Key Takeaways

  • Learn how to control your Apple Watch: Navigate around watchOS 10 using swipes, buttons, and the digital crown for a more intuitive experience.
  • Choose a watch face: Customize your watch face from the available options and even share them with friends.
  • Select the complications that matter to you: Add complications to your watch face for timely information and shortcuts to apps you use frequently.

Whether you've opted for the latest Apple Watch Ultra 2 or a slightly older model, you will get access to the same main set of watchOS 10 features. After all, most Apple Watch upgrades in recent years have been incremental, and older models share most of their technology. So, regardless of which edition you've got, there are ten things you may want to do right after you unbox your new Apple Watch.

1 Learn how to control your Apple Watch

This will make using your smartwatch more intuitive

When you first pair an Apple Watch with an iPhone, you must learn how to navigate around watchOS 10. Just like on iOS, a swipe down from the top of the screen will show the notifications. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen will show the Widget Stack. There you will be able to add, remove, and reorder the widgets based on your preferences. A swipe to the right or left on the main screen will switch between the added watch faces, assuming you've enabled this option.

When it comes to hardware, the Apple Watch has a Side button and a Digital Crown. A single click on the side button will open the Control Center. A double click will reveal the cards saved in Apple Wallet. Holding the Side button will bring up a menu that includes the power button, Medical ID, and Emergency SOS.

The Digital Crown is used to scroll through lists and zoom in/out on certain elements. If you click it, though, it will show you the installed apps if you're on the main screen. If you're inside an app, it'll take you to the main screen instead. Finally, double-clicking it will show your recently-opened apps. It might sound like a complicated mechanism, but your muscle memory will adapt faster than you'd expect.

2 Choose a watch face

There are dozens to pick from!

Choosing a watch face that matches your taste and style is also one of the first things you should do after getting an Apple Watch. The company provides you with diverse options to choose from. However, it still doesn't support custom watch faces. So you're limited to the ones available on watchOS by default. To change it, just go to the Watch app on your iPhone, click on the Face Gallery tab in the middle of the bottom navigation bar, and click on the face you like. Once you're in a face, you'll get to customize some aspects of it, such as the colors and complications. When you're done with that, tap on the Add button, which will instantly change it on your watch. You can have as many watch faces as you want, and you can quickly swipe between them (horizontally) on your watch's main screen if you've enabled this option. Furthermore, you can even share your watch faces with friends!

3 Select the complications that matter to you

Complications provide you with timely information and handy shortcuts

Apple Watch Ultra 2 on a table

Apple and third-party developers offer plenty of complications to take advantage of. What are complications? See them as watch face accessories that provide timely information or shortcuts to certain apps. Care about the weather? There's a complication for that. Interested in certain stocks? There's also one for that. Curious about the sunrise/sunset times? You've got it!

The number of complications you can add depends on the watch face you're using. Some support up to nine at the same time, while others aren't as generous. To choose yours, just click on an existent watch face you're using in the Watch app on your iPhone. If you're adding a new face, you can select the complications you want before clicking the Add button.

4 Change the app layout

You don't have to settle for the default look

Just like on iOS, you can change the app layout on watchOS through Jiggle Mode. Just click and hold on the apps screen, and wait for the icons to jiggle. You will then be able to drag them around to reorder them and even delete some of them. Alternatively, you can use the Watch app on your iPhone to take advantage of the bigger screen. Apple Watches support both Grid and List Views — the latter is strictly alphabetical, though.

5 Add your essential cards to Apple Wallet

Bank cards, boarding passes, QR codes, and more

Worn Apple Watch displaying vaccination QR code

watchOS can do a lot on its own, including contactless payments. That's why you should set up Apple Pay on your watch. If you're storing boarding passes or other digital tickets in the Wallet app on your iPhone, then they should automatically sync to your Apple Watch as well. This enables you to enter venues or cross airport gates using just your Apple Watch.

