One of the best arguments for Apple in the neverending debate about mobile operating systems is it’s ecosystem. Everything contained within iOS just works well, with a fluidity and uniformity to it all. That, too, is one of the major appeals of the new Apple Watch. Third party developers who have gotten in early on building apps for the wearable are already cranking out downloads that make the smartwatch finally seem essential.
Early adopters of the Apple Watch might still be waiting for their device to finally ship, but the second it’s strapped to your wrist—just seconds after it arrives on your doorstep—you’ll want to head to the App Store and grab yourself these invaluable apps that will show you just what the Apple Watch can do.
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The Apple Watch has a gorgeous screen, making it perfect for a photo-centric app like Instagram. You can catch a quick glimpse at what your friends and people you follow are posting and give them a like from your wrist while scrolling through the feed.
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Experiencing Twitter on the Apple Watch is considerably different than the mobile or desktop version. You’ll be fed tweets one at a time, making it easier to consume interesting posts. Notifications and standard options like favorite and retweet are available through the app, though full blown tweeting is limited so far.
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You’re not going to want to enter your passwords all over again as you set up your accounts on the Apple Watch. Instead of trying to type out your account names and passwords all the time, you can count on 1Password to remember all of your information and keep you safe online.
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Just because the Apple Watch is waterproof doesn’t mean you should go out of your way to get it wet. Weather app Dark Sky gives you regular readouts of the weather, but more importantly, it gives you a heads up if it’s going to rain or snow.
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The Apple Watch is probably not the ideal platform for scrolling through a long form piece of reported journalism, but it is perfect for news at a glance, which is exactly what the NYTimes app provides. Stories are condensed to a single sentence and bullet points for important facts to be read at a glance.
Lifesum
LifeSum is all about helping you make the right choices for your health throughout the day. It keeps track of exercises, calories, water intake, and more. A built-in barcode scanner will pull nutritional information from most products and the app will give you suggestions on what to eat, drink, and do based on your diet and nutrition plan.
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Popular personal money management app Mint makes its service available on the Apple Watch by giving you updates on your financial status. It’s perfect for keeping a close eye on your budgeting and seeing your spending habits before you decide to swipe your credit card one more time.
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One thing that you will likely learn as you start using the Apple Watch to track and quantify every part of your life is that your days are stressful. Luckily if you need a mental break, you can get one from your Apple Watch, too. Centered provided meditations and stress management techniques to help settle your mind.
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Getting around town becomes much easier when you have a high-powered computer on your wrist. CityMapper is designed to help you navigate the often confusing transportation system of the city, showing you exactly which bus or train to hop and where to get off. No more getting lost in the city.
Shazam is an app that has always been built for the Apple Watch without knowing it. Instead of having to reach into your phone in time to catch a song as its playing, the app is already there on your wrist. Just tap and it’ll tell you what it hears.
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Transit pulls real time data from just about every ride option available to ensure that you always get to where you’re going and get there on time. Whether it’s by bus, subway, bike share, Uber, or anything with wheels, Transit knows when it’s coming and where it’ll take you.
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The popular and hugely addicting game Trivia Crack is available on the Apple Watch, much to the chagrin of addicts who thought they could get away from it. You can take on your friends right from your wrist and answer questions to prove your trivial dominance over them.
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Okay, look: the calculator watch will forever be an identifier of nerdiness. But now that you have the Apple Watch, it would be pretty handy to have a calculator accessible at all times. CalcBot, the easy-to-use calculator and unit converter, is a great utility to have on your Apple Watch, and you won’t even feel that dorky about it.
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Out and about and wondering where you grab a bite? It’s the perfect time to dial up Yelp and see what’s good. Made to use your location to provide nearby results, Yelp gives you the pulse of the neighborhood and points you in the direction of the best food available.
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How do you really spend most of your day? If you’re having trouble quantifying it, Hours might be able to provide the help you require. With just a tap, you can set the app to time how long you do a particular activity. Just don’t be surprised to see you spend way too much of your day checking your watch.
While there are plenty of apps to help you pass the time or avoid doing work, the Apple Watch is really at its best when it’s helping you get things done. Things is the perfect productivity tool for the smartwatch, giving you an easily accessible list of what you need to do for the day.
It’s much easier to stay connected with the Apple Watch, but it does count on short, concise messages to really make it work. That is not the strong suit of email by default. Luckily, TL;DR Email turns emails into brief messages that you can respond to with pre-determined replies.
Having the Amazon app on your wrist could be dangerous. I mean, you already bought an Apple Watch so clearly you have no problem with luxury purchases. The smartwatch version of the online marketplace lets you browse, search, read reviews and descriptions of products, and order in a single tap.
If the kitchen is not where you do your best work, you’ll welcome the addition of Epicurious to your culinary adventures. With 30,000 recipes to pick from, complete with step-by-step instructions and automatic timers that you can follow along with on your wrist.
The little virtual pets that we were all obsessed with and accidentally killed via neglect are back for the new generation. Tomagotchi Classic revisits the handheld toy by placing it on your Apple Watch. Now you’ll get notifications when your Tomagotchi needs attention so you won’t just forget about it.
For the sports obsessed, you can keep up with all of the latest scores and updates from around the leagues that matter to you most with theScore app. Instead of glancing at your watch to see what time it is so you don’t miss the game, you can glance at your watch to actually see the score.
Having Tinder on your wrist is probably a bad idea, but you’re going to do it. The already easy to use dating app becomes even more streamlined so you can do all your swiping without pulling your phone out. You can even chat with your matches from your wearable.
Your photo game is about to get a major upgrade ProCamera 8 gives you powerful photo editing tools that you can control from your wrist while you set up your photo to take a picture. The app even acts as a remote trigger so you can take a photo without your phone in hand.
You shouldn’t let a good idea pass you by. With Evernote on the Apple Watch, it’s easy to catch your otherwise fleeting thoughts before they disappear. You can dictate a quick note and automatically have it transcribed and synced with your Evernote account so you can put the idea to use later.
The Chipotle Apple Watch app is probably the most perfect app ever created for any device. There is a single button, and as soon as you press it, an order is placed. You’re going to use it once as a joke, then use it for every meal.
