Pair to your phone, download some apps, and tweak your settings.
If you’re the proud new owner of an Apple Watch, it’s time to learn how to set it up your way.
The Apple Watch is a hugely versatile and personal device, and no two people will use it the same way. There are also numerous settings and customizations that people often overlook (and then complain about certain elements of the experience).
We’ve been using Apple Watch nearly every day since 2015, so here are our top tips for your first steps with it.
- 74 Apple Watch features you need to know
- Everything new coming in watchOS 26
- The 20 Apple Watch apps our editors actually use
1. Pair the Apple Watch
Getting started with your new Apple Watch is simple. First, you need an iPhone XS, iPhone SE (second generation), or a newer model that’s fully updated to the latest version of iOS. On-screen instructions mainly cover it, but here’s the gist:
- Check that Bluetooth is enabled on your iPhone and connected to a Wi-Fi network. Then, open the Apple Watch app.
- Start by putting the Apple Watch on your wrist and turning it on.
- Hold the iPhone near your Apple Watch and wait for the pairing screen to appear.
- After tapping ‘Continue’, select ‘Set Up for Myself’.
- When asked, position the iPhone so the Apple Watch appears in the viewfinder in the app.
- The pairing should now be complete, and you can move on to setting up the watch.
2. Install apps on the Apple Watch
One of the Apple Watch’s handiest elements is the standalone apps, but most are still extensions of apps on your handset.
During setup, you can install all available Apple Watch versions of your existing iPhone app – if you want.
You can also do this later in the companion app and choose whether to have new ones added automatically. We don’t like having scores of apps on the Watch we don’t use, so we recommend being selective.
You can also now browse and download apps through the App Store directly on your wrist.
You might still find the iOS app useful due to screen room and reading, but you’re no longer dependent on your phone for apps. Just open up the App Store on your Apple Watch to get started.
We’ve already reviewed and ranked the Apple Watch apps we actually use, so check them out to avoid sifting through countless options.
3. Set the app screen to your preference
This is a personal preference, but I wouldn’t say I like the default Apple app screen with the honeycomb pattern. Given that you need to pick them out with precision, finding the app you need can be fiddly. Call me old-fashioned, but I find the list format far easier.
To choose between the Grid View and List View:
1. Go to the app screen.
2. Hold your finger on the screen for a couple of seconds.
3. Choose the option you prefer.
4. Change the watch face
Changing the Apple Watch face is the easiest way to customize the experience – and it’s also easy.
Long-press on the watch face and you’ll be taken to a gallery of options. If you’re not seeing many, then swipe right and choose the +, and you can then add faces from the catalog.
You can usually tweak the style (font and colors) and set up complications. These are snippets of data displayed on the watch face, taken from Apple Watch apps, which enrich the experience and make it more useful.
Also, check out our guide to the Portrait watch face and make dials from your best photos.
5. Set your fitness goals
The key to progressing with your health and fitness goals is to ensure goals are ambitious but achievable. So getting these set up early on is essential.
Even before owning an Apple Watch, you may have been familiar with the three rings: Move, Exercise, and Stand. These form the basis of daily activity tracking on the smartwatch.
To tweak the goals:
- On your Apple Watch, press on the digital crown (physical button on the side) to launch the app drawer.
- Tap the ‘Fitness’ app (the one with the rings) to open up and view your rings.
- Next, swipe up to one of the three rings – Move, Stand, or Exercise – that you want to change.
- Once on it, tap the plus/minus button in the bottom-right corner to change the goal.
- Increase or decrease the number for your daily goal, then tap ‘Set’.
6. Set up Apple Pay
One of the most significant benefits of the Apple Watch over its competitors (except for Wear OS watches) is the wide-ranging support for Apple Pay. Setting it up can be a faff when you first strap on your Apple Watch, but it’s worth it.
You will be prompted to input your card details on your iPhone. If you already have one set up on your iPhone, you can also bring information across by confirming the CVV.
To use Apple Pay on the Apple Watch, double-tap the side button and tap it to the contactless point to pay. You can also set up Express Travel payments, which means you can enter transit systems – such as the London Underground – just by tapping your watch, without having to activate the payment card.
To do that, go to the Watch companion app and then ‘Wallet and Apple Pay’. Next, assign your card to be an Express Travel Card. Thank us later.
7. Tame Apple Watch notifications
Notifications play a significant role in the Apple Watch experience, enabling you to stay connected to messages and calls without being constantly glued to your smartphone.
However, nobody wants their wrist constantly buzzing, and receiving too many notifications can make the Apple Watch feel like an annoying experience. Yet, you have lots of control here.
In the iPhone Apple Watch app, go to My Watch > Notifications.
When active, the Notifications Indicator displays a red dot at the top of the watch face to indicate unread notifications. A privacy option is available, allowing you to view notification details when you tap on an alert.
Below these switches is a list of built-in apps, followed by third-party apps. Each third-party app has a switch to mirror alerts to your Apple Watch (these alerts are managed in the iPhone’s Settings app).
Most Apple apps are set to ‘Mirror my iPhone’ (meaning they mirror alert settings from your iPhone), but they can also have custom options, such as enabling haptic alerts while turning off sound for Messages.
Maps and Activity are exceptions; the former’s only function is toggling alerts for upcoming turns, and the latter offers detailed options for stand reminders, progress updates, goal completions, achievements, and your weekly summary.