If the region you live in still requires you to show a vaccination certificate, then your Apple Watch could also help. You can add your vaccination certificate to your Apple Wallet manually by following a few steps. You could also use the same method highlighted in the guide to add any QR code to your watch. This could be your gym's digital entry key or any other QR code that you tend to display often for whatever reason.

6 Silence its audible alerts

Haptic feedback may be sufficient

An Apple Watch on a wrist with Control Center open and Silent Mode showing as on.

Apple Watches have speakers, but plenty of us find that somewhat useless. The watch includes a Taptic Engine that provides a good level of haptic feedback when you receive a notification. So assuming you're wearing it, you will most likely feel that. If you're not wearing it, you can unmute your iPhone to hear the notifications as they come in. The point is — the notification sounds on the Apple Watch are redundant to many of us. To silence audible alerts, open the Control Center and hit on the bell icon. You can also set a silent but vibrating alarm on your Apple Watch to avoid waking up startled.

7 Set your activity goals

You Apple Watch can help you lead a healthier life

Many of us buy this watch for its health and fitness tracking features. To set or change your activity goals, head to the Activity app on your iPhone, tap your profile photo, and click Change Goals. This will allow you to change how much it takes to close the Move, Exercise, and Stand rings. As a piece of advice — set realistic goals that are achievable but also slightly push you to do more. This way, you will likely remain motivated to close them. As a result, you will slowly advance as you set higher goals every few weeks or months.

8 Learn how to shower or swim with it

You shouldn't directly submerge your Apple Watch in water

apple-watch-ultra-xda-4555

The Apple Watch is water-resistant. This means you get to shower or swim while safely wearing it. Before you hop into the shower, pool, or ocean, however, open the Control Center and click on the Water Lock button. This will kill the touch display, so the watch doesn't register the water drops as random clicks. This way, you won't end up accidentally iMessaging your live heartbeat to that ex you've forgotten to delete the number of.

Once you're done with the shower or swim, rinse the watch with clean, non-salty water. Make sure the water enters its microphone and speaker grills. This will clear out any soap or salt stuck inside. After you're done with rinsing it, click and hold on the Digital Crown until it starts beeping and ejecting the water through the speaker. This will unlock touch controls again, and you can use your watch normally afterward.

9 Add your friends to the Fitness app to compete

This could motivate you to be even more active

apple watch competitions feature

Competing with or comparing our progress to others can be very motivational. Apple allows its users to share their activities with their friends and family members. To do this, launch the Fitness app on your iPhone and head to the Sharing tab in the bottom right corner. Click on the top right corner icon and search for the contact you want to add. Click their name and send them an invitation.

Once they accept it, you will be able to view their three activity rings and the workouts they've done for the day. You can also challenge them by hitting the compete button inside their profiles. Competitions last for a week and are based on a points system. The person who earns more points will earn an award at the end of the 7 days.

10 Change the default band and protect it with a case

You can freshen up your Apple Watch's dull appearance and protect its exterior

Midnight Apple Watch Series 7 with Graphite Milanese Loop next to AirPods Pro 2

Sometimes default watch bands can get boring. Fortunately, Apple and third parties sell plenty of alternatives. You can change the bands by taking the watch off and sliding the bands out as you click and hold on to the tiny eject buttons on the back that secure them in. Afterward, slide the new bands in, and you're good to go!

A case can make an Apple Watch look hefty, but it's worth it if you tend to bump your wrist into hard objects. Cracking the screen will take away its premium look, and you wouldn't want to do that to your brand-new watch. To spare you the endless dilemmas of choosing the color, style, and material, we have compiled a list that narrows you down to the best watch bands and cases available out there.

The Apple Watch is packed with features!

The Apple Watch is a feature-rich device that will slowly turn into a companion you can't leave behind. It provides accurate health and fitness-related measurements and pushes you to do more. Not only that, but it also tightly integrates into Apple's ecosystem, allowing you to do things like unlocking your Face ID iPhone when masked and bypassing your Mac's password. It truly is a small but handy bundle of might.