Messaging is one of the best use cases for Apple Watch – you get a message, you dictate a reply, you get on with your day.
Apple has included several pre-written responses for you to use when you’re just too busy to dictate a response (or don’t want to talk into your watch). They’re pretty awful, though, ranging from the terse (“OK”) to the fairly robotic (“Sorry, I can’t talk right now”). None of them really quite fit the way we talk, do they?
Happily, Apple lets you change these canned responses to better reflect your personality and style. Here’s how to do so.
Once there, tap on the Default Replies section and you’ll see the screen with all the built-in replies, like “Can I call you later?” and “I’m on my way.”
Tap into the default reply you want to customize and type in a message that makes better sense for you. I changed the straightforward What’s up? response to “Heya! What’s up?” which just seems nicer. Instead of the short and somewhat rude “OK,” I typed in “sounds great!”
Ultimately, you’re going to want to come up with your own custom replies, because you’re a beautiful unique butterfly like the rest of us. Think about what you text back most often (Love you!) and put those in your custom replies. It will make messaging with your wrist a ton better.
Rob LeFebvre is an Anchorage, Alaska-based writer and editor who has contributed to various tech, gaming and iOS sites, including 148Apps, Creative Screenwriting, Shelf-Awareness, VentureBeat, and Paste Magazine. Feel free to find Rob on Twitter @roblef, and send him a cookie once in a while; he’ll really appreciate it.
6 responses to “Add custom replies to Apple Watch, seem less robotic”
Good tip. Seems like you should change the misleading headline to Change custom replies to Apple Watch, seem less robotic because you’re not adding replies, merely changing the default replies.
The only thing better would be to edit more than just the six options available.
Wish there was a way to have it text my blood pressure in response to my bosses messages.
Thank you, been wondering if we could do this.
I keep the defaults – but I added a ~ to the beginning of them all as an indicator it’s a automated response.
That’s an interesting way to do it – how does it help your communications?