--- title: "Don't Just Use Your Apple Watch to Tell the Time: Four Useful Apps to Get More from Your Smartwatch" locale: "en" language: "en-HK" published: "2020-06-05T13:43:43+08:00" updated: "2026-03-17T23:02:19.816Z" canonical: "https://accordhk.com/blog/don-t-just-use-your-apple-watch-to-tell-the-time-four-useful-apps-to-get-more-from-your-smartwatch-99" --- # Don't Just Use Your Apple Watch to Tell the Time: Four Useful Apps to Get More from Your Smartwatch Step counting, workouts, heart-rate checks, notifications, payments and watch face changes: Apple Watch seems to do much the same as a cheap fitness band. But with the rich apps in the App Store, it can do far more than this. ## In brief Apple Watch is best used for apps that benefit from constant wearing or a quick glance. The article recommends AutoSleep for sleep monitoring, Shazam for identifying music, Dida Checklist for to-dos and Hanglv Zongheng for flight information, and also highlights built-in features such as the timer, Siri and the Calculator. Step counting, workouts, heart-rate checks, notifications, payments and watch face changes.[Apple Watch]() seems to do much the same as a fitness band that costs just a few hundred dollars. But with the rich range of apps in the App Store, Apple Watch can do far more than this. As a wearable device, the Apple Watch's greatest strength is that it can record your condition at all times. This lets it monitor exercise and sleep more accurately than an iPhone, and it also handles information you only need a glance at, such as flights and to-dos. Today we recommend a few apps that work better on Apple Watch than on iPhone. [**AutoSleep**]() A good night's sleep puts you in a good mood for the whole day. “[AutoSleep]()” is an app that uses Apple Watch to monitor sleep quality. How do you use it? Just three steps: first, install the app; second, wear your watch to bed; third, check your sleep data when you wake up. You need to do nothing else, as “AutoSleep” automatically detects how long and how well you sleep. When you open the app, you can see your sleep status for the day. It offers a detailed analysis of that day's sleep, and uses rings to show clearly your sleep duration and sleep rating. Earlier sleep records can be viewed under “Clock” and “History”. The “Clock” screen gives a quantified analysis of the day's sleep quality through sleep duration, quality sleep duration, deep sleep duration and heart rate. Tap a ring to open the detailed analysis, where sleep trends and reports are all available. “AutoSleep” does not only record your sleeping time. On the “Today/Edit” screen, information such as whether you exercised, whether you picked up your phone and whether you wore your watch is also recorded, giving you a more accurate picture of your activity habits. However, some of you may not be used to wearing a watch to bed. That is fine. Even if you do not wear it, as long as you put your Apple Watch on its charger before going to bed, “AutoSleep” can work out how long you slept from when you unlock your phone or put on your watch in the morning. In that case, it can only record your sleep duration and nothing more.   [**Shazam**]() When you see this app's name, you can't help feeling that shouting it out loud might turn you into a superhero. Of course, this “Shazam” has nothing to do with the film “Shazam!”. It is an app for identifying music. When you hear a song but don't know its title, just open “Shazam” on your Apple Watch and tap the logo in the middle. “Shazam” goes online, quickly identifies and analyses the song, and gives you its details. An Apple Watch that supports an eSIM card lets you identify music anywhere, anytime, even without your phone. Even if there is really no network, “Shazam” creates a digital fingerprint and identifies the song once you are back online. In “Shazam” on iPhone, we can also see videos, music, highlights and other content related to the song. “Shazam” can also work together with “[Apple Music]()”, organising the tracks you have identified into an album so you can listen whenever you like.   [**Dida Checklist (滴答清單)**]() When it comes to to-do lists, “Dida Checklist” is an app you cannot get around. Comprehensive features, a clean interface and thoughtful localisation are its hallmarks, and “Dida Checklist”, which supports both desktop and mobile, has not forgotten Apple Watch either. The “Dida Checklist” interface on Apple Watch is very simple. At the top are your lists and the option to add a new task, and below are the items you need to complete. “Dida Checklist” supports all platforms, so whether we are using a computer or a phone, we can quickly add to-do items. Apple Watch fills in the last piece of how “Dida Checklist” is used. Whether you are walking down the street or busy with something else, any item that comes to mind can be quickly recorded by voice on your Apple Watch, and unfinished tasks can be viewed at any time on the watch and marked as done. Not only that, “Dida Checklist” can also be displayed as a complication on the watch face. I use the “Fitness Digital” watch face, with “Dida Checklist” fixed at the bottom of it. Every time I check the time, I can see which tasks are still unfinished today, and this strong reminder has made me considerably more productive at work.   [**Hanglv Zongheng (航旅縱橫)**]() Flight delays, gate changes, confirmed check-in times… Before boarding a plane we have to check all kinds of information again and again so as not to miss boarding. Although there are many apps on the phone that show boarding information, a phone is less convenient than simply raising your wrist to check everything on your Apple Watch. The Apple Watch version of “Hanglv Zongheng” lets you see upcoming flight information and check-in changes. Through the “Hanglv Zongheng” app you can also send your electronic boarding pass to the “Wallet” app, so you can board with your Apple Watch.   [**Built-in apps**]() Besides these useful third-party apps, the apps built into Apple Watch are actually good enough too. Set a 25-minute timer and it makes a great Pomodoro timer. Connect your AirPods and open Apple Music, and you can have music with you while exercising even without your phone. Wake up Siri, and checking exchange rates or asking about the weather is very convenient. In the latest system, there is even an Apple Watch version of the Calculator. Compared with a phone, which you use to actively look for information, Apple Watch is rather passive. You will not use it the way you play with a phone, but you can quickly get all kinds of notifications, activity levels and health status through it. You may even smile knowingly at the “click” when it unlocks your MacBook. From the doubts at its early days to the videos in which users express their thanks at Apple's keynotes today, Apple Watch has won the approval of more and more users. It does not have the rich features of a phone, but it can keep you on track with your fitness goals and remind you not to forget to drink water or take medicine. From travelling to staying at home, from work to leisure, Apple Watch will surely help you at some point. Original article: https://bit.ly/36UZjjH ## Frequently asked questions ### How does AutoSleep monitor my sleep? You install the app, wear your Apple Watch to bed and check your sleep data after waking up. AutoSleep automatically detects how long and how well you sleep. ### Can AutoSleep work if I don't wear my watch to bed? Yes, to a limited extent. If you place your Apple Watch on its charger before bed, AutoSleep can work out your sleep duration from when you unlock your phone or put on the watch in the morning, but it can only record sleep duration. ### Can I identify songs with Shazam on Apple Watch without my phone? Yes, if your Apple Watch supports an eSIM card, you can identify music anywhere without carrying your phone. Without a network, Shazam creates a digital fingerprint and identifies the song when you are back online. ### How can Dida Checklist help on Apple Watch? You can record sudden to-dos by voice, view unfinished tasks and mark them as done on the watch. It can also be shown on the watch face so you see outstanding tasks every time you check the time. ### What can I do with Hanglv Zongheng on Apple Watch? You can check upcoming flight information and check-in changes on the watch. You can also send your electronic boarding pass to the Wallet app and board with your Apple Watch.