Cycling, whether on one of the best exercise bikes for Apple Fitness Plus or hitting the great outdoors, is considered by experts as a great way to get your cardio in. It’s easy on the joints, works your heart, glutes, and leg muscles, and it’s easily accessible for beginners all the way up to experienced fitness enthusiasts. 

Apple Fitness Plus offers a selection of impressive indoor cycling workouts. It’s a great way to get you familiar with the format, but how do Fitness Plus’ cycling offerings compare with the great outdoors? Should you invest in an indoor bike, or go for the real thing? We’ll break down the pros and cons of each below. 

Apple Fitness Plus Cycling Benefits

Apple’s workouts are excellent for beginners. They offer a gentle start with trainer Sherica Holman talking you through the basics of bike setup and getting started on your workouts. From there, Apple’s trainers will take you through workouts ranging from five to 45 minutes, and each one has options to make the ride easier or harder. The trainers will occasionally guide you to up your speed, intensity, and resistance to get a complete workout in a short amount of time. 

This method offers more guidance than riding outside on your own, and the ability to customize your ride. Outside, when you reach a hill, you either go up it or turn back, whereas you can adjust the resistance on your bike to suit your needs. This customization element means Fitness Plus is a fantastic choice for beginner cyclists, but Apple adds new workouts often, so even experienced riders can find a new challenge, using the customization element to make things harder, rather than easier, 

A 45-minute indoor cycling workout takes less time than a steady ride, as most of the workouts follow a high-intensity training principle, which is very effective for burning fat and squeezing maximum calorie burn into a short space of time. At points during the class, you’ll be cycling more intensely than you probably would if you were cycling outdoors, as most people tend to go at steady paces on public roads. 

If you’re using an exercise bike at your local gym, the Apple Fitness Plus subscription probably works out cheaper than buying a road bike, helmet, lock, and all the accessories you need to take up cycling. You’re able to do it in all weathers, too, as you'll be safely indoors. 

Apple Fitness Plus Cycling disadvantages

Although the cycling classes are, in many ways, more flexible than an outdoor ride, they’re also more rigid. You’re following along to the instructions on your screen, adjusting your exercise bike based on the prompts given to you, and the class is over after 45 minutes. 

There is the option to “stack” workouts and do multiple sessions, but an outdoor bike offers freedom in more ways than one: you can range as far from your home as you dare, and although you have less guidance in working out, you’re also not confined to the class format. If you don’t have a local gym that has exercise bikes you can use, you’ll need to buy a costly machine (an exercise bike) in order to get started with Apple Fitness Plus’ cycling workouts. 

Then you have to keep paying the Apple subscription on top and plug the bike in to power it. On the other hand, once you’ve got your bike, helmet, and lock, cycling outdoors is completely free after the initial investment (well, until you start getting good and looking at buying a power meter. 

Outdoor Cycling Pros

Many cyclists commute, using their time traveling to and from work to contribute to their health and travel in for free, and you obviously can’t do this with an indoor cycling workout.  You’re also drinking in sunlight by exercising outdoors, increasing your vitamin D levels (which, coincidentally, science says could make you a better cyclist overall). 

The unexpected element of training outdoors, while less controlled, can help you to push yourself when needed. You’re less likely to go all-out and try to climb a big hill when replicating the intensity of that moment at home, which could encourage you to work harder. One study found cyclists worked, on average, 30% harder when cycling outdoors in comparison to cycling indoors. You have to face wind, cold, heat, and rain on a bike against the elements, and they often come upon you unexpectedly, but they can make you a better rider as a result. 

Cycling can also bring unexpected community benefits. Strava, Zwift, Komoot, and other apps make it easier than ever to meet other riders in your area, but going on low-intensity bike friends with your friends and family to the local coffee shop also suddenly becomes an option, improving your quality of life in ways exercising at home, alone, simply can’t do. 

Outdoor Cycling Cons

We mentioned the elements, and while nothing short of storms can put off some cyclists, rain is unpleasant enough that the casual runner might end up staying home. When you are on wet roads, there is an element of danger and risk, which might not be ideal for beginner riders on public roads. 

Understanding your limits without guidance is another risk: It’s all well as good if you’re trained enough to handle big hills and other obstacles away from home, but beginners might want a more forgiving experience. Every cyclist has had the experience of getting tired while still 10 miles from home and having to drag yourself for 45 minutes back to your starting point.

Many of the benefits of indoor cycling workouts apply here, but in reverse: often, you’ll be cycling outdoors with little guidance and structure, rather than with Apple’s comprehensive, trainer-approved plan. If you’re cycling to get fit, you may want to find a good training plan online - meanwhile, if you’re using Fitness Plus, Apple’s service does all the legwork for you, complete with guided workouts. 

