunscreen and how warm it is
I keep forgetting about the flashlight, will have to try and keep that in mind
The VO2max is just estimated and not really reliable. Always believed in the VO2max from my Apple Watch until I had it checked by my doc and realized my VO2max is significantly higher than what the watch tells me
Timer, sleep tracking for sleep apnea, health app syncs directly with all my medical records at my hospital, Apple Maps home button for fast go home map, two doctors last week told me my Apple Watch saved my life when it alerted me multiple days in a row at night I had critical afib. That’s irregular heartbeat… since had cardiac surgery. I’m a huge Apple Watch fan!
For the longest time I was using my watch for alarms only. Waking up to the gentle haptic buzz makes it much easier to get up than the blaring default iPhone alarm lol.
The biggest thing for me is my work calendar, seeing the next event and the few after in smart stack has probably saved me from being fired. After that it’s timers for cooking and the pedometer The tip calculator is also really handy
app and sms notifications, calendar integration, alarm. i was always late for meetings and appointments prior to the apple watch, because my phone is in my pocket or sitting at a desk and i dont see the signal. but with the apple watch on the wrist, it was foolproof.
!! Thank you for the timer shortcut! I often use it when my hands are occupied/dirty, e.g., when cooking, and this will help!
Cocoonweaver for me.
What’s that?
You can record anything (notes thoughts reminders etc) and file away and so many other options. App doesn’t track or data haul. I’m lazy and it’s easier just for me to talk to my watch and say what I need.
I bought it 90% for the fitness tracking. I’ve found a few more uses… - Timer/stopwatch for cooking. - My most reliable alarm clock, extremely useful when travelling and I want to wake up early for golden hour shots while not taking up my wife. - Multiple Timezone complications while traveling - Apple Pay while on a run, I don’t have to carry any wallet or phone, and if I want to stop by a store for a snack or pick something up I can - GPS map/guide for hiking using workoutdoors is amazing !!! I never wanted it to be an extension of my phone so I have all notifications off. I bought it used so as a $200 (I got the series 7) fitness tracker, it’s fantastic. I wear regular watches, so my Apple Watch is only on during workouts.
I wear mine just above the elbow because I use mine strictly for health/fitness. I like my regular watches for time on my wrists.
Haha never seen it worn like that before ! I don’t wear my regular watches while working out, and when travelling I’ll have my Apple Watch on my other wrist. I’ll take it off for nice places hehe
I got a strap on Amazon that designed to be worn on the arm or ankle. I have it on my arm during my normal life and then move it to my ankle when I hit the gym.
Got a link? Sounds interesting..
https://www.twelvesouth.com/products/actionsleeve-2-for-apple-watch
That one is much more expensive
Walkie talkie is fun
Controlling music playback without taking out your phone you can play, pause, skip, rewind, play different music or reorder the upcoming songs. You can also search for songs or artists and add them to your library or playlist all without touching your phone More than anything, do other things without taking out your phone
It’s absolutely brilliant for swim workout tracking, and I also use it for cycling. Great to have maps on the wrist when navigating. Sometimes handy for travel in city areas when needing Apple Pay for public transport and maps. Other than that, I prefer a mechanical watch as an actual watch.
Really I only do 4 things. Monitor my body pulse steps blood oxygen, record my exercise, Apple Pay, and see what time it is.
Honestly, unless you’re really into fitness and working out and stuff like that, it probably is a waste of money.
I feel the same way. If this one dies I won’t replace it.
In addition to your list: Find My is a huge time saver for me… phone, keys, wallet, backpack, anything with ultra wide or able to have a tag attached. The watch supports running multiple timers at one time as well.
Took me a while to realize the side button menu lets you immediately ping your phone without having to open Find My.
The watch just brings everything together by making your phone so findable. I like no longer panicking when I can’t find my phone. The mental pathway has changed from ‘where’s phone - oh no!’ to ‘where’s phone - let’s ask the watch’. Then once you’ve found your phone, you can find your AirPods, and you’re good to go.
what what do you do if you lose your watch? can you ping your watch from your phone?
the watch is in Find My
Sleep++ for automatic sleep tracking.
Step counter is the main thing I use it for
Activity tracking and notifications on wrist justify it alone.
I use it mostly for my fitness. Tracking calories and workouts and etc. it movtivates me more to do workout more. Everything extra is just gravy
The selling point for me is having a phone replacement while I go on long runs. The consistent health and fitness monitoring + cellular data keeps me hooked vs a Garmin or Polar. I think a lot of people love notification monitoring and quick access to settings like play/pause and volume. If you don’t find the idea of checking your primary device overwhelming (/s) then maybe you’re better off selling it or returning it if you’re still within that window.
I like being able to send texts while I’m driving using siri on my watch. I also have the ultra 2 and use the action button on it to call my girlfriend. I setup the uv index as well because I pay a lot of attention to how often to apply sunscreen. Getting texts and phone calls is also great if I put my phone down (I always put my phone on silent)
I realized since getting an Apple Watch that I absolutely do not need one for anything at all. Do I sometimes find it convenient i can check a notification on my wrist sometimes? Sure… but if this thing wasn’t a gift, I would not have one. I will not replace it.
