Apple Watch – Outstanding Tips & Tricks

Published on: 23/12/2015 | Updated on: December 17, 2025

The Apple Watch is packed with powerful features that many users never explore. From pairing and customizing your watch face to managing apps, tracking fitness, using Siri, and boosting battery life, this guide highlights the most useful tips and tricks to help you get more from your Watch. Whether you’re setting it up for the first time or optimizing daily use, these simple steps make your Apple Watch faster, smarter, and easier to use.

Let us introduce you with all exciting features of Apple Watch. It has fulfilled our many technological dreams. This device is really easy to use and it allows to do a lot using it. Note on Apple Watch Models The Apple Watch is often called “iWatch” by many fans. Today, Apple has released many new versions like Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3. These tips work for all versions, but some newer features require the latest hardware.

Let’s enter into the fuzzy cloud of Apple Watch to search out all exciting features.

For first use, you have to pair your Apple Watch with iPhone to sync photos, music, receive app notifications and locate your iPhone.,

1. Pair your Watch with iPhone

• Turn on Bluetooth on iPhone
• Make sure that Apple watch is turned on or turn it on holding down the side button for seconds
• Select your desired language (You can choose your language here)
• Now Tap on the “Start Pairing”
• Go to your iPhone and Open Apple Watch App
• Grab your Apple Watch to align it with your iPhone’s camera viewfinder

 There is a manual paring method

• Tap the “i” icon button at the top right corner of Apple Watch
• Go to your iPhone and find “Apple Watch App”
• Tap on “Pair Apple Watch Manually”

2. Unpair the Apple Watch from iPhone

• Go to iPhone
• Go to Apple Watch app
• Go to My Watch
• Go to the Apple Watch in iPhone settings
• Tap on the “Unpair Apple Watch”
• For confirmation Tap on “Confirm”

 

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3. Locking and Unlocking your Apple Watch

Lock Apple Watch

• Long press side button of Apple Watch
• Tap Lock Device

Lock Apple Watch via iPhone

• Go to your iPhone
• Go to Apple Watch app
• Go to My Watch
• Go to Passcode
• Go to Turn Passcode On
• Enter a new passcode on your Apple Watch
• Enter again to confirm

Unlocking Watch via iPhone

• Go to My Watch
• Go to Passcode
• Turn on “Unlock with iPhone”

As the default setting, you have to enter the password to your Watch once. Your watch will remain unlocked until it detects your wrist.

Important tips

• Your passcode of Watch and iPhone must not be same.
• Passcode of Watch is changeable via your iPhone.

 

4. Changing Apple Watch Clock face

You can change the Clock face of your Apple Watch. To change the clock face –

• Go to the clock app
• Long press on the screen to bring up the gallery of the Clock face
• Tap on “Customize” to choose the desired clock face (You can select by swiping left/ right)

You can customize some Clock face for your Watch. Such as X-Large, Utility, Motion, Mickey, Simple, Chronograph, Color, Modular. Solar, Astronomy is a non-customizable Clock face.

Add a clock face to your clock face gallery

• Long press on the clock app and go to the clock face gallery
• Swipe to the right (by swiping on you will see +New option)
• Tap on +New
• Select desired clock face using Crown on the side

Delete a clock face from your gallery

• Long press on the clock app and go to the clock face gallery
• Go to the clock face by swiping you want to delete
• Tap the delete button

5. Add Remove Apps in Glances

• Go to your iPhone
• Go to Apple watch app
• Tap on the “Glances”
• Add an app to Glances by Tapping “+”
• Tap on minus “-” button. It will remove an app from Glances.

5a. Use the Smart Stack for Quick Info

In the latest updates, Apple replaced Glances with the Smart Stack. It allows you to see your favorite widgets by simply turning the side button (Digital Crown).

To add: Tap the plus “+” button to add new info like Weather or Calendar.

To see widgets: Turn the Digital Crown upward from the clock face.

To edit widgets: Long press any widget in the stack.

6. Add Remove Apple Watch Apps

To Add

• Go to your iPhone
• Go to Apple watch app
• Tap on the “My Watch”
• Enter into My Watch
• Select the setting “Show App on Apple Watch”

Remove Apps in Apple Watch

You can remove apps via your Watch and also via your iPhone.

Remove via Watch

• Go to the app screen
• Tap and hold the app you have decided to remove
• Tap on (X) button at the top-left side of the app icon

Remove via iPhone

• Go to your iPhone
• Go to Apple watch app
• Tap on the “My Watch”
• Unmark “Show app on Apple Watch”

7. Clean & Turn off all notifications in Apple Watch

If you want to view all notifications of your Watch, you can see them by swiping down from clock face.

To clear or remove any individual notification, swipe left of the desired notification. Then tap “Clear”.

And if you want to clear all notifications

• Long press on the notification screen
• Tap on “Clear all”

Turn off notifications

• Go to your iPhone
• Go to Apple watch app
• Tap on the “My Watch”
• Go to “Notifications”
• Select the app and turn off notifications by toggling the button at the right of the app

8. Enable Siri in Apple Watch

The feature Siri provides users to command through voice for controlling your Apple Watch. Siri can help you to launch apps, making calls, check the weather and a lot more.

When you need to get access to Siri

• Bright your wrist close to your mouth and say your command, as “Hi Google”

Or

• Press and Hold Crown button (A notification will be appeared as “What can I help you with”)
• Now Say your command and it will provide the specific service you asked

9. Taking screenshot

You can take a screenshot with your Apple Watch as your iPhone.

Just Press together “Power button and Crown”.

A quick flash will be given from the device screen that confirms you that the image has been saved to the Photos App.

10. Customizing template messages

To reply your messages on the Watch device, you can dictate the reply message to Siri.

