The coolest things the Apple Watch can do

(Paradigm credit: Apple)

The Apple Scout is the best smartwatch because of all of the things it can practise, from tracking your exercises to purchasing things to answering messages. But there'due south so much it can do that finding some of the clever but less obvious features can be catchy.

With that in mind, here are xv of the coolest things the Apple Watch can do. And we tin can't wait to try out some of the new features coming in watchOS 7.

For boosted tips, tricks, and how-tos, be certain to check out our complete guide on how to utilise the Apple Watch.

Bank check yourself for Afib

If you lot have an Apple Watch Series 5 or Apple Lookout Series 4, your digital crown can practise more than ringlet — it tin notice if you have symptoms of atrial fibrillation (Afib), a type of irregular heartbeat, using an electrical heart sensor that Apple put in the digital crown. To use information technology, launch the ECG (electrocardiogram) app and touch your finger to the digital crown for 30 seconds. It will alarm you if you lot should seek medical attention.

Get aid when yous fall

Using the accelerometer and gyroscope in a Series 4 or 5, the Apple Watch can observe if you've fallen — and call for help. To enable the feature, launch the Watch app on your iPhone, go to Emergency SOS and toggle on Autumn Detection. Brand certain you gear up an emergency contact in the Wellness app on your iPhone, too.

If the lookout thinks you lot've fallen, it buzzes on your wrist and sounds an alarm. You can tap "I'thousand Okay" on the screen or have the watch telephone call emergency services. If you don't motility for ane minute, information technology will brand the call automatically and send a message to your emergency contacts.

Find your manner

The Series five includes a magnetometer to power its Compass app, which is fun in and of itself, but it comes in really handy when yous launch Maps. Maps taps into the compass to prove yous exactly which way you are facing. No more walking the wrong way for a few blocks when you come up up out of the subway! Other apps such every bit Yelp and Wikiloc (for hiking and biking trails) as well use the magnetometer to help you orient yourself. Caveat: if y'all use a spotter band with a magnet, such as the Milanese or Leather Loop, it can interfere with the magnetometer and lead y'all astray.

Calculate a tip (and more)

WatchOS 6 brought a native calculator to Apple Watch. The Calculator app can exercise basic calculations — add, decrease, divide, and multiply — and information technology includes a handy feature for those of the states who are math challenged: the Tip button. Enter the nib total and tap Tip, then select the percentage you want to leave. No more than accidentally slighting an excellent server! It tin also help you lot split up a bill — but signal how many people are sharing the cost after you've included the tip percentage.

If you detect the buttons on the calculator as well small, you tin ask Siri what the tip should be without launching the Calculator app.

Name that song

How many times have you wondered what song was playing and it ended before you lot could get your phone out and launch Shazaam? Speed up by using your Apple Watch and Siri: Ask Apple'south vocalization assistant what song is playing and information technology will use the Watch's microphone to listen, and then brandish the issue on the Watch's screen. Y'all can then add the vocal to your Apple Music library, too.

Measure decibels

How loud is the thumping bass coming from your neighbor'southward? Now you tin can tell exactly with the Dissonance app. It measures the decibels and tells you if the noise level is safe. Y'all tin can set the Apple tree Lookout man to measure sounds automatically and alert yous when racket levels reach unsafe levels — you may be surprised how often yous're endangering your hearing while doing everyday things like mowing the backyard.

Go for a swim

Got an Apple tree Watch Series iii, Series four or Series v? Banish your natural inclination non to get your electronics wet. While the start version of the Watch was water resistant, Apple tree added the power to submerge the watch up to fifty meters with the 2016 update to its smartwatch line. And that feature remains a part of the Serial iii, iv and 5 models, making them perfect for workouts at the local pool.

Only retrieve to employ the Water Lock feature to squirt any extra water from the speaker opening after your workout. Water Lock kicks in automatically when yous start a swimming conditioning, and you lot can unlock the screen (and clear out h2o) when you're done by turning the digital crown. (Go along in heed that if y'all take a swim in the ocean, y'all likewise probably want to rinse off the salt water with fresh h2o afterwards.)