Finally, there’s the aforementioned cost of all the gear: the bike, sure, but the accessories like helmets and locks, inner tubes and a repair kit in case you get a puncture, and time spent maintaining the bike if you use it regularly enough. 

Verdict

Apple Fitness Plus' cycling workouts are excellent for beginners and those looking for a quick, convenient workout to do on an exercise bike. The HIIT format is great for cramming a big calorie burn into a short space of time, and cycling indoors, while especially convenient if you own a bike, is also cheap to do if you're already a member of a local gym. Keeps you out of the rain, too.

Meanwhile, cycling outdoors can end up more expensive with all the gear you need, but it's more versatile, offering a way to commute to work, exercise outdoors, and go adventuring with friends. The steady-state exercise of outdoor cycling, while not as effective as HIIT in burning fat, is still a fantastic low-intensity workout. 

Of course, you can always try both and see which is right for you. Or, if you have the resources to do so, why choose?

Some people hate running. Some people love it. And some people think they hate running because they remember being forced to do laps in high school, but might actually enjoy it — if they just found a way to train that works for them.

Apple Fitness Plus isn’t just for people who want to do high-intensity interval training (otherwise known as HIIT) or yoga workouts in their front room: the service also does a nice line of treadmill and cycling workouts. You can get guided audio-only workouts to use outdoors, and we’ll come to those a bit later on, but the treadmill workouts are where the meat of Fitness Plus’ running content is. 

Designed and structured a little like Peloton classes, these sessions are easy to follow along with if you have one of the best treadmills for Apple Fitness Plus. On the other hand, you might not want to purchase a treadmill, and would rather buy a pair of running shoes and practice jogging outdoors. 

Below, we’ll break down the benefits and disadvantages of each approach to running training, including which is easier for beginners to get started with, which costs more, and which is better for hitting your fitness goals.

 Treadmill workouts: Benefits 

To start with, Apple Fitness Plus’ treadmill workouts are great for beginners. Instructors like Jamie-Ray Hartshorne guide you on setting up your treadmill, exercising safely, and walking you through each workout. The workouts last up to 45 minutes, so you know exactly how long each workout is going to take. This is great for planning your day around: a jog around the park or on your local streets needs a little bit of planning to ensure you arrive back home in good time. 

Apple Fitness Plus’ content is always inclusive, providing clear, easy instructions to help users get started. This makes it more approachable to beginners than jogging alone, as going it solo can feel daunting if you don’t really know what you’re doing. 

Fitness Plus workouts tend to follow a HIIT structure. Once you’re all warmed up, you’ll be encouraged to up the speed or gradient for a short amount of time, working harder than normal, before bringing it back down for some active recovery. You’ll repeat this again and again, with modifications to make the workout easier or harder. 

HIIT is great for weight loss and improving exercise capacity, according to studies, as it encourages you to work harder (in short bursts) than you would do while jogging at a steady pace. This helps you burn more calories and encourages EPOC - post-exercise oxygen consumption, burning calories even after you finish the session. 

Finally, there’s the treadmill. Making an investment into your health by buying a large piece of exercise equipment may act as a financial prompt to get the most out of the machine - although not always, judging by the amount of Pelotons that turned into expensive clothes racks after lockdown! Depending on your choice of treadmill, the deck or belt is often slightly cushioned, making it more forgiving to run on for long periods than the hard concrete of your local roads. 

Treadmill workouts: Disadvantages 

There are a few disadvantages when it comes to training indoors with a treadmill. For one thing, while investing in yourself by buying a treadmill is generally a good thing, it’s not cheap: the expense includes not just the initial cost of the treadmill, but monthly subscriptions to Apple Fitness Plus, and if you don’t already own it, one of the best Apple Watches to properly use Fitness Plus as well. Add that all up over the cost of a year and compare it to a single pair of running shoes, and you start to see the appeal of running outdoors. 

Treadmills also come with practical considerations: they’re cumbersome things and tend to dominate all but the biggest of rooms. Unless you purchase a folding treadmill, they’re also not easy to store, and if you live in apartment buildings, running on them might make a lot of noise for the people below you. 

If you don’t own a treadmill, you can always take your phone to a local gym and use the treadmill there - but then you’re adding the cost of a Fitness Plus subscription on top of a monthly gym membership. 

There are also proven benefits to running outdoors, which we’ll go into later: getting more sunlight, finding a little patch of nature if you can, and taking your eyes off a screen. Fitness Plus treadmill workouts tend to necessitate looking at your TV, iPhone, or iPad, and you might not want to add more screen time into your life. 

