The Apple Watch is well-known for helping people track their health and fitness, but it is also a powerful tool for staying productive and getting work done. This is especially helpful for those who find their phones to be a source of distraction. While the Apple Watch includes basic built-in productivity apps like Reminders and Calendar, many third-party apps offer advanced functionality designed to further boost your efficiency.
Todoist is an excellent app for managing tasks directly from your Apple Watch without needing to use your iPhone. It allows you to create and manage tasks, organize them into projects, mark them as complete, and set reminders. You can add tasks using voice commands or the keyboard. This app is perfect for anyone who prefers to quickly glance at their wrist for things like a grocery list at the store or to jot down a quick note. You can even stay updated on your daily progress right from the watch face, with options to display your next task or the percentage of tasks you have completed. Todoist is free to use, with a monthly subscription of four dollars for additional features like custom task reminders, an AI assistant, and a calendar layout.
Since the Apple Watch does not have a native Notes app, Drafts is a great alternative for those who want a digital notepad without their phone. You can capture notes through voice commands, the Scribble feature, or the keyboard. Your drafts inbox syncs from your iPhone and shows the total number of drafts alongside your flagged ones for quick access to important notes. The app opens to a blank note, allowing you to immediately start writing without interruption. You can file notes into folders to stay organized or use it as a free-flowing canvas. Drafts is free, with a monthly subscription of one dollar and ninety-nine cents for extra features like themes and the ability to send emails to the app.
Focus is a valuable app for anyone who benefits from a productivity timer to complete tasks one at a time. The app breaks down your work into smaller chunks called Focus Sessions. This method helps you concentrate on a single task before moving to the next. Using your Apple Watch instead of your phone minimizes distractions, allowing you to quickly check how much time is left in your session and return to work. The app also encourages you to take breaks between sessions. Focus is available for a monthly subscription of seven dollars and ninety-nine cents.
AutoSleep is one of the most popular Apple Watch apps for tracking sleep, and for good reason. It provides a detailed look at your sleep quality, heart rate, sleep consistency, and more. The app tracks the time it takes you to fall asleep and measures your sleep efficiency. It presents all this data through a clock view with sleep rings, offering a quick overview similar to the Watch’s Activity Rings. This helps you see if you are getting enough rest. AutoSleep also provides a readiness score that estimates how mentally and physically prepared you are for the day based on your sleep, and it can suggest the best bedtime to help you catch up on sleep. The app is available for a one-time fee of five dollars and ninety-nine cents.
Streaks is an excellent app for building good habits and tracking your progress. Each day you complete a task, your streak continues. If you miss a day, your streak resets to zero. You can track up to twenty-four different habits, such as flossing, practicing a new language, or eating healthy. The app also supports tasks that do not need to occur daily, like walking to work on weekdays or going to the gym three times a week. A quick glance at your Apple Watch shows you which tasks are still left to complete for the day and lets you mark them as done. Streaks is available for a one-time payment of five dollars and ninety-nine cents.
Fantastical is a powerful calendar app that helps you stay organized directly from your Apple Watch. You can use it to create events and set reminders viewable with a quick glance. The app offers three views. The Up Next view shows your next appointment alongside the current weather. The List view displays events and tasks scheduled over the next few days with the weather forecast. The Tasks view compiles all your tasks into one list for easy checking. You can also receive alerts for upcoming events. For information on your watch face, Fantastical’s Smart Stack widget provides a quick peek at your calendar. The app costs four dollars and ninety-nine cents per month.
Things 3 is a comprehensive productivity manager that helps you create to-do lists, manage projects, and track progress toward your goals. You can organize different aspects of your life, like personal, work, or financial, into dedicated Areas. The app includes reminders, calendar integration, widgets, and tags to categorize your lists. Things 3 allows you to automatically repeat to-dos on a schedule you set and has a special section for evening plans. Throughout your day, you can quickly check off tasks from your wrist and add new ones on the go. Things 3 is available for a one-time payment of nine dollars and ninety-nine cents.