Apple Watches are arguably some of the best and most popular smartwatches currently available on the market, and a must-have accessory for any tech junkie. Whether you wish to track your workout progress, conveniently make contactless payments, or even receive calls and messages while on the go, an Apple Watch can provide you with all of that, and more.
However, one downside of this smart gadget is the fact that Apple Watches don’t generally come with particularly detailed instructions, making them a bit confusing to use when you purchase your first one. To that end, here is a quick guide detailing all the basic aspects of using an Apple Watch, making it that much simpler to efficiently utilize this smart accessory:
Table of Contents
Physical aspects of Apple Watches
First and foremost, it’s essential to get familiar with all the physical aspects of your Watch, in order to use it properly. So, here are some short descriptions of the Watch’s key aspects:
- The face of the Watch – The digital display also serves as the digital Watch face, which responds to certain movements like swipes, taps, and even firm presses.
- The Digital Crown – The Digital Crown (also called the Home Button) is the revolving circular button that’s situated on the right-hand side of your Watch. You can turn this button to zoom in and out or to scroll, click on it once to open your homescreen, double-click on it to load your last-used application, or even click and hold on it to load Siri.
- The side button – Right under the Crown, you will notice a flatter, more oval button that’s referred to as the side button. You can click and hold on the button to switch your Watch off and on, click it once to see all your recently used applications, or click it twice to activate Apple Pay.
- Buttons for releasing bands – Once you turn the Watch around to its back side, you will notice thinner and smaller buttons located both at the upper and the lower part of the Watch. You could use these buttons to exchange the bands of your Watch, if you wish.
- Optical sensors – Depending on the specific Series of Watch you own, you will also see either one or several circles at the back of the Watch. These are optical sensors used for measuring the heart rate.
Basic gestures for Apple Watches
Gestures are used for different interactions with the Watch, and can encourage the device to perform different tasks, depending on how they’re used. Here are some of the most basic gestures you have to know:
- Tapping – If you wish to select something on the Watch’s screen, you will have to press on the display. If the ‘Always On’ option is enabled on your device, tapping will also increase the display’s brightness to maximum.
- Tapping and holding – Whenever you press and hold on one part of the display, you will get the option to personalize your Watch face, see additional options in any application, and more.
- Dragging – Whenever you wish to scroll or move any slider, you should drag a finger along the Watch’s display.
- Swiping – In case you wish to move between screens, you should swipe right, left, down, or up.
Additional Apple Watch tips
Once you’re familiar with the basic aspects and motions that are vital for using your Watch, the next step is to begin utilizing it efficiently. So, here are some explanations for necessary actions you will most likely need to perform:
- Sending a message – Load the Messages application, tap firmly on the screen, and then choose the New Message option.
- Muting incoming calls – While the process for answering and declining calls is quite self-explanatory (green and red phone icons), you could also mute any incoming calls just by covering the Watch’s display with your palm.
- Opening and clearing notifications – Whenever you’re on the homescreen, swipe down to open any notifications you might have received. To delete these notifications, press firmly, and then click on the Clear All option.
- Switching between Watch faces – If you have previously set more than one Watch face for different purposes, you could easily switch between them just by swiping left or right.
And there you have it! All the basic aspects of Apple Watches that you have to know in order to start utilizing your handy accessory with ease.