 Outdoor workouts: Benefits 

Running outdoors is a great leveler. Simply put on some comfortable clothes, lace up your running shoe of choice, warm up, and get going. There’s no need for fancy equipment beyond a good pair of running shoes and perhaps a decent pair of AirPods, at least until you come to tackle long distances and want to invest in sweat-wicking clothes or better shoes. 

For beginners who need a little guidance, there are plenty of running plans out there, perhaps most famously Couch to 5K, which swaps between running and walking to help slowly build up your endurance. In fact, it uses the same approach as the Apple Fitness Plus workouts: running fast and intense, then slower to recover. Old hands won’t need this sort of guidance and will be happy to run for extended periods. 

Running outdoors for as little as twenty minutes can provide benefits beyond burning calories. Exposure to sunlight, even if the day is somewhat overcast, means getting your daily dose of mood-boosting, immune-boosting vitamin D. If you can jog to a local park or get into nature, even better: one study found just 10 minutes of time in nature has a positive impact on our mental health. 

If you want more guidance, you can still use your Apple Fitness Plus subscription with audio-only Time to Run workouts. There, one of the Apple Fitness Plus instructors, such as running coach Cory Wharton-Malcolm, will narrate their run around a famous location such as Yosemite National Park or Chicago, as well as help to guide your running speed and cadence through coaching tips.

Outdoor workouts: Disadvantages 

Running outdoors instead of using one of the Apple Fitness Plus treadmill workouts means less guidance and modularity. On a treadmill, you can adjust the gradient and speed to your desired setting, and every Fitness Plus workout includes modifications to make the exercise easier or harder. Running on solid ground is a very different story: if a big hill is in front of you, there are only three choices: you either run up it, walk up it, or turn around and go back.  

The weather is also a consideration. Truly committed runners used to training in all weathers might layer up and go for runs in the freezing cold or heavy rain, but for the rest of us, extreme weather means we stay indoors. If you live in an area that gets a lot of bad weather, this may have you wishing you invested in that treadmill beforehand. 

While running with groups – either friends or running clubs – can help you stick to a habit, running alone is hard, and it’s more challenging to motivate yourself to get out the front door than it is to hop on a treadmill. With Fitness Plus, you can choose your desired workout length and intensity, so if you want to fit in 15 minutes of exercise before work, it’s far easier to do so than to lace up and head outside. 

Verdict

Ultimately, it depends on what works for you: if you’re looking to save money and you don’t need as much guidance, running outdoors is always going to be the better choice. If you look at screens a lot during the day and see running as an opportunity to unwind, outdoors is probably better as well due to the therapeutic benefits of nature and anti-screen time. 

However, if you want to take full advantage of your Fitness Plus subscription, you would like more guidance and modularity on your fitness journey, or you already have a gym membership, Apple Fitness Plus’ treadmill workout content suite is stellar and well worth your consideration. Ultimately, try both and see what works - after all, Apple Fitness Plus does offer three months absolutely free…

A new year has begun, and while there’s never really a bad time to start paying closer attention to your health, resolutions and the “clean break” from the year prior make January as good a time as any.

Whatever your goals are for the year, you may have more luck sticking to them with a variety of Apple Watch apps. After all, having a reminder on your wrist to get up and stand for a minute, or get 30 minutes of exercise, is a powerful motivator - and the ‘three rings’ saw the Apple Watch capture a legion of fans that have kept streaks going for years.

Still, the apps on this list will help you get even fitter, stay hydrated, and complement your Apple Watch’s basic functions, too. If they help you feel better for even one day, they’ve achieved something — so let’s get to it.

The basic Apple Watch apps

While we’re about to jump into the world of third-party Apple Watch apps, it never hurts to familiarise yourself with the core offerings Apple packs into its wearable via the stock apps.

Whether it’s Activity and the aforementioned three rings, setting a decent sleep schedule to help you rest overnight, or checking your BPM with the Heart Rate app, there’s plenty that your Apple Watch can do for you right out of the box. For everything else, there are the following.

Strava

Strava needs no introduction for many. It’s a running/cycling app that doubles as a social network for fitness enthusiasts, and once you connect your contacts you may be surprised to see who’s on there.

Whether you’re giving Kudos to pals or going it alone, Strava is a great Apple Watch app that’s perfectly capable of tracking your workouts and then syncing them to the iPhone app once you get home - meaning you don’t need to take your phone with you if you don’t want to.

Strava’s free tier is very good, too, so while you can unlock additional metrics and training plans for $11.99 / £8.99 a month, there’s no real need to which makes Strava an ideal app for starting out.

Streaks

Streaks is an app for, as the name suggests, logging Streaks, and while there is a workout-focused version, each is built with a lovely interface that’s simple but quite compelling.

