Apple Watch tips and settings that you can tweak for a smoother experience

The Apple Watch is easily one of the best smartwatches out there, and it brings a lot more to the table than just tracking your steps or sending notifications. From extensive sleep tracking to helping you stay organised, it can effortlessly keep up with your busy lifestyle. While the Apple Watch works great right out of the box, some settings can take your experience up a notch.

Even if you think you’ve mastered it, a few small tweaks could really improve how you use it daily. So to help you get the most out of your Apple Watch, here are some key settings you should try changing for an even better experience.

Apple Watch Tips: Settings for a smoother experience

1. Limited background app refresh

2. Reduce animations

3. Disable haptic feedback

4. Use Magnifier

5. Enable AssistiveTouch

6. Adjust Digital Crown sensitivity

7. Disable Raise to Wake

1. Limit background app refresh

One of the first things you might want to adjust is background app refresh. This feature can drain your battery and slow down your Apple Watch, similar to how apps running in the background on your phone use up resources even when you’re not actively using them.

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To manage this, head to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Here, tap on Background App Refresh and turn it off for apps you don’t use often. This helps conserve battery life by keeping only the apps you care about running in the background.

2. Reduce animations

Next, if you find the animations a bit distracting or performance-hindering, you can dial them down. Animations can look great, but they can affect the smoothness of your Apple Watch’s performance, especially on older models.

To make things run smoother, head to Settings > Accessibility > Motion. Here, you can reduce the amount of motion or turn it off entirely, making your watch feel more responsive.

3. Disable haptic feedback

If the vibrations from haptic feedback are more bothersome than helpful, you can easily adjust them. Navigate to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Haptic Feedback. You can either fine-tune the intensity or turn it off if it’s not to your liking. This helps you avoid unnecessary distractions and focus on what matters.

4. Use Magnifier

The Magnifier app is incredibly useful for zooming in on small text or images. Swipe up from the bottom of your watch face and select the Magnifier app to get a closer look at the details. This feature improves visibility when needed.

5. Enable AssistiveTouch

AssistiveTouch simplifies control with a single tap, which can be especially helpful for users with limited mobility. Go to Settings > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch and turn it on. This feature makes it easier to navigate and interact with your watch.

6. Adjust Digital Crown sensitivity

If you find the Digital Crown’s responsiveness isn’t quite right, you can adjust it. Whether it’s too sensitive or not sensitive enough, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Digital Crown Sensitivity and use the slider to find your perfect setting.

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This ensures the Digital Crown works exactly how you need it to.

7. Disable Raise to Wake

Raise to Wake can be handy but might drain your battery if you’re constantly lifting your wrist. To disable Raise to Wake, go to Settings > General > Raise to Wake and turn it off. This prevents the screen from lighting up every time you move your wrist, conserving battery life.

Whether you want to boost battery life, reduce distractions, or customise your watch to fit your needs, changing some or all of these settings will provide you with a smoother experience.