It’s unfortunate to imagine that there are people who look at their smartwatches every day without fully utilizing all the features available to them. In addition to expanding on the features that are already available on your device to become a wearable smartphone, smartwatches are also quite useful for keeping your life organized whether you’re exercising, running errands, or taking pictures on a solo vacation. Knowing what your specific wearable can do is the first step to getting the most from your smartwatch, the second step is to learn the best way to incorporate those specific features into your life to make things simpler for you.

Whether you have an Apple or Android device, a few of your questions may have already been answered on community forums and social media platforms by fellow smartwatch users, but it’s possible that you may have missed some or just didn’t them useful. As we embark on the journey to uncover the secrets to maximizing the utilities of your smartwatch, we’ll explore a range of strategies and insights such as preserving battery life while maintaining functionality, and integrating your wearable with other smart devices in the home to make everything more seamless. 

Making Your Wearable Work for You

From tracking your heart rate and monitoring steps to sending message notifications and allowing you to manage your schedule, the smartwatch is a powerhouse of functionality and convenience. In addition to the features that are essential in any wearable device, the specific features that come with the latest WearOS and WatchOS devices allow you to optimize the way you interact with technology as a whole.

A Smarter Way to Run Your Home

Imagine commanding the smart appliances in your home with a mere flick of your wrist. The magic of modern technology lies in integration, and your smartwatch is no exception. Any smart device in your home that’s integrated with Google Assistant or Siri can receive commands directly from the smartwatch, and anything that you would’ve done on the mobile app can be accomplished more easily. 

Enabling voice commands on the smartwatch gives you the ability to control lights, home security, vacuums, and some coffee makers or washing machines. You could potentially lock the front door while sitting in bed, or you can make childhood fantasies come to life by commanding the smart lights to respond to a double clap. 

Our tip is to enable voice commands on all compatible smart devices, a feature that can be accessed on the device’s corresponding app. This eliminates the need for Alexa, Google Nest, or Home devices. 

Say Goodbye to the Self-Timer

Have you ever found yourself in the perfect scenery but there’s no one around to take the perfect picture? Instead of relying on the self-timer and potentially missing the shot, your smartwatch can double up as a remote control for your phone’s camera, allowing you to take high-quality pictures with the back camera instead of the selfie cam. 

Apple

WatchOS devices come with the app pre-installed, making it much easier to take advantage of your camera’s full potential. The hardest part of this process would be setting your iPhone up perfectly because, from that point, it’s all systems go. The built-in app allows you to see the frame before taking the picture, plus you can also adjust the focus and flash setting right there on your wrist. After taking a picture or two, you have the ability to scroll through the camera roll to analyze each shot before calling the mission a success. 

Android

The setup process is slightly different if you have an Android smartwatch and phone. The first step is to download the Camera Controller app from the Google Play Store and ensure that it’s properly installed on both devices. After agreeing to the permissions, your Android smartwatch will let you take pictures or videos quite easily through the app. 

Respond to Text Messages

While the smartwatch may allow you to quickly and conveniently read text messages from various apps, responding to the texts is a completely different story. You can preset responses to messages and conveniently access them when a text comes through. Alternatively, you can utilize the voice-activated keyboard to say exactly what you need to say in a message without having to pick up your phone

Preserving Your Smartwatch 

Having an entire host of features is completely useless if your smartwatch is dead or damaged. To preserve battery life and protect your wearable from scratches and permanent screen damage, here are a few tips suggested by other smartwatch users you can follow.

Automated Bedtime Mode

Most smartwatches have the option to turn the screen on when the wrist is lifted, which can be useful for conveniently checking the time and incoming calls or messages. However convenient this may be, it can be a bother if you sleep with the watch on and have to deal with the blaring light every time you turn. While you do have the option of turning the feature off completely to preserve battery life throughout the day, you can also set the smartwatch to switch to bedtime mode during specific periods to minimize interaction and extend battery life further. 

Disable Frequent Step Monitoring 

Step and heart rate monitoring are two of the most important features that propelled smartwatches to household items. As useful as these features are, they can be responsible for a huge amount of battery consumption. To mitigate the risk of your wearable device running out of juice quicker than you’d prefer, you can disable the frequent step sync. This doesn’t disable your device’s step tracking completely, but it doesn’t update the steps frequently enough to drain the battery.

Get a Screen Protector

Because the smartwatch is built with the same screen as most smartphones, the screen is susceptible to the same types of damage and should be protected in the same way. In addition to wearing the watch on your less dominant hand, smartwatch users suggest getting a protective film on your watch face to protect it from bumps and scratches. 

A New World Awaits

Your smartwatch is more than a mere timekeeper, it’s your companion on the journey to a more streamlined connection to the technology of the future. By harnessing the camera tricks, integrating them into your smart home, and simplifying the way you communicate, you can begin to enjoy the full benefits of your wearable tech. If there’s a neat trick you’ve discovered that we haven’t mentioned, be sure to leave a note in the Heyup Community for other smartwatch users to enjoy.