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The Apple Watch is the ultimate player in the wearable technology market, offering a perfect blend of style and functionality. The device continues to evolve year after year, largely thanks to its ever-expanding ecosystem of the best Apple Watch apps.
These apps transform the smartwatch from a mere extension of your iPhone into a powerful, standalone device that enhances various aspects of your daily life.
Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a productivity guru, or simply someone looking to streamline your digital experience, there’s an app for you.
Key Takeaways
- Health and fitness apps like Strava and AutoSleep dominate the top Apple Watch apps list.
- Productivity tools such as Things 3 and Fantastical enhance the Apple Watch’s utility for daily tasks.
- Entertainment apps like Spotify and Overcast bring music and podcasts conveniently to your wrist.
- Many great Apple Watch apps offer free versions with premium features available for purchase.
- The best apps utilize the watch’s unique features, from heart rate monitoring to quick glance information.
Top 15 Apple Watch Apps to Download in 2024
Here’s a quick glance at our list of Apple Watch apps that stand out in 2024. These 15 best Apple Watch apps cover a wide range of categories and features:
| App Name | Category | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Strava | Fitness | Advanced activity tracking |
| Calm | Wellness | Guided meditations |
| Things 3 | Productivity | Task management |
| Carrot Weather | Weather | Humorous forecasts |
| AutoSleep | Health | Automatic sleep tracking |
| Spotify | Entertainment | Music streaming |
| Citymapper | Navigation | Public transit information |
| Streaks | Habit Formation | Goal tracking |
| Overcast | Entertainment | Podcast management |
| WatchChat 2 | Communication | WhatsApp on Apple Watch |
| WaterMinder | Health | Hydration tracking |
| PCalc | Utilities | Scientific calculator |
| Shazam | Entertainment | Music recognition |
| Nike Run Club | Fitness | Guided runs |
| Fantastical | Productivity | Calendar management |
Overview of the Best Apple Watch Apps in 2024
These top 15 Apple Watch apps have been carefully selected based on user reviews, functionality, and overall impact on the Apple Watch experience.
Here are our top-rated Apple Watch apps subdivided by various categories:
Health & Fitness Apps
1. Strava
Strava is one of the most useful Apple Watch apps for fitness enthusiasts, particularly runners and cyclists.
This comprehensive fitness tracking app has become a staple for both serious athletes and casual exercisers alike. It supports a wide range of activities, offering:
- GPS tracking for various workouts
- Detailed performance analysis, including pace, distance, and heart rate
- Strong community features
Users can share their activities, compete with friends, and participate in challenges, making it a cool Apple Watch app for those seeking motivation. The app’s detailed analytics provide insights into performance trends over time, helping users improve their fitness levels.
- Accurate tracking with detailed metrics
- Strong community features
- Wide range of supported activities
- Advanced features require a subscription
- Can be battery-intensive
2. AutoSleep
AutoSleep is a sophisticated sleep-tracking app that stands out as one of the top-rated Apple Watch apps for monitoring sleep patterns.
It works automatically in the background, providing comprehensive sleep quality analysis without manual input. The app uses advanced algorithms to track your sleep, offering detailed insights into sleep quality, duration, and patterns.
It features a sleep bank to track sleep debt and a smart alarm clock to wake you at the optimal time in your sleep cycle.
AutoSleep’s ability to provide in-depth sleep data without requiring users to manually start or stop tracking makes it a recommended Apple Watch app for anyone looking to improve their sleep habits.
- Automatic sleep tracking
- Comprehensive sleep data and insights
- One-time purchase
- May impact battery life
- Sleep detection not always 100% accurate
3. Waterminder
Waterminder is one of the best Apple Watch apps for those looking to improve their hydration habits.
This app helps you stay hydrated by tracking your water intake and sending timely reminders throughout the day.
- It offers customized water intake goals based on your personal needs
- Allows you to log your water consumption easily
- Provides progress tracking and history
The app’s ability to integrate with Apple Health and its user-friendly interface make it a great tool for maintaining proper hydration levels, which is crucial for overall health and wellness.
- Easy-to-use interface
- Customizable reminders
- Comprehensive hydration tracking
- One-time purchase cost
- Limited features beyond the core function
4. Nike Run Club
Nike Run Club is one of the top recommended Apple Watch apps that offers a comprehensive running experience for athletes of all levels.
