Have you just bought a new Apple Watch and do you want to know what you can do with it? Read everything you need to know about your smart watch in this beginner’s guide.
Apple Watch beginner’s guide
An Apple Watch is an enrichment for your iPhone. The smart watch makes it even easier to perform functions. You can take photos via your Watch, pay with Apple Pay and, for example, set your alarm on your watch. Curious how it all works? In this article, you can read how to get the most out of your Apple Watch.
1. Pair Apple Watch
After purchasing an Apple Watch, you can install and pair it with your iPhone. To do this, first download the Watch app from the App Store. You can do this via the link below.
After the app has downloaded, open it on your iPhone and follow the steps to pair your brand new Watch. You can choose to pair it automatically by placing your Watch with your iPhone camera in the indicated frame. Once recognized, your watch is paired. Make sure that there is enough ambient light.
If that doesn’t work, you can also choose to manually pair the watch by tapping ‘Manually pair the watch’. Then tap the ‘i’ symbol on your watch to see the name. Then tap the name of your Apple Watch in the list on your iPhone. A code will appear on your Apple Watch, which you can then enter in the Watch app.
2. Set up Apple Watch
If your Apple Watch is paired, you can set it up. Setup is also done via your iPhone. In the Watch app you can indicate all your preferences, such as on which wrist you wear the Apple Watch and on which side you place the crown. By setting an access code, you ensure that no one else can just look into your watch.
Do you have multiple iPhones, for example one for work and one for private use? Since it is a personal device, it is not entirely the intention to pair your watch with multiple iPhones. Yet it is possible via a detour.
3. Download apps
Once your Apple Watch is paired and set up, you can start downloading apps. You do this in the same way as you are used to from your iPhone via the App Store. To do this, tap the App Store icon on your Apple Watch and search for the desired apps.
Not sure yet what you would like to download? You can also look in the App Store in the Watch app on your iPhone. Here you see all apps that are supported for watchOS, the system of the Apple Watch.
4. Enlarge and organize app icons
The small screen of the Apple Watch makes it difficult for some people to operate the smart watch or read text on it. Fortunately, you can enlarge the icons and the text a bit.
To do this, go to the Settings app (the gear wheel) on your Apple Watch. Go to General, tap ‘Accessibility’ and turn the switch to green behind ‘Reduce motion’. The app icons are now all the same size.
Don’t like the grid of app icons? Then you can also see them in a list view. To do this, open the app overview and long press the screen of the Apple Watch. Then choose the option ‘List view’.
Do you want to determine where your apps are located? You can do that easily, just like you would on your iPhone. Press and hold your finger on an app icon. It starts to move, after which you can drag it to the right place. The most convenient is to do this via the Watch app on your iPhone, but it is also possible on your Watch. You can also delete apps in the same place.
5. Enlarge text
Do you not have such good eyes, and do you also want to be able to read the fine print on the Watch without glasses or lenses? Then it is useful to also enlarge the text. To do this, go to Settings again and choose ‘Display and Brightness’. Tap Text size and move the bar at the bottom of the screen to select the correct size. It is also possible to make the text bold here.
In addition, it is possible to zoom in on text as far as necessary. You have to activate this mode first. You do that again via the Settings app. Tap General and choose ‘Accessibility’. Tap ‘Zoom’ and flip the switch to green to activate the function.
6. Find your iPhone
It happens to us almost every day that you don’t remember where you left your iPhone. With the Apple Watch, you no longer have to turn your entire house upside down. The Watch has a very handy function to find your iPhone in no time.
You can have your iPhone make a sound via your Watch, so that you only have to follow this tone. It’s very easy: Swipe up to open Control Center and tap the iPhone icon with curves on both sides. Your iPhone will now make a loud noise to let you know where it is. Do you not have such good ears? Then you can also have your iPhone make light. Press the iPhone icon with the arrows in front of it a little longer.
7. Take a photo via your Apple Watch
The Apple Watch doesn’t have a camera (yet), but your iPhone does. You can take a photo with your iPhone’s camera via your Apple Watch. This is an ideal function if you want to remotely correct the light or take a group photo without having to walk to your phone all the time.
- To do this, open the Camera app on your Apple Watch;
- You will now see your iPhone screen on your watch;
- Put your iPhone in the right place;
- Stand in the desired position yourself and check through your watch whether the photo looks good;
- Tap the shutter button on your Apple Watch to take the photo.
8. Take a screenshot
Do you want to take a screenshot of your Apple Watch? This can be done very easily by pressing the wheel and the button on the side of the watch at the same time. The screenshot will then be in your Photos app on your iPhone.
9. Set an alarm
Do you keep your Apple Watch on while sleeping? Then there are even more functions you can use. You can also set an alarm on your watch. You do this as follows.
- Open the Alarm Clock app on your Apple Watch, which can be recognized by the clock icon;
- Tap on ‘New alarm clock’;
- Indicate what time you want to be awakened by turning the Digital Crown;
- Tap the switch to turn on the alarm.
Would you like to snooze? Then use ‘Wake-up time’ to set the alarm clock to repeat itself every five minutes, for example. You snooze by pressing the crown in the morning when the alarm goes off. If you are an early bird, you can also turn this function off completely. You do this by tapping the appropriate alarm clock in your Watch and turning off the switch behind ‘Snooze’.
10. Pay with your Apple Watch
It is possible – just like with your iPhone – to pay with your Apple Watch via Apple Pay. To do this, you must first link your debit card to your watch. That is how it works:
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap ‘My Watch’;
- Choose ‘Wallet & Apple Pay’;
- Follow the steps on the screen to add a pass;
- At some point, the bank will check whether your pass is eligible for Apple Pay;
- After approval, your Apple Watch is ready for Apple Pay.
If you have linked a debit card to your Apple Watch, paying with Apple Pay works almost the same as on the iPhone. Press the side button of the Apple Watch twice and hold it over a payment terminal. You will feel a short tap on your wrist when the payment is successful.
11. Receive WhatsApp notifications
Unfortunately, there is no official WhatsApp app for the Watch yet, but it is possible to read incoming messages via your watch. To receive WhatsApp notifications, you must first activate it in the Watch app. Tap ‘Notifications’ in the app and turn on the switch behind WhatsApp.
Can’t see this switch? Then first delete WhatsApp from your iPhone and install the app again. Don’t forget to back up your conversation history beforehand. Due to this hard reset, you should see the switch in the Watch app. You will then also see incoming WhatsApp messages appear on your Apple Watch.
You can’t type an entire message on your watch. You can, however, send a quick standard reply or reply with emoji. If you want to send a longer answer, you can dictate an answer by tapping the microphone.
More Apple Watch features
Do you want to know more about the Apple Watch? On iPhone you can read many useful tips about your smart watch. For example, we explain how to make a heart video or how to unlock your Mac with an Apple Watch.
New useful functions will soon be added with the arrival of watchOS 7. For example, you can use a sleep tracker to keep track of how good your night’s sleep is and dance workouts will be added. In the video below we walk you through what we can expect.