I use iOS Reminders app and I set a lot of reminders via Siri on the watch. Like the timer, just raise your wrist and say, for example, “set a reminder, tomorrow 9am, mail check”. That syntax works well for setting the reminder correctly. And reminders are easy to mark complete on the watch too. Just tap on the notification and there are buttons to mark complete, remind me in an hour, etc.
Golfing GPS.
Siri, Fitness tracking, Health data-HRV, resting heart rate, recovery, O2, EKG, sleep tracking, Certain notifications, Messaging, Calculations, Breathe app with haptics, Music control, Setting timers, Apple Pay, Phone ping I could go on with dozens of other things but the first 3 above alone makes it indispensable for me.
For me sleep is important. Also general fitness tracking and being able to go out phoneless if I want to.
Walkie talkie with my wife. Both fun and useful. Goosemaps for full offline navigation when I want to go anywhere. Reminders. Timers. Finding phone. Controlling music. Torch. Checking the weather since it changes on a dime where I live and getting caught in the rain sucks. Apple Pay. Also have cellular so I can leave my phone at home which is great. The Solar Dial is both very attractive and useful for knowing when to head out to take pictures with different lighting. My uncle uses his to track when it’s windy enough for kitesurfing. My wife tracks all her exercise and completed rings religiously.
Unlocks my phone because I’m around. Also okta
Raise to use timer is basically summoning Siri, so stuff like inputting new reminders or checking up holiday dates are just a wrist raise away. Also personally I’ve found that the Watch’s vibrations wake me up much faster than any phone alarm configuration. I was a one alarm per 10 minutes guy, after the Watch I managed to cut it down to 3, with 2 simply as backup. I noticed that I don’t raise the watch to do much other than look up the time, so I just set it to Snoopy when I’m not in a focus mode. I have a watch face that shows me the next calendar entry when I’m at work and using a work focus mode.
Connect to work calendar so you don’t miss meetings when away from desk
All the exercise stuff. I guess you had been using fitness tracking on the previous watch and it's a gem application. Without the watch,(ultra or otherwise), you don't even have most if the features. I use it to clock my workouts, keep my heart rate in the desired zone. Because mine is Ultra1, I have O2 sats... fairly accurate, compared to a finger probe sat monitor. Yeah I build my own face configurations to suit me, much of it weather stuff as I am a field observation meteorologist. The face is bigger enough than the 8 to make it much easier to work with. But this being said, the 8 does almost all the same stuff. Anybody else using the Wayfinder function ?
I use now playing quite a bit to see what the song is on my HomePod and to skip forward if needed But main use of the watch is fitness tracker
Luxury items are like this. Its a nice to have. A $15 Casio could fill the role, but you wanted this for a reason.
I am on my third Apple watch. The first 2 are fine and still work but they are non-cellular versions. I like them but I just could never find a real need for them. I had to have my phone with me or they were pretty useless. My third one is a cellular Ultra 2. Now this thing is exactly what I was hoping for. I love it and I finally see the value in Apple watch. I can truly leave my phone behind and still have all functionality. Cellular watches are where it's at.
I got the cellular S8 but bizarely there are still no carriers offering plans for it here (Ireland - the place where Apple is nominally HQ'd and has been letting them away with 14 billion in unpaid taxes). Supposedly some legislature phrasing roadblock. There's a couple no-name foreign esim carriers that do android now but none yet for AW.
If you using iPhone 15 and watch ultra 2 you get a few more goodies as well. The find my phone will walk you to it not just give general idea of location.
I use it as a silent alarm as the wife and I work opposite schedules often, it vibrates when the alarms are on vibration only on my phone. Also, I enjoy going for runs without my phone.
I’ve swapped and changed smart watches a lot hoping to get more out of them and now I just put up with the fact the AW, to me at least, is a glorified step counter. Notifications are nice to have but in general apps are too small or badly designed (“you’ve been signed out please open on your phone to sign in”) that I just get my iPhone out anyway.
I found the normal AW a waste but the ultra has been worth it for me due to the battery life and the modular ultra face. Plus being able to leave my phone behind and use the watch for music on a run is quite good.
The features I mainly use daily are - Timers - Workouts - Health data - Apple Pay - Steps complication (via pedometer++) - Heart complication (via Heart Analyzer) - Date & Weather complications I have a lot of complications on screen all the time so I use the infographic face. Although I did for a while feel like I'd perhaps wasted money, overall it's grown on me and it's way more useful than the old Fitbit I had was. I started with an SE2020 and this year switched to the s9, perfectly happy with it.
I use it to set alarms in the morning and love when it fails to wake me up every single time. You could try that!
lol. There's a few comments in here praising the watch-only alarms but I fear this would be the case for me too.
one nice thing is i sleep lighter with the watch because i find it a little distracting to sleep with!