This free app provides GPS run tracking, audio-guided runs, and customizable training plans.
It stands out with its professional coaching features, offering audio guidance from Nike coaches and athletes.
The app also includes social features for motivation, allowing users to share their runs and compete with friends.
With its comprehensive tracking metrics and integration with Apple Health, Nike Run Club is a good choice for both beginner and experienced runners looking to improve their performance.
- Professional coaching and guided runs
- Social features for motivation
- Comprehensive tracking metrics
- Requires Nike account
- Occasional GPS inaccuracies reported
5. Calm
Calm is one of the most useful Apple Watch apps for managing stress and improving mental well-being.
This mindfulness and meditation app brings relaxation practices right to your wrist. It offers many features, including guided meditations, breathing exercises, and sleep stories.
The app’s ability to provide quick stress-relief sessions and mindfulness exercises makes it particularly valuable on the Apple Watch platform.
With regular content updates and an easy-to-use interface, Calm is a recommended Apple Watch app for anyone looking to incorporate mindfulness into their daily routine.
- Wide range of meditation content
- Easy to use on the watch
- Regular content updates
- Most features require a subscription
- Limited free content
Productivity Apps
6. Things 3
Things 3 is a powerful task management app that stands out as one of the best Apple Watch apps for productivity. Its clean, intuitive interface belies the robust features underneath, making it a great choice for both casual users and productivity enthusiasts.
The app excels in helping you organize tasks, manage projects, and plan your days and weeks effectively. It offers seamless to-do list management, project planning capabilities, and calendar integration.
The watch app provides quick access to your tasks and allows you to add new ones using voice input, making it a valuable tool for staying organized on the go.
- Clean, intuitive interface
- Powerful organization tools
- Seamless sync across Apple devices
- Relatively high one-time cost
- No collaboration features
7. Fantastical Calendar
Fantastical reimagines how a calendar should work on your wrist, making it one of the top-rated Apple Watch apps for time management.
This good app stands out with its natural language input, allowing you to add events or reminders using conversational phrases. It provides a clear, at-a-glance view of your schedule and integrates seamlessly with your existing calendars and reminders.
The app also includes weather forecast integration, making it a comprehensive planning tool right on your wrist.
With its intuitive interface and powerful features, Fantastical is one of the best Apple Watch apps for anyone looking to enhance their productivity and time management.
- Intuitive natural language input
- Clean, informative interface
- Useful free version
- Full functionality requires a subscription
- Learning curve for advanced features
8. PCalc
PCalc is one of the most useful Apple Watch apps for those who need quick access to advanced calculations.
This powerful scientific calculator brings complex mathematical functions to your wrist, making it an interesting and practical tool for students, professionals, and anyone who needs to crunch numbers on the go.
PCalc offers basic and scientific calculations, customizable button layouts, and a wide range of unit conversions and constants.
Its ability to perform advanced calculations directly from your watch face makes it standout in the list of Apple Watch apps to download, especially for those in technical fields.
- Comprehensive calculation abilities
- Customizable interface
- Regular updates with new features
- Relatively high price point
- Can be complex for basic users
Communication Apps
9. WatchChat 2
WatchChat 2 fills a significant gap in the Apple Watch ecosystem, making it one of the best apps for WhatsApp on Apple Watch.
This cool Apple Watch app brings full WhatsApp functionality to your wrist, allowing you to read and reply to messages, send voice messages, and even view photos and videos, all without needing to take out your phone.
It supports emoji and sticker responses, making communication more expressive and fun. For WhatsApp users, WatchChat 2 is a must-have app that significantly enhances the communication capabilities of the Apple Watch.
- Full WhatsApp functionality on watch
- User-friendly interface
- Regular updates and improvements
- Requires WhatsApp open on paired iPhone
- Occasional sync delays
Entertainment Apps
10. Spotify
Spotify is one of the best Apple Watch apps for music lovers, enabling you to handle your entire music library from your wrist.
This fun app allows you to:
- Stream and control music playback
- Access offline playback for Premium users
- Control Spotify Connect devices
Whether you’re working out, commuting, or just relaxing, Spotify on Apple Watch provides a convenient way to enjoy your favorite tunes without reaching for your phone.
