The Apple Watch is the best smart watch for everything you can, from tracking exercises to buying things to responding to messages But there is so much that can do that finding some of the clever but less obvious features can be tricky
With that in mind, here are the 15 coolest things an Apple Watch can do And we can't wait to try out some of the new features coming in watchOS7
For additional tips, tricks, and how-tos, be sure to check out our complete guide on how to use Apple Watch
If you have an Apple Watch Series5 or Apple Watch Series4, the digital crown can do more than scroll — Apple can use the electric heart sensors installed on the digital crown to detect if you have symptoms of atrial fibrillation (Afib), a type of irregular heartbeat To use it, launch the ECG (Electrocardiogram) app and touch your finger on the digital crown for 30 seconds It warns you if you need to seek medical attention
Using the Series 4 or 5 accelerometers and gyroscopes, the Apple Watch can detect if you have fallen and ask for help To enable this feature, launch the Watch app on your iPhone, go to Emergency SOS and turn on fall detection Make sure you have even set up emergency contacts in the Health app on your iPhone
If the watch thinks you've fallen, it will sound an alarm with a hum on your wrist You can tap "I'm fine" on the screen or have a watch call emergency service If you do not move for 1 minute, it will automatically make a call and send a message to your emergency contact
Series 5 includes a magnetometer that powers its compass app which is fun in itself, but when you start the map it really taps into the compass to show you exactly how the map is facing you No more walking the wrong way for a few blocks when you come out of the subway Other apps such as Yelp and Wikiloc (for hiking and cycling trails) also use a magnetometer to help you orient yourself Note: Using a watch band with a magnet, such as a Milanese or leather loop, can interfere with the magnetometer and get lost
WatchOS6 brought native calculators to the apple Watch The calculator app allows you to do basic calculations — addition, subtraction, division, multiplication— and it includes useful features for us who are challenging math: Enter the sum of the invoice, tap on the hint and then select the percentage you want to leave There is no more false disrespect for a good server It also helps you split the bill — just show how many people are sharing the cost after you include the tip percentage
If the calculator button is too small, you can ask Siri for a hint without launching the calculator app
How many times to speed up using Apple Watch and Siri wondering what song will play and it ended before you can get your phone and start Shazaam: Ask apple's voice assistant for the song being played and listen using Apple's microphone and display the results on Apple's screen After that, you can also add the songs to your Apple Music library
How loud is the intense bass coming from your neighbor's Now you can tell exactly with the Noise app Measure decibels to indicate whether the noise level is safe You can set up your Apple Watch to automatically measure the sound and alert you when the noise level reaches a dangerous level — you might be surprised at how often you're endangering your hearing while doing everyday things like mowing the lawn
I got an Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, or Series 5 Banish your natural inclination not to wet your electronics The first version of the watch was water-resistant, but Apple added the ability to sink the watch up to 50 meters in its 2016 smartwatch line update And that feature remains part of the series 3, 4 and 5 models, making them perfect for sampling in the local pool
Just remember to use the water lock feature to retrieve excess water from the speaker opening after your workout The water lock can unlock the screen by automatically kicking and turning the digital crown when you start a swimming workout (and water (please note that if you swim in the sea, you may want to rinse the salt water with salt water later)
Did your remote slip between the sofa cushions again? Don't worry: Your Apple Watch can control a number of home theater devices and it will never leave your wrist For example, if you have an Apple TV, you can use the remote app on your Apple Watch to swipe through the menu of your set-top box, or start or pause playback If you have Logitech Harmony (the best universal remote control), you can start and stop the activity you set up
To accomplish this feat, you'll need an Apple Watch Series3, 4, or 5 with LTE connectivity, but it's a welcome feature if you enjoy the little music that accompanies the run The Series 3 models can connect to a wireless network on their own, so you can stream songs without having to close your iPhone by hand and you are not limited to Apple Music and its月10 a month streaming service Apple also includes an app called Radio on Apple Watch for streaming songsYou can use Spotify, Pandora and several other music streaming services, but you can't save songs to your watch for offline listening unless you're using Apple Music
You can measure yourself against your friends by turning on activity sharing IN THE IOS ACTIVITIES APP, GO TO THE SHARING TAB AND TAP THE PLUS (+) ICON IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER TO INVITE SOMEONE TO SHARE YOUR ACTIVITY INFORMATION You'll then be notified when you check your status, complete a workout, or close your ring in the Activity app on your Apple Watch
Speaking of workouts, if you have an Apple Watch Series3 or later, you can finally make your dream come true and leave your iPhone behind when you go on the run This is because the new Apple Watch has built-in GPS so you can track your workouts without the need to carry around a heavy phone In addition, you can bring your Bluetooth headphones to ride and listen to music right away from your Apple Watch In addition to Apple's own workout app, many third-party apps, such as Runkeeper and Nike+Run Club, can take advantage of this If you have an LTE-enabled Apple Watch, you can also use it to stream music
Souping up your home with smart lights, smart shades, smart thermostats, smart switches, etc can be as fun, but how do you control it all from your Apple watch, naturally The built-in home app allows you to control HomeKit compatible devices such as Philips Hue lights and Honeywell thermostats, but there are many other home control apps on the market Philips, Honeywell, and other third parties have their own apps that can control these specific features, and even those that are not supported by HomeKit, like the home apps of Yonomi, IFTTT, and Matthias Hochgatterer, are third-party home owners that can set up routines to control disparate smart home devices There is also an application that allows you to create and edit your own photos and videos
Did you know your Apple Watch can save you some input? If you have a Mac made within the past few years, all you need to use your Apple Watch to unlock the screen without entering your password is to check the box next to System Preferences > Security & Privacy and enable the functionality of your MacAllow Apple Watch to unlock your Mac Well, when you wake that Mac out of sleep and you're wearing your Apple Watch, it should take care of that nasty password business for you
Ever even get hungry to take out your phone seems like a bridge too far Fortunately, you can use a variety of apps to order food directly from your Apple Watch GrubHub allows you to sort your recent favorites with just a couple taps or use your Apple Watch as your witness to specifically order pizza from Domino's or burritos from Chipotle and you'll never go hungry again
If you have a modern car, your Apple Watch can check the condition of your car and even provide a way to interact with it Products from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, VW, etc can help you do things like lock and unlock your car door, ring the horn, check the electric car battery level and even help you find your parked car If you have an older car, Viper's aftermarket options include an app that lets you lock, unlock, and start your car remotely It is not a kit from the Night Rider, but then again, what is
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