It can tally how many times you walked the dog this week, what days you avoided fizzy drinks, and how many days it’s been since you smoked or ordered takeaway, but what I’m using it for is much simpler.

While Waterful is an option, I’m using Streaks to manage my water intake throughout the day. I set myself a target, and tick off increments throughout the day.

As someone with a bit of a caffeine and fizzy drink addiction, it’s been great at helping remind me throughout the day when I need to chug some H2O.

Having it available on your wrist makes it much easier to simply tick those increments off, too - although Streaks does let you edit prior days if you forget to log your activity of choice.

Fitbod

I’ve enjoyed lifting weights for around 12 years so far, and while I still enjoy hitting the gym, I’m not as young as I used to be, and recovery times after a workout are much longer in my thirties than they were in my twenties.

Despite that, I lifted over a million kilos in 2023. That’s thanks to Fitbod, and it’s not an exaggeration, either - Fitbod’s ‘Spotify Wrapped’ style roundup showed just how far I’ve come.

To me, Fitbod is better than Apple’s own Health app when it comes to recovery (something I’ve written about at length before) — and it comes with the added benefit of being customizable for just about any gym setup. It has cardio options, and a variety of goals for bulking, toning, slimming, Olympic weightlifting, and much more.

It also works great on my Apple Watch, presenting itself as something akin to a task manager where you can tick off exercises off the list as you go. You can even watch an instructional gif of your next exercise on your watch!

If you also want to see Machine Learning in action, letting Fitbod build you a workout plan is a sight to behold.

Which apps are you using to make and set your fitness resolutions? Let us know in the iMore Forums if you've got another New Year's resolution you're determined to achieve for 2024.

Apple has updated Apple Fitness Plus for 2024 and will add a series of new features starting Monday, January 8. 

New features include a brand-new sound meditation theme, and a new workout program titled "Strength, Core, and Yoga for Golfers" featuring Rose Zhang. 

There's a new Artist Spotlight series for the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show featuring USHER, and new Time to Walk guests including Al Roker, Trixie Mattel, Lilly Singh, Common, and Colman Domingo.

Apple is also bringing Time to Walk to Apple podcasts in 21 countries where Fitness Plus is available, even for users who don't have a Fitness Plus subscription. 

Fitness Plus gets in shape

Apple Fitness Plus offers 10 meditation themes, and the new "Sound" theme offers users "a new way to feel relaxed and restored," with light guidance from a Fitness Plus trainer. There are seven new Sound meditations each available in five, 10, and 20-minute increments, with new ones coming every week. 

The new golf workout will help with strength, stability, and mobility and is built around Rose Zhang's training "on and off the course." 

New workouts with a Super Bowl spotlight are coming, with music from Rihanna, Britney Spears, U2, and USHER released weekly in the run-up to the Super Bowl.

Apple has also announced that Anytime Fitness memberships now include a free Apple Fitness Plus subscription. Apple notes the service is "the world’s largest fitness club brand delivering personalized and affordable health and wellness training, coaching, nutrition, and recovery guidance to their members," and there's even a free three months of Fitness Plus for prospective members. 

Apple Fitness Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79.99 and is available in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, the UAE, the U.K., and the U.S.

It's also included in the Apple One subscription bundle. 

More from iMore

• Apple Fitness Plus review: Should you subscribe if your free trial is over?
• How to AirPlay Apple Fitness Plus workouts to your TV
• Best exercise bikes for Apple Fitness Plus in

You can't hope to get the most out of your Apple Watch without some of the best Apple Watch apps on the market. Whether you need a helpful companion to stay on top of productivity, a smart workout app to help you tackle the gym, or a tiny game to pass the help pass the time, we've got you covered with our definitive list of the 50 best Apple Watch apps in 2024. 

As standard, most of the apps on your Apple Watch are likely carried over from the apps you already have installed on your iPhone, but that doesn't mean you can seek out great dedicated watch apps elsewhere. You can find all of our picks in Apple's App Store on iPhone. Once you're there, here are all of our recommendations. 

Best productivity Apple Watch apps

Things 3

Things 3 is a great task manager on the iPhone, and its Apple Watch app makes tracking your day-to-day tasks simple. The primary screen in Things 3 puts your tasks for the day in front of you, which you can check off as you complete them right on your wrist. You can also tap on each task to get a little more detail or to move that task to the next day.

In an excellent, if small, piece of visual feedback, a circle under Today shows how many tasks you've completed, and continues to fill as you finish more to-dos. Adding an item to your list is also very simple. Just tap the + button and speak to your watch. When that task is created, you can tap on it to add a start date or deadline. 

