An Apple Watch withoutthe essential appsyou want on your wrist would be useless , so Tim Cook and co. made sure that must - haves like Uber , Instagram , WeChat , American Airlines , Shazam , and a slew of others were quick to go at launching .
Apple has its own native Watch apps , like Workout and Activity for fitness - tracking , but to install third - party Watch apps , you ’ll necessitate iOS 8.2 , which is now useable as an over - the - line download . The upgrade has a few unexampled feature of speech , including the Apple Watch app , which is where you ’ll find the Watch app store . Apple will sport all the apps and game you ’ll need to get started when you unbox the Watch — just do n’t anticipate them to be like iPhone apps .
“ Using Apple Watch during the Clarence Day is really about abbreviated interaction , ” said Kevin Lynch , Apple ’s vice Chief Executive of technology , during Monday ’s Apple effect . “ Many of these are just a few seconds long . ”
Watch apps take advantage of Glances , where you swipe up to view information , and actionable notifications , which work similarly to notifications in iOS .
For messaging apps like WeChat , that mean you’re able to reply by tapping on the notification as it pops up on your Watch screen , which opens the app and lets you reply with text edition or stickers . ( Yes , stickers . ) If you require to see selective information about an upcoming trip , the American Airlines app will expose details in the Glances vista . Salesforce will have occupation information at the quick , and MLB ’s At Bat will show you baseball scores .
Other Watch apps will strain to deliver the same experience as on iPhone , but miniaturized . Instagram will let you scroll through your feed using the digital crown , and you’re able to hail an Uber just as easily on the Watch as on your phone . ( Though it ’s unclear if you’re able to change the sometimes inaccurate pin drop to define your location on the Watch . )
Hailing an Uber with Apple Watch is as prosperous as on the iPhone .
We already saw Starwood Hotels & Resorts ’ SPG app , which turns the Apple Watch into ahotel room key , but now we know that Alarm.com ’s Watch app will let you open your garage door remotely . That ’ll arrive in ready to hand for locked - out kid ( and , rent ’s be honest , adults ) . Shazam ’s Watch app can heed for songs that are playing and display lyrics on your wrist .
The Watch has a few other impressive features we saw at Apple ’s Monday event , including Passbook desegregation so you may run down your embarkment passes and concert tickets straight from the Watch typeface . Apple Pay will also be as easy to use on the Watch as on the Phone , though there ’s one superfluous step involved : You have to double beg the digital crown to bring up the credit card put in on your vigil and then throw your wrist near the NFC terminal . The Watch air you tactile feedback , or clear pressure , to have you know the dealing is complete .
you may catch an other coup d’oeil of the Apple Watch app in iOS 8.2 . today , and afull list of major Watch apps here , but you wo n’t see Watch apps in natural process until Apple computer storage startle offering previews of the devices on April 10 .
