Inside watchOS 3: Apple Watch gets new apps for Reminders, Home, Find My Friends & heart rate

The number of default Apple Watch apps will grow with the upcoming release of watchOS 3, gaining Reminders, Home, Find My Friends, as well as a separate heart rate app, and also adding watch face complications for each.

Previously on Apple Watch, the heart rate monitor could be found as a "glance" in watchOS. But the upcoming release of watchOS 3 removes glances entirely, necessitating the need for the heart rate monitor to become its own app, accessible from the app launcher.

Aside from the new location, the app works the same as before. And for those who liked having a heart rate monitor quickly accessible, the app can be pinned to the new application dock viewable by pressing the side button.

A trio of iOS apps are also making their way to watchOS 3, including the new Home app that will also debut in iOS 10. Like on an iPhone and iPad, Home for Apple Watch allows users to view their complete list of HomeKit-connected accessories, and to adjust settings on them accordingly.

For example, with Philips Hue bulbs, the lights will be shown in the app and can be scrolled through, and tapped on to turn them on. A "..." button on the top right of the icon also allows more advanced controls — in the case of bulbs, it allows users to adjust the brightness.

The Reminders app on watchOS 3 allows users to view different categories of saved reminders on their watch, and to view individual tasks. Tasks can also be marked as completed, and a firm Force Touch on the display gives users the ability to view a list of completed tasks.

There does not appear to be a way to add Reminders within the app, at least in the first beta of watchOS 3. However, users can always rely on the Apple Watch's "Hey Siri" functionality to add a reminder by voice.

Finally, the location-sharing Find My Friends app is also headed to Apple Watch with watchOS 3. However, as of the first beta, we were unable to get the service to work on our watch, and assume this will be fixed as Apple continues to polish watchOS 3 ahead of its release this fall.

It should also be noted that all of these apps — Â along with all native Apple Watch apps — now have their own complications that users can place on watch faces. In a major design change, Apple also recommends that all third-party apps come with watch face complications, regardless of whether or not they have a need to show updated data throughout the day. Apple intends to allow users to place whatever apps they choose on watch faces, making it easier to launch apps without the need to access the app menu or app dock.

For more on the upcoming Apple Watch update, see AppleInsider's ongoing Inside watchOS 3 series, parts of which are linked below:

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5 Comments

aaarrrgggh 1607 comments · 18 Years

About 8 years ago

Removing glances seems like a huge step backwards! I love that I can use the remote glance to change music while driving, the zone player glance to do the same at home, and the pinger glance to find my phone.

Picking "apps" requires much more focus (and multiple attempts often).

levi 344 comments · 10 Years

I think you're confused. The new dock (accessed via side button) is essentially the glances view with full app access. Instead of a swipe up, you press the side button and show in format similar to glances. Instead of a 'glance' with partial functionality, you're working with the fully functional app. No need to go to the home screen.

jbdragon 2312 comments · 10 Years

Apple has learned a lot in the year of what works and what didn't and making a number of changes for the better. I can't wait for Watch OS3. This has been going on since the first iPhone, all the many huge changes over the years for the better.

TurboPGT 355 comments · 9 Years

aaarrrgggh said:

Removing glances seems like a huge step backwards! I love that I can use the remote glance to change music while driving, the zone player glance to do the same at home, and the pinger glance to find my phone.

Picking "apps" requires much more focus (and multiple attempts often).

Nope, glances were worthless and confusing...on a device with such simple purpose and interaction, two distinctions between Apps and Glances was pointless.

watchOS 3 is nearly perfect. Unfortunately it works like shit in beta 1, but I'm not passing judgement on that.

1nf3cted 5 comments · 11 Years

aaarrrgggh said:

Removing glances seems like a huge step backwards! I love that I can use the remote glance to change music while driving, the zone player glance to do the same at home, and the pinger glance to find my phone.

Picking "apps" requires much more focus (and multiple attempts often).

I was shocked to see that they removed glances as well, but after installing the beta on my watch, I have noticed that many of the Apple apps that I had used glances of now have watchface complications that either launch the app itself or essentially what was formerly the glance view of it. Not every app has its own complication now, but many more do, and they allow the watchface itself to offer much more functionality than before. Some of the functions that I previous had to swipe up and over to access are now sitting right on my watch face as a complication. I have added the Music app complication to one of my modular faces, which upon tapping launches the same interface as the now playing glance. This shortcut has already saved me time, and has cemented itself as a new, easy-access utility for my Watch. Among this are other, similar "shortcut complications" that will surely be a time saver if you fall within their use-case. For this and a handful of other reasons, even at beta 1, I find watchOS 3 to be a significant improvement to watchOS 2 at its current state. In many ways, it truly does feel like a new Watch.

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