Reminders

Apple's native Reminders app has really come into its own in the last couple of years and it's now significantly more useful than it was in the past. You can scroll easily through the colored blocks representing your lists, or tap on a specific list to bring up the individual tasks within that list.

The Apple Watch app makes it nice and simple to mark tasks as completed directly from your wrist and it's very easy to add new tasks to your lists too — though we do recommend using dictation rather than the tiny keyboard. For any scheduled Reminders, swipe up from the bottom of your Apple Watch screen on watchOS 10 and you can view the widget easily.

Todoist

Todoist on iPhone is one of the best productivity apps out there, and its Apple Watch counterpart doesn't disappoint. Keeping things very clean and simple, Todoist makes it very easy to mark tasks as completed directly from your wrist, while the main menu screen allows you to see all tasks within your Inbox, upcoming tasks, or tasks for the day in hand.

You can also choose to see a list of tasks by filter so depending on how organized you are with your filters and labels in the main iPhone app, the Apple Watch companion app for Todoist can really help you organize your day. As you might expect, you can also add tasks, and there's a lovely completion ring too.

Streaks

Streaks is the perfect Apple Watch app to download if you're someone who is always saying things like 'I need to drink more water', 'I need to do more exercise' or 'I need to floss more'. It's designed to help you form good habits, tracking up to 24 tasks to complete each day, from walking the dog to brushing your pearly whites — all of which you can tick off straight from your wrist.

The aim is to build a streak of consecutive days and let us tell you, when you've started that streak, you won't want to break it. You can also create negative tasks for breaking those naughty habits and the Streaks Apple Watch app interface is just beautiful with plenty of theme options so it looks good too.

Fantastical

Apple's native Calendar app has improved significantly of late, but Fantastical on Apple Watch offers a clean, simple interface while taking calendaring to the next level. You can create new events or tasks directly from your Apple Watch, giving you more flexibility and reducing the number of times you need to pull your phone out of your pocket, plus the interface is wonderful.

If you use Apple's Reminders app regularly, Fantastical is also great for its built-in Reminders integration. You can view all of your reminder lists, and check off tasks as they're performed, and there's compatibility with Todoist and Google Tasks too.

Petey

AI might be taking the world by storm, but Apple Intelligence is only coming to iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you want to taste everything AI on Apple Watch, the best way to do it is with Petey. Petey is a ChatGPT companion that lets you type, swipe, or speak requests to ChatGPT directly from your Apple Watch. It costs just $4.99 and can be launched from your Home Screen or a complication. You can also use it with the latest GPT4 model, but there is an extra cost. 

Just Press Record

Record something on the fly without needing to touch your iPhone with Just Press Record. Just open up the app and tap the big red button with the microphone on it to start your recording. You can browse your recent recordings and make new ones and you can even record when you're not connected to your iPhone. When you reconnect, just tap Outbox and send your recordings over to your phone.

Once your recordings are on your iPhone, everything you recorded on your Apple Watch can be synced with iCloud so you can access them on your iPad and Mac as well. It's also possible to use Just Press Record to transcribe once on iPhone and there's support for over 30 languages no matter what language your device is set to.

Forest

Forest is one of our favorite apps for the iPhone and the Apple Watch. But we felt like it deserved a special mention in this list because you really do benefit by having it work on your wrist. Forest is a focus and productivity timer, dividing up your focus sessions into 25-minute chunks – also known as the Pomodoro Technique. 

But Forest isn't like other Pomodoro timers. Because when you're in a session of focused work, you can grow your own virtual plants and trees – as long as you don't get distracted. It might sound like a gimmick, but it's a popular app that's worked well for us in the past. We recommend it if you find it hard to stick to focus timers and like the incentive of growing a virtual garden.

Best health and fitness Apple Watch apps

SmartGym

SmartGym is designed to offer simple tracking of your workouts and progress, whether that's the exercises you choose for each workout, the weight you lift, the routines you follow, or the workouts you have done in the past. 

The Apple Watch version of the SmartGym app is designed to work independently of your iPhone and it enables you to keep track of your heart rate, distance and calories burned, use your session data to count towards closing your rings, and modify exercises from your wrist. There are over 620 pre-installed exercises in the main app, and you can also select workouts based on the equipment you have.

Workout

While there are many third party Apple Watch apps for fitness and exercise available — some of which we have selected in this list – the native Apple Watch Workout app is excellent. It lacks a couple of things, like readiness for working out, but it is very simple to use, offers an extensive range of workout options and the data provided during workouts is easy to read and digestible.

Whether you want to track dance or cycling, the Workout app on Apple Watch has something for everyone, it's free to use, and there are plenty of settings available too, as well as the ability to change goals.