Another way is you can customize or define your template messages in the Watch iPhone app.

For this, you have to go to the Messages section under the My Watch tab.

11. Measuring your heart rate

You can measure your heartbeat rate by Apple Watch without using any app.

To start measuring –

• Swipe up from the watch face
• Flick right to left few times until it shows your heart rate reader screen
• Tap the Screen (Watch will read your heart rate)

11a. Take an ECG (Electrocardiogram)

Newer Apple Watches (Series 4 and later) can check your heart rhythm.

• Open the ECG App on your watch.
• Rest your arm on a table or your lap.
• Hold your finger on the Digital Crown (side button) for 30 seconds.
• Do not press the button, just touch it. It will show if your heart is beating in a normal pattern.

12. Buy things in US or UK using Apple Pay

You can purchase things in the US and UK using Apple Pay.

For that, you have to set up Apple Pay on your iPhone and that’s all.

Now you are ready to pay any contactless payment terminal using Apple Watch.

13. Tracking your runs and rides

To track your runs and rides, you have to use GPS. Apple Watch does not have inbuilt GPS. For that, you have to be connected to a phone in which a GPS-using app is installed.

One more thing is, you should keep the phone with you during your run and you are away.

There are many exercises for tracking apps. You can use Runkeeper, Nike+ Running, Map my Run and Strava etc.

Note on GPS: Since the Apple Watch Series 2, the device now has inbuilt GPS. You no longer need to keep your iPhone with you to track your running route or speed.

13a. Use Backtrack to find your way

If you are hiking and get lost, the Compass app can help you find your starting point.

• Open the Compass App.
• Tap the Footsteps icon.
• Tap Start to begin recording your path.
• If you get lost, tap Retrace Steps to follow your path back.

14. Launching last used app

You can launch your last used app in Watch.

Just “quickly double-tap the crown”; and run the last app you used.

15. Using power reserve mode

A lot of Apple Watch user complaints regarding the battery life of the device.

If you want to extend the battery life of your watch, you can use Power Reserve.

To enable it, press “Power Button” for few seconds, it will convert your Watch into an ordinary watch.

15a. Enable Low Power Mode

Unlike Power Reserve, Low Power Mode keeps your watch smart while saving battery. It turns off the “Always On” display but keeps fitness tracking active.

• Swipe up (or press the side button) to open Control Center.
• Tap on the Battery Percentage.
• Toggle on Low Power Mode.
• Choose to turn it on for 1 day, 2 days, or 3 days.

16. Customize notifications

You have the opportunity to control notifications on your Watch.

For that –

• Go to My Watch app
• Go to My Watch Tab
• Select Notifications
• Go to the bottom of the screen
• Choose to flick an app’s notification access on or off as you like

17. Transfer audio track to your Apple Watch

There are 2GB of storage available for music in Watch. This device allows you to listen to music through Bluetooth headphones.

For this, you have to transfer tunes.

• Go to My Watch app
• Go to My Watch Tab
• Go to Music
• You will see a Synced Playlist menu (This menu will allow you pick playlists to move over)

N.B: Your Watch needs to be connected to a charger to sync.

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18. Synchronizing Photos to Apple Watch

• Go to your iPhone
• Go to Apple watch app
• Tap on the “My Watch”
• Tap on “Photos”
• Tap on the Synced Album
• Choose your desired album
• Wait to finish the synchronization

Note: 1. There is a limitation that your access is limited to the single album at the same time.

2. You are allowed to 500 photos or 75MB. (You can change the settings in My Watch > Photos > Photos Limit)

19. Performing a Reboot/ Hard Reset

To solve performance issue or your Apple Watch hangs, sometimes you might need to perform a hard reset your Watch. To do that hold down the “Power button” & “Digital Crown” together for a few seconds. The device will turn off and will be restarted itself.

20. Force quit of Apps

If you need quit any app forcefully, follow the following steps:

• Press & Hold the button called “Side Button” (The “Power Off” menu will come up)
• Release the side button
• Press & Hold the side button (The app will be closed)

21. Erase all data from your Watch

• Go to your iPhone
• Go to Apple watch app
• Tap on the “My Watch”
• Go to the Apple Watch option
• Tap on the “Unpair Apple Watch”
• Now Go to “Setting” app
• Go to General
• Go to Reset
• Tap on “Erase All content and settings”

22. Use Watch if you don’t find your iPhone

When your iPhone is connected to your Watch, you can find your lost iPhone using your Watch.

On the watch face, “flick upwards” and after that “Press the phone icon” at the bottom of the screen. It will make a quick sound which will be played on the iPhone’s speaker. It will help you to find your iPhone easily.

23. Buy a third-party strap for Apple Watch

Apple has a lot of nice gadget and gear. But they are expensive for many of us. You can buy some third-party gears cheaper than Apple gears. Such as you can have a good quality strap for your Apple Watch for £69.99.

24. Voice command to Siri in Watch

To search for different things online, you can use Siri in your Watch.

Just long-press the Crown to wake Watch up and ask Siri. It will provide your desired information.

25. Control Apple TV

Watch has the feature that you can control your Apple TV box. It’s damn easy.

In the blue circle find a Remote. It looks like a white triangle. To restore or upgrade iOS go to

26. Using the Double Tap Gesture

If you have a Series 9 or Ultra 2, you can control your watch without touching the screen. This is helpful if your other hand is busy carrying groceries.

• Raise your watch to wake it.
• Tap your index finger and thumb together twice quickly.
• This will answer calls, stop timers, or play music.

27. How to update your watch software

To get the latest features, you must keep your watch updated.

• Go to Settings on your watch.
• Go to General.
• Go to Software Update.
• If an update is available, tap Install.

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