New tool offers glimpse at Apple Watch screenshots before April 24 launch

The Mac app created by developer Steven Troughton-Smith is available as a download from a shared Dropbox folder. Troughton-Smith described the tool as thrown together, and based on testing by AppleInsider and anecodtes from Twitter posters, it does not appear to work properly for all users.

For those who don't want to install the tool, screenshots can be viewed in a Web browser thanks to Watch Aware, which presents Apple Watch screens mocked up with images of hardware. According to the site, there are already more than 2,100 approved applications that support the Apple Watch.

Many developers have not posted screenshots of the final, shipping versions of their Apple Watch apps, or else have tucked them away in blog posts or press releases. The new tool lets people simply paste in the URL of an iPhone app to see screenshots of its Watch companion, if one exists.

Some examples (seen above) include Flipboard, Keynote, JetBlue, and 1Password. In some cases the screenshots reveal minor pieces of information, such as the fact that 1Password has a countdown timer limiting how long some security data is displayed, and that Keynote Remote can indeed control presentations on a Mac.

Also among the apps that already support Apple Watch ahead of Friday's launch is the official AppleInsider app, which offers readers the ability to receive alerts, glance at stories, and continue reading where they left off by accessing their iPhone.

The public is only likely to have easy access to screenshots on April 24, when the Watch ships and Apple — as well as developers — will begin highlighting Watch-compatible iPhone apps on the App Store.

A collection of screenshots for popular apps that support Apple Watch can be found below.