StepsApp Pedometer

Rather than focusing on step count, Apple uses Move and Exercise Rings to present how much you've moved in a day. If you like to aim for that 10,000 steps a day figure though, Apple's native Workout app doesn't really lend itself very well to that. This is where StepsApp Pedometer comes into play.

There's automatic step counting as you would expect, but there are also great charts and animations that bring the data offered to life. You'll also find workouts with Map Tracking, Heart Rate Zones and Insights, alongside day, week and month views so you can see how you're doing when it comes to reaching those step goals.

Strava

Strava is one of the best apps out there for tracking your workouts, helping you get on track to a healthy and active lifestyle. The Strava Apple Watch app is also a fantastic companion to have on-the-go. You can track your runs, cycling rides, swims, and more. 

The Apple Watch app is standalone, so you don't even need to have your iPhone with you to track your activity with it. Information like distance and live pacing is recorded directly on the watch and you'll see it as you go. Saving a workout is done with one button press, and everything will sync with your iPhone and Apple Health once it's close by.

Peloton

The Peloton iPhone app is excellent, packed with plenty of workouts across a range of sectors, and the Apple Watch companion app doesn't disappoint. You'll need to start a workout on the iPhone app, but once started, you can see all your metrics at a glance on your wrist, from calories burned or distance travelled to heart rate and heart rate zones. 

If you have Peloton equipment, like the Bike or Tread, you can use your Apple Watch as a heart rate monitor through the Peloton Apple Watch app too, which means you'll get more accurate stats at the end of a workout. 

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a brilliant app for keeping track of your eating habits with a goal of helping you make smarter food choices. Do you need the third cookie? Probably not, even if it does taste exceptional. The MyFitnessPal Apple Watch app gives you a breakdown of how many calories you have consumed for the day, and how many you have left within your allowance, as well as a breakdown of your macros.

It will also take into account exercise for the day when calculating your calories. You do have to manually enter all food in the iPhone app, but the Apple Watch app is great for keeping an eye on your progress — and stopping you having that extra biscuit.

CARROT Fit

CARROT Fit tries to inject personality into your workouts — and by personality, we, of course, mean a hostile robot that yells at you and calls you a "meatbag." It specializes in small workouts with "7 Minutes in Hell" that condenses multiple high-intensity exercises into just seven minutes.

Just tap the big red Start button to begin your seven-minute workout. CARROT Fit will threaten, insult, and, when it's in a nicer mood, try to bribe you to get the results it wants to see. You can customize a bit of what 7 Minutes in Hell throws at you, determine how long each exercise lasts, as well as how long the rest period is. When you've successfully completed a workout, you'll be treated to app upgrades and funny rewards.

Pedometer++

For those more interested in hitting a specific step count over closing their Apple Watch Rings, Pedometer++ is a great app to download. It's simple, but it will allow you to see your step progress each day, whilst also allowing you to keep track of your daily and weekly step counts. 

To find a weekly step count on Apple without a third party app, you have to dig into the Health app and it's not possible to add steps as a complication on a Watch Face either. The Pedometer++ app enables both of these features however, and it will also present walking distance, active calories and heart rate data too, along with some nice looking maps.

Best sleep and wellbeing Apple Watch apps

Athlytic

Athlytic uses all the data your Apple Watch collects on you and turns it into insights that can help you meet your health and fitness goals. Whilst Apple offers plenty of data within its Health app, not all of it is translatable. For example, Apple doesn't offer a feature like Garmin's Body Battery where it will tell you if you should be resting or exercising on a particular day.

Athlytic does though, and its Apple Watch app is not only gorgeous to look at, but there are plenty of features on board from workout options, exercise intensity and heart rate zones, to your readiness to train. 

AutoSleep

Apple Watch can track your sleep without a third party app when you wear it to bed, but the AutoSleep app gives you a different set of metrics, along with some great additional features. On a basic level, it does everything you would expect, such as tracking your sleep duration, heart rate, blood oxygen and respiration rate whilst sleeping. 

On a more advanced level though — and the reasons to download it — AutoSleep recommends a bedtime for the following evening based on your previous night's sleep, it measures the quality and efficiency of your sleep and it offers a Readiness function too, indicating physical and mental stress. There's also a Smart Alarm function to help you wake up in a lighter sleep and it measures the time it takes you to fall asleep too. It's excellent.

Calm

Apple offers its own Mindfulness app, which has a number of great features within it, including the ability to log a mood, but the Calm app has a huge library of guided meditations, breathing exercises and stretching options. There are topics spanning Deep Sleep and Calming Anxiety to Managing Stress and Breaking Habits, which you can sign up to help you on your journey. 

