⌚The Productivity of The Apple Watch

Sep. 26

What Is the Apple Watch?

So, if you're into technology and gadgets, by now, I'm sure you've heard of the Apple Watch Series 7 - the latest and greatest smart watch coming to an Apple store near you in late 2021. If you haven’t heard of the Apple Watch yet, kudos to you for climbing up from under a rock.

I don't have that one.

And this post won't be able the series 7.

But the recent announcement made me reflect on my own smart watch experience and what I use mine for.

Just under a year ago, I bought the Apple Watch SE 40mm. It's my first smart watch and I'm absolutely blown away by the capacity of a smart watch to do so many things.

It's been great but when I first scoured the internet for recommended apps, productive ways to use the device and cool tips and tricks, I was left a little underwhelmed.

Handwashing timer.

Mikey Mouse watch face.

ECG app.

All a little too gimmicky for my taste.

Over the last couple months especially, I feel like the way I use my apple watch is slightly different from what I've seen reviewed elsewhere and I thought you might be interested.

The Vision.

In my mind, the apple watch is a mini-smart phone on your wrist. That was the image I was sold. I simply wanted to have a productivity-focused tool to augment my work habits.

Pomodoro timer on my wrist.

Full watch face customization.

Haptic feedback notifications.

If Apple is cramming a GPS, blood oxygen measurements and an ECG app into the device, surely my wants would be met.

After severals months of use, I can confidently report what I know to be gimmicky uses, and what is truly helpful, especially without spending another couple dollars for premium apps.

The intention was to be a simple means to offload ideas, fleeting thoughts, eureka moments, and anything else that I wanted to follow-up later on. If I was in a moment where I was preoccupied, not near my laptop, or in a place where it may not be socially acceptable to whip out my laptop or phone, I could inconspicuously talk into my watch (cause that's way more normal behavior, right?)

Here's My List of Practical Productive Tips and Tricks:

1. BC Vaccine QR Code

With the BC Vaccine Card rollout, a lot of non-essential activities and events requirer presentation of the vaccine card. At this point, I'm using it for restaurants and cafes. LOL let's not kid ourselves and think I'm going to indoor ticketed sporting events, concerts, pubs, nightclubs, casinos, movie theatres or indoor fitness gyms. But if I was, then I would also need to display the card.

Basically, a ton of of places need you to present the card.

Turning your vaccine QR code into a watch face gives you the ability to easily display the QR code. I think it's a little more subtle than blowing it up on a t-shirt and given how easy it can be to change watch faces, you can easily hide it when not in use.

[unfortunately, apple watch shortcuts do not allow photo navigation on the watch]

(I blacked out my QR code cause I'm paranoid)

2. Haptic Alerts

Haptic alerts on the watch are clutch. Period.

A non-obtrusive way to direct your attention is THE reason for a smart watch. Whereas a smart phone or computer can display the information comprehensively, the watch is the way to silently alert of you of timelines, deadlines, appointments, etc.

Ever hate how you or your partner's alarm clock has to blare in the morning, even if you don't need to wake up yet? If sound wasn't bad enough, with sunrise & sunset simulation alarms, you also have the pleasure of a fake sun shining in your face.

With haptic alerts, you can have your alarm buzz you silently, stirring you from your sleep while your partner is none the wiser.

What about if you are grabbing coffee with a friend during a work break but you have an important meeting coming up in 15 minutes and you absolutely need to leave in time. Set a timer for 12 minutes and for those 12 minutes, you can focus on catching up with your friend without rudely checking your phone incessantly. Better yet, you can do so without even needing to look at your watch - you will feel the buzz and know.

3. Voice Memos

Do you have a plan for writing down your brilliant shower thoughts? What about your thoughts while you are driving or stuck in traffic. Voice memos are a reliable and accessible way to capture your ideas for review later. Again, my vision for the watch was for a way to easily offload ideas, fleeting thoughts, Eureka moments and the like.

I haven't tried Just Press Record but I imagine it would be similar (although includes the transcription option).

Nevertheless, you get the productive gist I can suggesting. Have a genius work idea but you are at the dinner table with your family? Take 2 seconds to verbalize it and you can follow-up on it at a later time. What about a panicked thought that it's your wedding anniversary next month. Save that reminder for yourself and save yourself from the potential repercussions of forgetting (assuming you don't already have a system in place to remember).

4. Watch Faces & Complications

The ease and intuitiveness of changing watch faces is a definite productivity hack. Based on your needs, you can balance between aesthetic clean looks and utilitarian watch faces to suit your needs.

Clean Aesthetic

When I am not trying to be productive and my wife is travelling, I've got a clean layout. Clock, World Clock (set to the local time where my wife is) and quick Apple Stocks access to feed my curiosity (I will sometimes pay attention to specific stocks on the watch face too). You can find the wallpaper here if you like it.

Utilitarian - Work

When I'm working in a coffee shop or need to audit my time carefully, I use my utilitarian watch face. I've got the date and time in the right upper quadrant. I've got a big + sign on the left upper quadrant that allows me to add to-do's in my Things inbox. I've got Toggl time auditing in the middle to keep my time blocking accountable. In the bottom left I've got a Forest pomodoro timer display, in the middle lower section, I've got quick access to timers (with haptic alert) and finally Voice Memos in the lower right quadrant.

Now, you can imagine other potential watch faces for your own needs.

Social media & fun watch face.
Home automation watch face to control your lights, TV, thermostat, etc.
Photography watch face (Lumy offers an exclusive one)
Exercise watch face to control your music, podcast, exercise rings and water counter)

5. Timers

The standard Apple timer is great! It's simple to use, intuitive and has ample options for standard use before giving you a custom option. You can also use Siri if you have a non-standard timer duration. And again, haptic alerts are clutch. For me, ensuring I have some sense of accountability when I take breaks, take naps, or sit down to watch TV is vital. Otherwise, I'll just sit on the couch indefinitely because it's comfortable. Timers provide an objective finality to my breaks and facilitate my transition back to work more easily, especially in the evening after dinner (something I learned after auditing my evenings).

And That's It.

That's all I need to be productive. Timers, haptic alerts, voice memos and all of presented on an easy, clean, and productive watch face.

Blood oxygen levels, an ECG app, sending a heart emoji that beats at the same rate of my own heart or a timer to ensure I wash my hands long enough are all gimmicks in my mind (maybe the blood oxygen levels is the exception especially during COVID times and is potentially life-saving for people who are otherwise asymptomatic despite dangerously low O2 levels).

My vision for a productive apple watch was something that allowed be to be held accountable easily and regularly. I didn't want the distraction of a phone. I purely wanted something that told me the time, gave haptic feedback throughout the day, that could take memos or voice recordings, and could do so in a way that didn't burden other people or break my concentration.

If I know I have an important call in 5 minutes and I am expecting a haptic buzz in the next couple minutes, I can safely assume that's my call. Without obsessively cheeking my phone and being rude to the people I'm interacting with, the watch can simply notify me. Furthermore, I can use the watch as a quick guise of checking the time rather than rudely staring at my phone all the time.

Did I Miss Anything?

I intentionally felt that calendar access, database access (like Notion, Evernote, Todoist), and email access deserve full phone or computer access and would not be effectively reflected on the Apple Watch. For me, the apple watch would primarily help me keep on track with my goals rather than replace my currently used devices.

However, let me know if you have other awesome ideas or tidbits that you couldn't live without. I am all ears to increasing productivity.

Kris Wan