Its intuitive interface and vast music library make it a great addition to any Apple Watch, especially for those who prefer Spotify over Apple Music.
- Vast music library at your fingertips
- Offline playback for Premium users
- Intuitive watch interface
- Limited functionality for free users
- Streaming requires internet connection
11. Overcast
Overcast is a popular podcast player that brings a seamless listening experience to your Apple Watch, making it one of the best Apple Watch apps for podcast enthusiasts.
This app offers intuitive podcast playback controls, along with unique features like Smart Speed to reduce silences and Voice Boost for clearer audio.
These smart features, combined with its clean interface, make Overcast a standout choice for podcast listeners. The ability to control playback, adjust volume, and browse your podcast library directly from your wrist makes it a valuable tool for hands-free podcast consumption.
- Excellent audio enhancements
- Intuitive controls on watch
- Robust free version
- Limited storage on watch for offline play
- Some features require a subscription
12. Shazam
Shazam, now owned by Apple, is one of the cool Apple Watch apps that can identify songs playing around.
This app offers quick music recognition, maintains a history of identified songs, and integrates seamlessly with Apple Music and Spotify.
The ability to identify songs without needing to pull out your phone makes Shazam particularly useful on the Apple Watch. It’s a must-have for music lovers who often find themselves wondering about the title or artist of a song they hear in public.
- Fast and accurate song identification
- Works without iPhone nearby
- Seamless music service integration
- Occasional difficulties in noisy environments
- Limited functionality beyond core feature
Miscellaneous Apps
13. Carrot Weather
Carrot Weather is an interesting take on weather apps, combining accurate forecasts with a snarky AI personality. This recommended Apple Watch app provides detailed weather forecasts and an entertaining dialogue that makes checking the weather a fun experience.
The app’s unique personality sets it apart from other weather apps. It delivers forecasts with humor that can brighten your day.
With its highly customizable interface and accurate predictions, Carrot Weather is both a practical tool and a source of amusement.
- Accurate, detailed forecasts
- Entertaining dialogue and interface
- Highly customizable
- Some features require a subscription
- Humor may not appeal to everyone
14. Citymapper
Citymapper is one of the most useful Apple Watch apps for urban dwellers and travelers. It provides comprehensive public transit information for major cities worldwide.
This app excels in offering real-time updates, clear navigation instructions, and multi-modal transport options. It provides step-by-step navigation and real-time public transit information, making it an essential tool for navigating complex city transportation systems.
For those living in or visiting supported cities, Citymapper can significantly simplify the experience of using public transportation.
- Comprehensive transit information
- User-friendly interface
- Real-time updates
- Limited to major cities
- Can be data-intensive
15. Streaks
Streaks is a habit-tracking app that helps you build positive routines and break bad habits, making it one of the best Apple watch apps 2024 for personal development.
This app allows you to track up to 12 tasks per day, offers customizable scheduling, and provides progress statistics and trends.
Its simplicity and effectiveness in helping users maintain streaks of positive habits make it a powerful tool for personal growth. The ability to track habits directly from your wrist makes it easier to stay accountable and motivated throughout the day.
- Intuitive, minimalist design
- Flexible habit tracking
- Motivating visual feedback
- Limited to 12 habits
- No free version
How to Download Apple Watch Apps
Downloading Apple Watch apps is a straightforward process. Here’s a quick guide:
- Press the Digital Crown to access the Home screen
- Tap on the App Store icon
- Browse or search for the app you want
- Tap “Get” or the price button, then double-click the side button to purchase and download
- Open the Watch app
- Tap the “App Store” tab
- Browse or search for the app you want
- Tap “Get” or the price button, then authenticate to purchase and download
The Bottom Line
The best Apple Watch apps of 2024 offer a diverse range of functionalities that can significantly enhance your smartwatch experience. From fitness tracking with Strava to productivity-boosting with Things 3, and entertainment options like Spotify, there’s an app for almost every need.
These 15 top-rated Apple Watch apps not only extend your device’s capabilities but also make it more personalized and efficient for daily use.
Whether you’re looking for health apps, productivity tools, or just some fun additions to your watch, our list provides an excellent starting point. Remember, the key to getting the most out of your Apple Watch is to experiment with different apps and find the ones that best fit your lifestyle and needs.
