Apps for Apple watch that are actually useful
After what feels like many years of following updates for the Apple watch and hanging my head in shame when friends teased me about my outdated technology, I finally splashed out and ordered myself one. During the first week that I had the watch, I spent many hours scrolling through the app store in an attempt to find the best of the best that the Apple watch has to offer and I’m proud to say that I’ve become somewhat of an expert when it comes to apps for the Apple watch.
I want to share some of the top apps that I've found with you so that you too can get the very best out of your Apple watch.
Here are my top apps that I can’t recommend enough:
Pillow Automatic Sleep Tracker
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pillow-automatic-sleep-tracker/id878691772?mt=8
One thing that I’ve always struggled with is sleep: getting to sleep, staying asleep and trying in vain to get the right amount of sleep. After trying out a few different apps, I found Pillow Automatic Sleep Tracker, the app that has revolutionized my entire night’s sleep.
It takes a few days for the app to collect data on your sleeping patterns and for you to be able to adjust your routine accordingly, but even from the first night, Pillow Automatic Sleep Trackers had me immersed in sleep aid sounds that are designed to help you clear your mind, relax and drift off into a peaceful sleep. As someone who struggles to get to sleep as my mind races from thought to thought, this really helped me just to stop and block the world out.
The smart alarm was another feature that had a significant impact from day one. Having monitored my sleep throughout the night, the app was able to detect the optimal time for me to wake-up. So rather than waking up to a loud alarm while in a deep sleep, I was instead woken-up during the lightest sleep stage, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead.
I want to share some of the top apps that I've found with you so that you too can get the very best out of your Apple watch.
Here are my top apps that I can’t recommend enough:
Pillow Automatic Sleep Tracker
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pillow-automatic-sleep-tracker/id878691772?mt=8
One thing that I’ve always struggled with is sleep: getting to sleep, staying asleep and trying in vain to get the right amount of sleep. After trying out a few different apps, I found Pillow Automatic Sleep Tracker, the app that has revolutionized my entire night’s sleep.
It takes a few days for the app to collect data on your sleeping patterns and for you to be able to adjust your routine accordingly, but even from the first night, Pillow Automatic Sleep Trackers had me immersed in sleep aid sounds that are designed to help you clear your mind, relax and drift off into a peaceful sleep. As someone who struggles to get to sleep as my mind races from thought to thought, this really helped me just to stop and block the world out.
The smart alarm was another feature that had a significant impact from day one. Having monitored my sleep throughout the night, the app was able to detect the optimal time for me to wake-up. So rather than waking up to a loud alarm while in a deep sleep, I was instead woken-up during the lightest sleep stage, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead.
Chirp for Twitter
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chirp-for-twitter/id1397430041?mt=8
Twitter is an essential app for any iconic man who wants to stay on trend and in the know. Unfortunately, there is no official Twitter app for the Apple Watch and, since social media, in general, was one of the main things I was excited for when buying my Apple Watch, I was extremely disappointed. I began searching for an alternative app that allowed me actually to use Twitter on my watch and I found Chirp.
Chirp offers all the features that I have come to love on the Twitter app for my phone and means that I am never a few clicks away from the latest news and gossip. I can browse my timeline, likes, retweet, and post all from my wrist. I was surprised to find that Chirp even lets you see pictures and a complete list of hashtags all from the tiny screen that lives on my arm.
Chirp is basically Twitter optimized for a smaller screen; it does everything that the iPhone Twitter app can do with the added continence of being with me wherever I go.
Nike Run Club
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/nike-run-club/id387771637?mt=8
As someone who enjoys a short 5K run in the morning to kick start my day, I was excited to try out the Nike Run app for my new watch having used the app on my phone for many years, and I was not disappointed. All of the features that I have come to know and love on my phone were there on my watch and meant that I no longer had to pull my phone out of my pocket mid-run to check my pace, distance or even just to skip a song.
All of the information I needed while running is right there on my wrist; I can see my pace, check my route and monitor my heart rate. I also appreciate the seamless compatibility between my watch and phone, syncing instantly so I can sit and look over the data from my run while having breakfast and charging my watch up ready for the day ahead.
I honestly would feel lost on a run now if I did not have the Nike Run app and my watch with me.
iTranslate Translator
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itranslate-translator/id288113403?mt=8
I have always been a big fan of iTranslate, as it works in a similar way to Google Translate but is optimized to work with Apple products and results in a much smoother experience. It is an app that I use all of the time when traveling and, on a recent weekend away I got the chance to test out how iTranslate works in the real world. Having the app on hand at all times made it easier than ever to communicate with locals and order at restaurants so that I didn’t have to dig my phone out of my pocket because everything I needed to have a conversation was on my wrist.
The main feature that I found myself using was the voice-to-voice mode when speaking to staff in shops and bars. The offline text translation mode was also extremely useful to have on hand at all time when navigating my way around the city and reading signs.
Having an instant translation tool on my wrist at all times made the whole experience of being in a non-English speaking country so much easier and, after only a few days, I can’t imagine traveling without it now.
Pennies – Budget and Expenses
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pennies-budget-and-expenses/id916741290?mt=8
My busy, non-stop lifestyle makes it difficult to manage my budget and feel in control of my money. Pennies is an app that I've had on my phone for a while and in theory is great, allowing me to set a budget and log all of my spending all in one place. The problem that I often ran into is that I didn't have time to keep taking my phone out my pocket to log a few dollars here and there. With the purchase of my new watch, I decided to give Pennies another go, having the app on my wrist at all times meant I didn't have an excuse and it has actually worked.
With Pennies, you can set your budget according to categories rather than just having one budget of the whole month. I find this really helps as I can allocate a ‘fun budget' for the month and a separate food budget for example. Every time you spend money you log it on the app, and it will show you how much you have left for that category for the month. I find this makes my money stretch further and prevents me from feeling guilty when I buy a few drinks on a Friday night because the money is coming out of my fun budget rather than money that should be kept for food or bills.
To some people, an Apple watch might seem like a pointless frivolity, but it is something that makes life for a modern iconic man so much easier. Convenience, accessibility and, perhaps most importantly, style. So what about you? Let us know in the comments below what apps you’re loving for your Apple watch?
user rating :
4.00 stars (4 votes)
Sam is a writer from the UK with a strange fixation on making as many things from scratch as possible. Whether it's brewing beer or making hot sauce, Sam is determined to try and make everything, as well as writing or making videos about it as he goes.