Switch to the App List View

The default Grid view layout of the Home screen is a novel idea for arranging apps on a small screen, but I find it frustrating. If you can’t easily identify an app’s icon, it feels like poking at fish in a barrel. I prefer the List view, which displays larger icons and the app names.

To change the view, press the Digital Crown to view the Home screen, press the screen firmly to reveal the view options, and then tap the List View button (Figure 6).

If the list involves too much scrolling for your taste, use the same steps to switch back to the Grid view. You can always Customize the Home Screen.

Turn Off the Option to Auto-Add Apps

When you install an app on your iPhone that includes an Apple Watch version, the watch app is automatically added. The assumption is that you probably wanted both components, so Apple is doing some of the work for you.

Maybe I put too many apps on my iPhone, because this feature quickly loaded up my watch’s Home screen with apps I didn’t want, including many that I didn’t realize were available on the watch.

Instead, open the Watch app on the iPhone, go to General, and turn off Automatic App Install. You can always Install Apps manually, which isn’t difficult.

Set the Watch’s Default Wi-Fi Network

The Apple Watch includes a Wi-Fi radio, and in theory, if your iPhone is out of range but on the same Wi-Fi network, the two can still communicate. Or, if the iPhone is turned off, the watch will still communicate with the internet using Wi-Fi. However, for the longest time I noticed that my watch acted as if Wi-Fi was just an invisible dream.

To make sure it can connect to your Wi-Fi network independently, do the following:

1. On the watch, go to Settings > Wi-Fi.

2. Under Choose Network, tap the name of your preferred network (Figure 7).

   

3. If prompted, enter the password using the Scribble text-entry tool or the keyboard on your iPhone.

4. Tap Join.

Now, when the phone is out of Bluetooth range, the watch will automatically use that network. (The watch’s Wi-Fi works only with 2.4 GHz networks, not 5 GHz networks.)

Set the Appearance and Feedback

I talk about this topic more in Customizations and Important Settings, but for now I want to highlight a few options that can make the watch more readable and noticeable from the start:

• In the Watch app, go to Display & Brightness and choose a Brightness level for the watch when the screen is activated (Figure 8). You can also open Settings on the watch and tap the Display & Brightness button.

  

• In the same locations, set a default text size. This setting doesn’t affect complications on the watch face, but does make text more readable in settings dialogs, the Home screen in list view, and in apps that support Dynamic Type.

• For folks who want a bit more increased legibility, turn on the Bold Text option. Doing so restarts the watch.

• If you find yourself missing wrist taps and other haptic alerts, open the Sounds & Haptics settings in the Watch app on the iPhone or Settings app on the watch. Switch the Haptics setting from Default to Prominent.

Set Up Medical ID

If you haven’t already done this on your iPhone, now is a good time to add your medical information. You (or a first responder) can view important health information on the watch by pressing and holding the side button. The watch can also automatically make a call to people you’ve identified as emergency contacts. Here’s how to enter that data:

1. On the iPhone, open the Health app.

2. Tap your icon in the top-right corner.

3. Under Medical ID, tap Edit and enter any medical conditions, notes, allergies, medications, and so on.

4. Tap Done to save the changes.

See Use Emergency Features for more details.

Activate Find My Apple Watch

If you haven’t already, activate Find My iPhone on your iPhone (in Settings > Your Name > Find My). This feature provides a good way to locate your phone if you misplace it (see If the Watch Goes Missing).

It also enables Activation Lock on the Apple Watch, which will prevent anyone else from using the watch or pairing it with another iPhone. It will also remove Apple Pay cards.

Give Siri a Try

The touchscreen and Digital Crown invite tactile interaction, but you can also simply speak to the Apple Watch and perform actions using Siri.

Press and hold the Digital Crown until you see the Siri interface, and then make a query such as, “What’s the weather today?” or make a request like, “Set a 15-minute timer.” For example, in addition to those two, I use Siri often to initiate workouts (“Start an outdoor walk”), or, while driving, start playing music hands-free (“Play the latest album by Maggie Rogers”). See Talk to Your Wrist for other ways to initiate Siri requests.