The following are some key points to learn:
- Display: This is the face of your Apple Watch gadget. Tapping, swiping, and pressing firmly on the display are all gestures that the display responds to.
- Digital Crown (home button): This is the rotating button on the side of the Apple Watch (on the right side if you wear it with your left hand). Touch and hold Digital Crown to use Siri, turn it on to scroll or zoom, touch it to view the Watch face or Home Screen, or double press to access the last used app .
- Side button: This flat oval button is located under the Digital Crown. Touch it to see the Dock (a list of recently used apps), double-press it to use Apple Pay, and press and hold the button to turn your Watch on or off or make an emergency call that phone.
- Band release buttons: These are thin oval shapes on the very top and bottom of the back part of the Apple Watch that are used to change the band.
- Optical heart sensor: These dots on the back of your Apple Watch (Series 3 or earlier) and single dots on the Series 4 (which also has an electrical heart sensor) measure your heart rate.
Next, charge your Apple Watch.
Grab your charging cord and check out our guide on how to charge a device here.
Next, turn on your Apple Watch and pair and set up your device.
- To turn on the Apple Watch, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears in the center of the screen.
- Pair your iPhone and Apple Watch, then follow the on-screen instructions on your iPhone and Apple Watch to complete the set up.
- You can adjust the settings, including the passcode and how you unlock your Apple Watch and wake up the display, at any time using the Apple Watch app settings (gray icon with gear) or Watch app on the iPhone.
More than just basic gestures
- Tap to open an app, select an item, turn specific settings off and on, etc.
- Swipe left and right to navigate between the different faces of the Watch (which can be modified and customized), swipe up to reveal the Control Center, swipe up and down to scroll (this can also be done using Digital Crown), and swipe down to view notifications.
- Press firmly on the display to customize the current Watch face or see options within an open app. You will feel a small tap when this gesture is used successfully.
Close dock apps
- To close Apple Watch apps, press the side button to reveal the Dock.
- Swipe left on any open apps you want to close and tap the red “X” revealed to close the app.
Check the notifications
- You’ll feel a tap on your wrist when a new notification arrives, unless you’ve silenced your Apple Watch. Raise your wrist to view the notification. To clear it, scroll down to the bottom and tap Dismiss.
- Undressed notifications are indicated by a red dot at the top of the Watch face and saved to the Notification Center, which is accessed by swiping down on the Watch face. Scroll through the list of notifications and tap and dismiss them one by one or swipe left and tap the “X” to clear a notification without reading it.
Learn how to read your Activity rings and start a workout
- The Activity app on the Apple Watch has three different rings that measure activity: Switch (red), Workout (green), and Stand (blue).
- You are only able to adjust your Moving goal; your workout and stance goals are fixed at 30 minutes daily and one minute of standing / moving each hour for 12 different hours, respectively.
- To start a workout, open the Workout app (green icon with a runner). Scroll through the different workout options and select the one that is very similar to your workout, then tap to start the workout. Swipe left to lock your Apple Watch (to prevent accidental taps and activate Water Lock), pause, or end your workout.
- Check the Activity app on the iPhone to see your Activity history, previous workout details, and awards you’ve earned.