How to manage apps on Apple Watch?

Managing apps on your Apple Watch involves a combination of direct interaction on the watch itself and utilizing the companion Apple Watch app on your iPhone for more detailed control and organization.

Rearranging Apps Directly on Your Apple Watch

You can easily reorder apps on your Apple Watch's Home Screen, especially when using the Grid View, to place your most frequently used apps within easy reach.

Here's how to rearrange apps on your Apple Watch:

1. Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to go to the Home Screen.
2. Touch and hold an app icon until all the icons begin to jiggle.
3. Drag the app to a new location on the screen.
4. Press the Digital Crown once you're done arranging your apps to save the layout.

Managing Apps Using Your iPhone

The Apple Watch app on your iPhone provides comprehensive tools for installing, uninstalling, and customizing app settings.

Installing Apps

There are a few ways to get apps onto your Apple Watch:

• Automatic Installation: Many iPhone apps have a companion Apple Watch app. By default, these are often installed automatically. You can manage this setting:
  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the My Watch tab.
  3. Go to General.
  4. Toggle Automatic App Install on or off.
• Manual Installation from App Store:
  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the App Store tab at the bottom.
  3. Browse or search for apps specifically designed for Apple Watch.
  4. Tap Get or the cloud icon to download and install.
• Manual Installation from "My Watch" Tab:
  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the My Watch tab.
  3. Scroll down to the Available Apps section.
  4. Tap Install next to the app you wish to add to your watch.

Uninstalling Apps

You can remove apps from your Apple Watch directly or via your iPhone:

• On Apple Watch:
  1. Press the Digital Crown to go to the Home Screen.
  2. Touch and hold an app icon until all icons jiggle.
  3. Tap the "X" on the app icon you want to remove.
  4. Confirm by tapping Delete App.
• Using iPhone:
  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the My Watch tab.
  3. Scroll down to the Installed on Apple Watch section.
  4. Tap the app you wish to remove.
  5. Toggle off Show App on Apple Watch to hide it without deleting data, or tap Delete App to completely remove it.

Organizing App View

Your Apple Watch offers two distinct views for your apps:

• Grid View: This is the default, visually engaging honeycomb layout that allows you to freely arrange app icons.
• List View: This view displays your apps alphabetically in a scrolling list, which can be easier for quick navigation if you have many apps. The order in List View cannot be manually changed.

To switch between views:

1. On your Apple Watch, open the Settings app.
2. Tap App View.
3. Choose either Grid View or List View.

You can also change this via your iPhone:

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab.
3. Tap App Layout.
4. Choose either Grid or List. (Note: If you select List, the app layout will automatically revert to alphabetical and cannot be customized from this screen.)

Customizing App Settings and Notifications

Many apps have specific settings that can be adjusted from your iPhone:

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab.
3. Scroll down to the Installed on Apple Watch section and select the app you want to configure.
4. Here you can often adjust settings like:
   • Complications: Whether the app can display information on your watch face.
   • App Refresh: If the app can refresh its content in the background.
   • Notifications: How the app's alerts are delivered. You can often choose to mirror your iPhone's notification settings or customize them specifically for your watch.
     • For general notification settings, go to Notifications on the My Watch tab.

Summary of App Management Methods

By leveraging both your Apple Watch and iPhone, you have complete control over how your apps are organized and function, enhancing your overall experience. For further details on managing your Apple Watch, you can refer to Apple's official support documentation.