If Santa has been good to you this year and you’ve found a brand-new Apple Watch under the tree, you might be wondering exactly where to start. If you’re new to Apple Watch and this is your first time using one, you might have heard about some of the great features and benefits, but strapping it on for the first time can definitely be a bit daunting.
So what exactly does the Apple Watch do? And how can you use it to change and improve your life? There are a ton of great features we could have chosen from, not least the App Store and its myriad selection of third-party offerings to elevate your experience. In fact, it’s so important we put together a whole extra guide, five Apple Watch apps you should download on your first Apple Watch.
But what about the things your Apple Watch already offers? Here are five must-do things for any brand-new Apple Watch owner, picked from a variety of capabilities to help demonstrate the breadth of different features and how they might impact your life.
These features will work whether you’ve got the very best Apple Watch, a mid-range Apple Watch Series 10, or a budget Apple Watch SE 2.
1. Record a workout
We’re starting off with an obvious one, use your Apple Watch to record a workout. Using an Apple Watch to track and record your calories, steps, and workout sessions is a great way to help monitor your progress, make gains and improvements, and stay well-rested and injury-free. You’ll get cool metrics like heart rate, time, and even effort measurement in some cases. It’ll also tell you how many calories you’ve burned, and give you access to controls for your music if you like to listen while you’re working out. Not sure where to start? Why not try a quick walk?
To track a workout on Apple Watch:
- Press the Digital Crown (the circle button on the side)
- Scroll down to Workout
- Find the exercise you want to record, and tap the tile
2. Pay for something
Whether you’re commuting, traveling, or just out for a quick stroll to the shops, you can use your Apple Watch to pay for goods using Apple Pay anywhere that Apple Pay or Contactless is accepted. A quick flick of the wrist and you can use your Apple Watch like a bank card. Not only can you store bank cards, you can also keep airline boarding passes, loyalty and reward cards, and even hotel room keys stored on your wrist. Using Apple Pay on your wrist adds one more layer of convenience to your experience of paying with your iPhone. If you’ve never used Apple Pay before, this one might just change your life.
To pay for something with Apple Watch:
- Add your bank card to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone (there’s a Wallet & Apple Pay section on the front page)
- Double-click the long side button on your Apple Watch
- Scroll with the Digital Crown to select your card of choice, then hold it to a card reader to pay
3. Make a phone call
You can use your Apple Watch to send text messages and iMessages to people, but somehow, making a phone call just feels a bit more special. You can make calls from your Apple Watch using your AirPods, or just your Apple Watch speaker. You’ll need your iPhone nearby unless you’ve got a cellular Apple Watch. The latter can make phone calls even when your iPhone isn’t lying around.
To make a phone call on Apple Watch:
- Press the Digital Crown
- Scroll to Phone
- Tap on a contact from the Favorites, Recents, or Contacts section, or simply dial a number using the button in the top left-hand corner
4. Find your way
Your Apple Watch is the perfect wearable navigation companion, with full Apple Maps support so you can follow turn-by-turn navigation directly on your wrist. You can use GPS for positioning, and your watch will even vibrate as you approach upcoming junctions or turns so you know when to check your wrist for the next instruction.
To navigate somewhere on Apple Watch:
- Press the Digital Crown
- Scroll down to Maps
- Press the Search icon in the bottom right-hand corner and enter a location with your keyboard, Scribble (write the letters with your finger), or your voice
- You can also set a route with your iPhone, which will automatically appear on your Apple Watch if it’s nearby
5. Look for your phone
I lose my iPhone around the house all the time, behind cushions, under blankets, and more. By far and away my favorite and most-used Apple Watch feature is the Find Devices app. If you’ve lost your phone (or you want to hide it to test this feature), you can use your Apple Watch to ping your iPhone. It’ll play a sound, and if you’ve got one of the best iPhones, such as the iPhone 15 or 16, and a new Apple Watch Series 10, it’ll even give you Precision Finding with directions and distance like you would an AirTag.
To locate your iPhone using your Apple Watch:
- Press the Side Button once
- Press the phone icon with two curved lines on either side
- It’s the third button, found to the left of the battery life percentage indicator
Master your Apple Watch
With these five skills mastered, you’ll be a pro at using your Apple Watch in no time, but you’ve only just scratched the surface. You can use your Apple Watch to make calls to Emergency Services, play music, unlock your smart front door, make appointments, set timers, check the weather, read and respond to email, do Math, track your sleep, and much more.
