Odds are, you’re not taking advantage of all the useful things your Apple Watch can do for you. That’s because we all tend to grab our iPhone, even when it’s not the best option. I started using my smartwatch much more after I began asking myself one simple question whenever I grab my iPhone: “Would this be easier on my Apple Watch?”
You should try it, too.
Don’t overlook your Apple Watch
If you only use your Apple Watch for activity tracking, you’re missing out on lots of other capabilities. The iPhone and Mac certainly have their places in your routine, but a smartwatch can handle most of the small tasks we habitually pull out a phone to do.
Your Apple Watch goes with you everywhere, and it sits right there on your wrist — ready to be used, not stuck in your pocket. You really ought to get more use out of it.
‘Would this be easier on my Apple Watch?’
You won’t ever take full advantage of your smartwatch until you start actively looking for ways to integrate it into your daily life. Picking up our phones has become so very habitual. Get a text notification? Grab iPhone. Hear an alert? Grab iPhone.
The best way I’ve found to escape that habit is to keep asking myself the question when I reach for my iPhone, “Would this be easier on my Apple Watch?” I’ve been doing this for months, and the answer is often, “Yes.” And it’s led to me using the smartwatch far more than I used to.
More useful than you might think
I stopped setting up timers and reading text messages on my iPhone, for example. I check who’s calling me on the Watch, and even take the call if I think it’s going to be a short one. When I need to calculate a tip in a restaurant, I do it on the Watch.
I stopped pulling out my iPhone just to type in a few words for a text. Instead, I use Dictation to turn my voice into written words. And I often use the basic responses that can be sent just by touching a button, like “Thanks!”
Whenever my iPhone beeps at me, I check my Watch instead. Almost every time, what the phone wants to tell me is also there on my wrist where it’s easier to see.
I even turn to my Watch when I can’t find the TV remote. There’s an app for that.
Be optimistic but realistic
Obviously, an Apple Watch isn’t better for everything. You aren’t ever going to lean back and watch an episode of Severance on one, or write a long email to your boss. A bigger screen is necessary for images and video, and long emails require a keyboard. Websites and e-books aren’t right for a 1.9-inch display, either.
But don’t get in the habit of thinking, “A smartwatch can’t do that,” because maybe it can. Also, try to stop thinking of your iPhone as the best way to do everything — it’s not.
Always remember that your Apple Watch can do far more than show you how active you’ve been today. All you have to do is look for ways it can help you. And the best way to find them is by asking yourself when you reach for the iPhone, “Would this be easier on my Apple Watch?”
