Apple Watch is great right away, but you should definitely add other apps to make the experience even better. Apple's wearable watch is a real wonder, and the Series 5 is even better, but you'll never know how useful it can be if you don't expand your horizons a bit.
When we think of Apple Watch apps that we just can't live without them, they're at the top of the list. Some are free, some are not, but all are worth it.
AutoSleep ($ 2.99)
If there is an important feature missing from Apple Watch, automatic sleep tracking. Apple is rumored to have added capacity, but year after year we are disappointed when it does not. Fortunately, it's not so hard to add an app like AutoSleep, Sleep Watch, Sleep ++ or Pillow. There are now several good sleep tracking apps to choose from, but most require a substantial in-app purchase to make proper use.
That's one of the reasons we like AutoSleep. It not only works well and provides a lot of excellent data, such as just an initial (and reasonable) price. No hidden updates to in-app purchases, no subscriptions. Just three dollars to add quality automatic sleep tracking to your Apple Watch.
Carrot Weather ($ 4.99, in-app purchases)
There are many good weather apps out there, many of which are compatible with Apple Watch, but Carrot Weather may be our favorite. It combines excellent weather forecasting (with data from Weather Underground or Dark Sky), great customization and even achievements. The grumpy and annoying rob's voice helps make the mood fun.
Apple Watch support is especially robust, with several different complications available and the ability to customize them in the app. Carrot Weather was one of the first third-party apps to make use of the new Apple Watch Series 4 complications and also provides a card on the Siri dial.
The only downside is that the app costs $ 4.99 and, moreover, you need a Premium Club subscription for $ 0.49 per month or $ 3.99 a year to get certain features. The cost to cover increased API usage of your data sources for features such as real-time precipitation warnings.
Shazam (free)
Apple bought Shazam in September and did nothing but remove ads from the app, which just makes it better. We think the company has big plans for Shazam technology, but in the meantime a great app for your Apple Watch. Just tap the Shazam complication and the app loads immediately and starts listening. You can use the iPhone app to browse through the history of the songs you've found and add them to Apple Music or Spotify.
Rules (US $ 2.99)
There are many games for Apple Watch, but most of them don't fit the format very well. They're too simple or so complex that you can't play them on the tiny Apple Watch screen.
Rules! It is a puzzle game that works equally well on your iPhone or Apple Watch. Simple: Follow a rule to play the cards in the right order. As you progress, the rules build up and you need to remember what you did before. totally simple and surprisingly addictive. Perhaps best of all, games are short enough to be worth playing on your wrist – you can kill just a minute or two while waiting in line, for example.
theScore (free)
If you're a sports fan, Apple Watch is a great device to keep up to date on the latest news and scores. And theScore app is our favorite way to do it. Completely free and completely customizable, the app will keep you up to date with the news and scores of all your favorite teams, whether you follow the pros or amateurs.
You can see in-game action, moves and of course score updates while games are happening, as well as check upcoming games on your wrist. If you can't stand in front of the TV, the next best thing.
Things (US $ 9.99)
Things is one of the best-received task managers in the world and it's easy to understand why. Attractive, simple, clear and easy to use. It does what any good task manager should do: make it easier to write down a new task, do what you need to do today, and stay out of your way the rest of the time.
Things at Apple Watch great. Quickly add a task item to organize later on your iPhone. Watch today's tasks, mark items as you complete them, or postpone them later with just a few taps. It supports the Siri watch dial, which is the perfect place to get daily task reminders.
However, the application is not very cheap. For $ 9.99, one of the most expensive iPhone apps of its kind. But a really good task manager saves you time and helps you do more without feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.
Streaks ($ 4.99)
Whether you want to lose weight, eat healthier, learn a new skill or create any new habit, the key to success is repetition. Going to the gym once a week will not change you no matter how much you exercise. You will never learn guitar if you practice until your fingers bleed once a month.
Streaks is a simple way to create custom reminders to do something every day (you can track up to 12 daily tasks). It will remind you when it's time to perform the task and even automatically schedule tasks related to Sade application data. The app provides advanced notifications, many complications and great icons and colors to use in your custom activities.
Citymapper (free)
Citymapper is an absolutely amazing transportation app. It offers bus and subway schedules, alerts you to service disruptions, helps you plan trips and more. It works by getting public data feeds from dozens of urban transit agencies. In Apple Watch, even better. With a look at your wrist, you can see where to go, which bus or train to take, and when it's coming. It may be difficult to move your phone in crowded traffic, but a glance at your wrist can show you where to stop.
The disadvantage of Citymapper is that, as it is based on public transport data, it is only available in a few dozen cities. It's perfect if you live or travel to a large metropolitan area but are of little use to others.
TuneIn Radio (free, in-app purchases)
There are many Apple Watch compatible music and podcast apps and there is no reason to list them all here. If you like it on your phone, you'll probably like it on your watch.
But TuneIn deserves a special mention for a specific use case: it lets you listen to thousands of AM or FM radio stations from around the world, streaming online. We used to like iHeartRadio for this task, but it has stopped offering an Apple Watch app. TuneIn's marketing is for listening to sports radio games and popular podcasts, but don't be fooled; If you like an FM radio station, you can probably listen to it through TuneIn.
Night Sky (free, in-app purchases)
Night Sky is one of our favorite iPhone and iPad apps. If you've ever looked up and wondered, "What star or planet is this?" Night Sky is for you. There are several modes of smart recovery, notifications to watch the international space station fly over, Siri Shortcuts. And you don't have to be an astronomy fan to fall in love with this app.
You may not think a map of the sky in your watch would be useful, but it would be wrong. Simply raise your wrist to the sky and move it to quickly find and identify objects in the sky. When the clock is low, it turns into a kind of "sky compass" that points you in the direction of things worth noting. almost like magic.
