Besides fitness, how are you using your Apple Watch

[wkelly24]

I'm considering the Apple Watch for a personal holiday gift. Not quite there as to why I would get one. What are you using your Apple Watch for besides fitness. (Note that fitness motivator is my number one reason so far.)

Thanks!:

 

[anon(9602380)]

I use mine for messaging and phones call at work. Valuable tool for me. As I do not to carry my phone at work and am moving all around the shop all the time, it makes it very convenient to have. I can leave my phone in my desk drawer and monitor my messages and calls. I originally debated how useful the watch would be for me. Well I broke down and bought one. Best decision I made. The watch is now an invaluable tool. Plus I use the activity app to monitor my workouts.

 

[StraightlineBoy]

Well as a runner fitness was always going to be number 1 priority for me - I didn't buy the original Apple Watch because without GPS it was useless to me - but it turns out that fitness is number 2 on my list as well as I want to complete my activity rings each day too!

To answer your question though it's kind of a remote control for my phone. You can check notifications on the watch and potentially deal with them quickly (delete the emails that don't interest you for example). It has the advantage of not sucking you into then spending 15 minutes of doing other stuff on the phone (checking Facebook or Twitter, having a quick game of something etc); an email comes in, you check it, bin it and then get on with your day. Ok a more disciplined person could do this without a watch, but that's how I seem to be using mine.

 

[Mac Guy]

Apple Pay

Receiving and responding to texts

Occasionally sending a quick text

Siri

About twice a week I answer calls with it when my phone isn't handy. If the call is quick, it's done on the Watch. If not, I move to the phone. This means no phone tag.

Receiving email notifications from my VIP list.

Getting Reminders and Calendar events

Checking my bank account

Checking the Weather

FINDING my phone when I've set it down and don't remember where!

All of these things can be done on the phone (except Apple Pay, I have a 5s) and some of them need the phone nearby. But the Watch's convenience is such a big plus, not to mention the ability to do these things casually without digging into my pocket for the phone and appearing rude.

 

[StraightlineBoy]

But the Watch's convenience is such a big plus, not to mention the ability to do these things casually without digging into my pocket for the phone and appearing rude.

I'd argue that any scenario where it's rude to fiddle with a phone, it appears just as rude if you're tapping away on a watch - nothing says disinterested quite like someone looking at or fiddling with a watch. And the more you try to be subtle, the worse it looks in the eyes of the people who pick up on it..."not only are they more interested in their watch than what I'm saying, they think I'm a fool who doesn't realise they're looking at their watch."

 

[tcuprof]

As a runner, the workout app and closing those rings every day is what is most important to me. BUT, I must say the notifications are something I couldn't do without. My wife used to gripe at me for ignoring her texts because I tend to not hear my phone. With the Apple Watch, I now have my iPhone on silent and very seldom miss a text or email. It turns out that I'm fairly sensitive to the vibrations of the watch.

 

[Mac Guy]

I'd argue that any scenario where it's rude to fiddle with a phone, it appears just as rude if you're tapping away on a watch

If I argued, I'd argue that time and place play a huge part in what constitutes rude, and that 'fiddling' is a projection as is your interpretation of 'subtle'. To see someone's being subtle (are you sure you don't mean sneaky?) as playing you for a fool... Well, that's a choice on your part.

Also, not every human interaction deserves my full and undivided attention though occasionally some people may mistakenly feel so.

With great power comes great responsibility, and I wield it well.

 

[StraightlineBoy]

With great power comes great responsibility, and I wield it well.

Fair enough, and I'm certainly not looking to start an argument. It's probably something that I'm overly sensitive to; some of the early reviewers of the Apple Watch, some of the real Apple evangelists, when they tried to justify the v1.0 watch used similar lines about how they could glance at their Watch as if people might not find that at all rude. But yes, there's a time and a place, and done right, it's less intrusive than reaching for your phone.

 

[Findoc]

Looking at who a call is from when consulting (without looking at phone) and same for sms as well as stock reply. check calendar. find phone

 

[Jude526]

Everything. I don't wear a regular watch anymore.

 

[sgchick]

Besides fitness tracking, seeing who texted or called very quickly, I love using "hey siri" to add something to my grocery list on the fly without getting my phone out. I drive for a living and the watch is so, so convenient. Also love voice texting. It seems more accurate than the iPhone...maybe I hold it closer when I dictate.

 

[Mac Guy]

I love using "hey siri" to add something to my grocery list on the fly

Could you elaborate on that? What list, etc.

I also like using the Watch for voice texts, to and from. And using the canned responses is very handy, especially if you throw in a couple custom responses. And scribbling a very quick response is soooo handy.

I use the Watch to control some Hue lights. Siri is a little problematic for this, but using the Hue or Home app on the Watch works perfectly every time.

An app on the Watch lets me check the air pressure on my tires' TPMS. Once I install my ecobee thermostat, the Watch will control it, too.

 

[sgchick]

Could you elaborate on that? What list, etc.

I also like using the Watch for voice texts, to and from. And using the canned responses is very handy, especially if you throw in a couple custom responses. And scribbling a very quick response is soooo handy.

I use the Watch to control some Hue lights. Siri is a little problematic for this, but using the Hue or Home app on the Watch works perfectly every time.

An app on the Watch lets me check the air pressure on my tires' TPMS. Once I install my ecobee thermostat, the Watch will control it, too.

I created a list "Grocery" in my reminders and ask siri to add "milk", for instance to my grocery list. Then at the store, I ask siri (from my watch) to bring up my grocery list and there it is on my watch. love it!

 

[Mac Guy]

I created a list "Grocery" in my reminders and ask siri to add "milk", for instance to my grocery list. Then at the store, I ask siri (from my watch) to bring up my grocery list and there it is on my watch. love it!

Thank you!

 

[doogald]

I just bought one about 6 weeks ago. I can live with or without fitness tracking (as I run an average of 80 minutes a day, I know I'm in pretty good shape), but here is what I use the watch for:

• Telling the time (duh)
• A quick glance to see the temperature outside
• Read text messages. I usually don't respond with the watch
• Notifications for email for the Google InBox app, which only notifies for important messages
• Sports notifications (in game score changes for the teams that I follow)
• Weather notifications from Weather Underground, when there is severe weather watches or warnings
• Sleep tracking, using the apps Heart Watch and it's companion Auto Sleep
• I use the breathe app every once in a while (I should use it more)
• Occasionally I use it to change what I am listening to on my phone from the remote app, or from the Overcast app
• Timers, particularly when I am cooking, usually using Hey Siri (which works great)
• [edit] Oh, and calendar notifications

That's about it. I wear it probably 23.5 hours a day. Every once in a while, when I go out at night, I wear another watch. I charge the watch in the morning as I shower and get ready for the day, and at night, when I wash up and then I usually read in bed for 15-30 minutes. When I'm ready to go to sleep, I take it off the charger. My watch has never been below 75% charge.

 

[mark-d]

I bought mine primarily as a smart watch for the notifications and replying to messages etc.

I have found I've got sucked in by the activity rings though!

 

[Mac Guy]

I have found I've got sucked in by the activity rings though!

Same here. But I blame prof and others here as well as Apple!

 

[eyecrispy]

Texts and other notifications
Todoist (when it works) while I'm out shopping
Apple Pay
Quick replies

 

[mumfoau]

It's actually pretty handy for starting the timer on your phones camera when taking pics

 

[scruffypig]

I bought mine on a Black Friday deal. I use it mostly for notifications and grocery lists, weather, stuff on the fly, answering messages, phone calls. The activity rings are sucking me in too, and the great February weather, to get more active.