If you receive a new Apple Watch this holiday season, don’t be intimidated — it can do a lot, and we’re here to show you how.
Apple’s latest smartwatch, the Series 4, can do more than just put notifications on your wrist. It’s capable of making calls, calling for help if you fall, or run a single-lead EKG to let you know if something is amiss with your heart.
Going beyond the fancy health features, it’s still a smartwatch, complete with apps.
The basics
Update your watch. After unboxing your watch and pairing it to your iPhone($1,199 at Amazon), you’ll want to ensure it’s running the latest version of WatchOSso you can take advantage of the newest features. Read this to learn about the update process.
Icons and apps. Curious as to what those small icons that flash on your watch’s screen are? Or what about Siri’s Raise to Speak feature? We cover that, plus a handful of other tips, in this post.
Notifications are a key smartwatch feature, and it’s a feature you’ll want to learn to how to tame. Notifications can get overwhelming, especially when your wrist is beeping and vibrating, for every Facebook like or Instagram direct. Learn how to manage your Apple Watch notifications.
Your watch is waterproof. You can swim with newer Apple Watch ($399 at Walmart) models, but it’s a good idea to read up on what you need to do if you plan on swimming with your watch on — especially if it’s in sea water.
Health
Fitness first. Starting with WatchOS 5, the Apple Watch can now auto-detect certain workouts, track yoga workouts, and store workout tunes from your favorite streaming service on the watch itself. Here are five of the best new fitness features in WatchOS 5.
Heart health. The Apple Watch continuously tracks your heart rate while you wear it throughout the day. There’s a dedicated app to tracking your heart rate or conducting an on-demand reading. Read this to learn how to get the most out of the Apple Watch heart rate features.
Setup the ECG app. You’ll need to have an Apple Watch Series 4, running WatchOS 5.1.2 or newer, and an iPhone running iOS 12.1.1 or newer before you can set up the new ECG app. Once you’re updated, using the ECG app is a simple task.
Extra features
Fall detection. The Apple Watch Series 4 has a built-in fall detection feature that will identify when it thinks you have fallen, and after a few seconds of no movement, will call emergency services on your behalf. Fall Detection is a feature you’ll need to enable, but hopefully, never have to use.
Want to feel like Inspector Gadget? Then learn how to use the Walkie-Talkie app. Using the app is simple: Hold up your wrist, press and hold a button, talk, and let go. Just keep in mind that your approved contacts can start talking to you at any moment, so marking yourself as unavailable is key to avoiding embarrassment.