The Calm Apple Watch app itself has a Daily Calm program, Breathing Exercises, Morning and Evening Stretch workouts and you can start a Mindful Walking exercise straight from your wrist too, choosing how long you'd like to walk for. There's also an Emergency Calm option you can start from your Apple Watch too.

Gentler Streak

Gentler Streak is refreshingly different from traditional workout apps, putting your wellbeing ahead of anything else. It's designed to help you find a balance between exercise and rest — because the latter is just as important in case you didn't know. The Gentler Streak Apple Watch app offers personalized suggestions for daily workouts filtered by type, duration and intensity — don't worry rest is also included within this guidance — and you can monitor intensity during a workout with heart rate zones so you know when to pick it up or slow it down. 

If the app tells you to rest then take the advice because it's using your health metrics to determine that, and rest days make up part of your streak so you don't need to worry about losing it just because you took a day on the sofa.

WaterMinder

While not as flashy as other workout-tracking apps, WaterMinder still fulfils an important fitness function: keeping track of your hydration. Getting in a nice long run is great right up until you collapse on the sidewalk because you forgot that humans need water to survive. WaterMinder keeps you on top of that, letting you easily log your water intake with a single button tap on your Apple Watch. 

Using your existing health data, WaterMinder determines how much water you should be drinking on any given day. With each entry in the app, you'll be able to watch your progress towards your goal. The app has pre-filled buttons for six, eight, 14, and 17 ounces per entry, while you can also set a custom smaller or larger amount.

Headspace

The Headspace app is all about helping you stress less, sleep better and ultimately be happier overall. It's designed for everyday use in order to help you make mindfulness a habit and it uses a streak-based reward system to encourage you, as well as a range of meditations and breath work exercises. 

The Apple Watch version of the Headspace app offers easy access to features like Everyday Headspace, meditation basics and short and manageable workouts, such as 10 minutes of walking or running. You'll also find short 3-minute mindful mediation sessions designed to fit into busy schedules, along with SOS sessions for easing stress during moments of anxiety.

Flo Period & Cycles Tracker

The Flo Period & Cycle Tracker is a fully fledged app on iPhone but the Apple Watch companion app is great for a quick glance at what's happening in your cycle. There's of course plenty more data within the iPhone app that you can sift through to get a better understanding, though the Apple Watch version is perfect for adding symptoms and moods, as well as weight and getting a summary of your feelings that day.

It's worth mentioning Flo added Flo for Partners to the main app so you can link up your Flo account with your other half so they can see your cycle and pregnancy updates.

Best travel Apple Watch apps

Citymapper

Citymapper is an excellent app for getting you around cities with public transport, presenting the quickest way to get to your chosen destination, whether that's on a train, bus, tram, car, walking, or a combination. The Citymapper Apple Watch app lets you see the nearest transit lines close to you, wherever you are. You can input a destination and the app will provide you with step-by-step directions on what buses and trains to take. You can save favorite destinations, or add your Home or Work addresses for quick access.

The app will also let you know when your stop is approaching, how often the bus or train comes, and give you an ETA of when you'll get there. It's an absolute must if you're in a large city.

Flighty

If you're someone that travels a lot, or you have a family member that does, you'll want to make sure you've downloaded Flighty. It's an exceptional flight tracker, but there's plenty of other features too, from useful information about your upcoming flight — whether it's on time and what gate you need to head to for example — as well as a view of flights your family and friends are on too.

The Flighty Apple Watch app is compatible with complications on some Apple Watch faces as well so you can get a quick breakdown of the information you need at a glance, such as when baggage has arrived.

App in the Air

The Apple Watch app for App in the Air is another great one for the frequent flyers out there. It tracks your flights so you can see when you need to check-in and board, and it will monitor your travel time and when you'll be landing too. If there are any changes to your flight, the app will notify you so you shouldn't ever go to the wrong gate, or get to the gate top early if it is late. 

It's a useful app to have if you're traveling often, and the subscription - albeit quite pricey - lets you subscribe your family in through SMS, so everyone will be in the loop about when you'll be gone.

iTranslate Converse

It would be great if we were all able to speak multiple languages, but sadly that's not the case for many of us. Not to worry though as iTranslate Converse is a terrific speech translation app that will turn your Apple Watch into a two-way translation device. 

Supporting 38 languages, iTranslate Converse has a super simple interface that lets you speak directly into your Apple Watch's microphone after tapping the big orange button. To translate what you said into the language you have chosen, you simply release the orange button. Whether it's ordering a drink in Spanish or asking for directions in French, this Apple Watch app will have you covered.

