The 10 Must Have Apple Watch Apps

Tech Lists Apple Watch

With over 3,500 apps available for the Apple Watch, there is pretty much something for everyone. However, a lot of developers didn’t have a developer’s unit to test on before releasing their app to the public so this resulted in poorly constructed apps that didn’t take advantage of the Apple Watch’s capabilities. Also, a lot of apps are very buggy at the moment and are slow to load even though that could be a result of Apple Watch’s hardware, not the developer’s.

Apple Watch apps should be an extension on their iPhone counterparts—not just a shrunken down version. The best apps should be able to give you bite-size information quickly so you can browse news headlines while you are waiting in line or give you the ability to browse through your information in just a few taps.

Here are ten apps that we think are the best for Apple Watch so far:

1. Evernote (free)

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With Evernote, you can view existing notes and add new ones via dictation. This works well if you use Evernote’s list feature for grocery lists and to-do’s because Apple did not include its Reminders app on the Apple Watch.

2. New York Times (free)

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This one is a very simple news app that cuts out all clutter that comes with reading news on your wrist. It only give you the headline and a few bullet points on each news post, which is really all you could ever need. If you want to read more, you have the option of book marking it or using Handoff to read the full article on your iPhone.

3. Uber (free)

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Uber is probably one of the best apps on the Apple Watch at the moment due to its simplicity and practicality. If you need a ride, you just tap on a button, and it will request a car for you. The app will request whichever default car you have on your iPhone (UberX, UberBlack, etc.).

4. Yelp (free)

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The Yelp app is very easy to use and always helpful, much like the iPhone app. If you are looking for a coffee shop or bar, just tap on the icon, and it will display all the places close by along with their ratings, price range, and review. It gives you just the right amount of information without going overboard. However, there isn’t a way to sort search results at the moment, which will hopefully be included in update soon.

5. Instagram (free)

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The Instagram Apple Watch app was made for you to scroll through feed quickly. Obviously, the screen is so small that you may not be able to see all your pictures in detail, but you can skim through it if you have a free minute or two. You can get alerts, view profiles, like pictures, and read comments.

6. Dark Sky ($4)

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This is one of the best apps for Apple Watch because it designed for it and is not just a scaled down version of its iPhone counterpart. The graphics are beautiful and along with in-depth forcast information, Dark Sky will instantly notify you when rain, snow, etc. is coming.

7. Starbucks (free)

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A must have for any Starbucks regular. Pay for your latte easily by waving your wrist in front of the terminal. You can also view any rewards on your account.

8. Workflow ($2.99)

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Workflow is a great automation tool on the iPhone and if you use it often, then it’s a must have for your Apple Watch. Create your custom workflows on the iPhone and it’ll import over to the watch.

9. Twitterific (free)

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Twitterific is the best Twitter client for Apple Watch thus far. It gives you access to your whole feed instead of five at a time like the reuglar Twitte app does. You can also tweet via dictation, enable notifications for replies, direct messages, new followers, and favorites.

10. Overcast (free; $4.99 for premium)

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It is a little baffling that Apple didn’t include a native podcast app in the first WatchOS and it doesn’t look like it will be added in the second one either. If you listen to a lot of podcasts like I do, Overcast is a must have app that you are guaranteed to use everyday. You can scroll through all your downloaded episodes as well as fast forward and rewind and recommend them to your friends.

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