Control your Apple Television set

Did your remote slip betwixt the couch cushions again? No worries: your Apple Spotter can control a number of home theater devices, and information technology never leaves your wrist. For example, if you have an Apple TV, you can use the Apple Sentinel's Remote app to swipe around the set-top box'due south menus, kickoff and pause playback, and more than. If you've got a Logitech Harmony (the all-time universal remote), you can start and stop activities that you've fix up.

Stream music without your iPhone

You'll need an Apple tree Watch Series 3, 4 or 5 with LTE connectivity to pull off this feat, only it's one that will be a welcome feature if y'all enjoy a little music accompanying your run. Because the Series 3 model is capable of connecting to wireless networks on its own, y'all can stream songs without having your iPhone shut at hand — ideal for working out. And y'all're not simply limited to Apple Music and its $10-a-month streaming service. Apple tree also includes an app called Radio with the Apple Watch for streaming songs, or you lot can use Spotify, Pandora and a few other music streaming services — but yous can't relieve songs to the picket for offline listening unless you're using Apple Music.

Compete confronting your friends in fitness

You can measure yourself confronting your friends by turning on Action Sharing. In the Activity app on iOS, go to the Sharing tab and tap the Plus (+) icon in the top correct to invite someone to share their Action info with you. And then you'll be able to check their status in the Action app on your Apple Scout, you'll become notifications when they complete workouts or shut their rings, and vice versa.

Become running without your iPhone

Speaking of working out, if you lot've got an Apple Lookout Serial iii or afterward, yous tin finally live the dream and leave your iPhone behind when you get for a run. That's considering newer Apple Watches have born GPS that can track your workout without needing you to lug that heavy phone effectually. Plus, bring along a pair of Bluetooth headphones for the ride and yous can even mind to music right off your Apple tree Watch also. Too Apple'due south own Workout app, you lot can take reward of this in plenty of third-political party apps like Runkeeper and Nike+ Run Club. If yous have an LTE-enabled Apple tree Watch, you can utilize information technology to stream music, too.

Control smart home devices

Souping up your domicile with smart lights, smart shades, a smart thermostat, smart switches so on and so forth can exist fun, merely how do you lot control all of it? From your Apple tree Watch, naturally. The congenital-in Dwelling house app lets you lot command HomeKit-uniform devices such as Philips Hue lights and Honeywell thermostats, simply at that place are plenty of other home command apps on the market place. Philips, Honeywell, and other third parties have their own apps that let you control those specific features, and there are also third-party abode automation apps that let you lot prepare routines to command disparate smart habitation devices — even those that aren't supported by HomeKit — like Yonomi, IFTTT, and Matthias Hochgatterer'due south Home app.

Unlock your Mac

Did you know your Apple tree Sentry can save you some typing? If you've got a Mac made within the last several years, your Apple Watch can be used to unlock the screen without having to enter your countersign. All you need to practice is enable the power on your Mac in System Preferences > Security & Privacy by checking the box next to Allow your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac. Now, when you lot wake that Mac from sleep and you're wearing your Apple Spotter, information technology should have care of that pesky password business for yous.

Lodge food

E'er get so hungry that even taking your phone out seems similar a span likewise far? Fortunately, y'all can order nutrient right from your Apple Scout, using a variety of apps. GrubHub lets you reorder recent favorites with just a couple taps or you lot can specifically order a pizza from Domino'south or burritos from Chipotle. With your Apple Scout every bit your witness, y'all'll never go hungry once again.

Talk to your automobile

If you've got a modernistic automobile, your Apple Sentinel may offer you ways to check on your motorcar's status and even interact with it. Offerings from Mercedes Benz, BMW, Porsche, VW and more let y'all practise things similar lock and unlock your machine'due south doors, honk the horn, cheque battery levels on electric cars, and even help you discover your parked motorcar. If you've got an older car, an aftermarket choice from Viper includes an app to let you lock, unlock, and start your car remotely. It'south no KITT from Knight Rider, but then once again, what is?

Michael Gowan covers soundbars, TVs, portable speakers and other audio- and video-related topics for Tom'due south Guide. He'due south written about music and applied science for more than than 20 years for a raft of publications including Wired, Men'southward Journal, PC World and Macworld. When he's not reviewing speakers, he'southward probably listening to one anyway.