Best entertainment Apple Watch apps

Overcast

Overcast lets you control podcast playback on your iPhone from your Apple Watch. You can also go through your collection of available podcast episodes to play something new, with all of your playlists available to peruse. Controls for play/pause, skipping forward and backward, opening your playlists, and recommending an episode are all located on the same screen, but in a way that doesn't feel busy. 

For those who may not have a reliable data connection on the Apple Watch, Overcast allows you to download episodes directly on your watch too, and there are handy features like Voice Boost to make audio sound better and Smart Speed to save time when listening.

Sky Guide

There are plenty of fantastic constellation spotting and stargazing apps available for the iPhone and the Apple Watch, but Sky Guide is one of our favorites. It automatically allows you to identify any star, constellation, planet or satellite that's overhead. 

The iPhone app lets you hold up your smartphone to see maps of constellations overlaid over the night sky. But the Apple Watch version is really handy if you can't get your iPhone out or don't want to because it's dark. It brings you much of the same information, including what you'll see overhead and how long you'll have to wait before spotting a satellite. It's incredibly easy to use and powerful, satisfying stargazers of every level.

Shazam

Ever find yourself bopping along to a great track when you're out and about but you can't think for the life of you who sings it or what it is called? That's where Shazam comes into its own. Apple bought Shazam in 2018 and so it's perhaps unsurprising the Apple Watch app works brilliantly, given it's native and Apple has full control. 

Shazam is lovely and simple, allowing you to just tap your Apple Watch screen to start listening when it's open. Once Shazam has listened and found the song, it will appear on your Apple Watch with artwork and everything and you can start playing it directly from your wrist.

Spotify

Apple Music of course has its own Apple Watch app, which is great, but if you're a Spotify subscriber, then you'll want to get the Spotify app on your watch. The interface is nice and simple, making it easy to navigate with just three screens to move between.

You can swipe to see Albums, Artists or Playlists, while the Home screen shows you popular radio shows, great audiobooks and timely playlists, along with popular artists. There is also a now playing screen that will allow you to select device to play your music on, as well as like a particular track and choose to shuffle or repeat a track.

Best essential Apple Watch apps

CARROT Weather

CARROT Weather is so much more than a weather app. Sure, it will give you a breakdown of current, hourly and daily forecasts as you would expect from a weather app, and that's all lovely and simple to read on Apple Watch. It's what it does with the forecasts that makes this app special though.

You can choose from five personalities for your CARROT Weather robot, from "Professional" to "Overkill", and then just wait and see what brilliance it comes up with. If you use the iPhone app, you can also complete activities and follow clues to track down secret locations. Just trust us, this is a good one. 

Cheatsheet

Can't remember the Wi-Fi password every time you need to give it to a guest? Or what hotel room you're staying in? Or that security code to gain entry to a work building? Sometimes you just need a Cheatsheet for those small details. Cheatsheet is a simple widget type of app where you can make a tiny list of quick notes, and put those on your Apple Watch. 

You can view your notes normally through the Apple Watch app, or have them available at all times through the Apple Watch complication. Each note can be customized with an icon (there are over 200) to make it easy to recognize quickly. Just make sure that you don't use it for highly sensitive information, like account login passwords, since this app has no security.

PCalc

Apple added a Calculator app to the Apple Watch with watchOS 6 in 2019, but we still think PCalc is a better option as it does so much more. On the Apple Watch, PCalc can help you do basic calculations, as you would expect, but it can also do some extras like calculate tips when it comes to paying the check for dinner, or split the bill up evenly, including tip. 

There are plenty of other functions too, like converting units, constants, trig/log, and even functions. It's an all-in-one calculator app on the iPhone and your Apple Watch so you can do many of these calculations directly from your wrist.

Deliveries

If you're a keen online shopper, the Deliveries app is a must. On Apple Watch, Deliveries allows you to see a list of packages that are coming your way very soon. The list includes the number of days until delivery, and you can tap on an item to view it in more detail, such as the status, location, and a map of where it is. 

Unfortunately, you need to use the iPhone app to add new deliveries but you can use your Apple Watch to archive completed ones and the Apple Watch version is great for a quick check of what you have coming up.

Authy

Authy is a brilliant app to have on your Apple Watch if you need to quickly generate a secure 2-step verification code for an account and you don't have your iPhone or iPad close by. The app supports a huge range of multi-factor authentication accounts, from Facebook, Amazon and Gmail to Slack, Outlook and Dropbox and it supports 8-digit tokens too. 

You'll need to add your accounts to Authy in the iPhone app and enable multi-device, but then you can just open the Apple Watch app and get the code for the service you need, making it easy to protect your accounts.

Uptime

Uptime is all about making you that little bit smarter, but only requiring five minutes of your day to do it. Called Hacks, the five-minute summaries cover a diverse range of topics and subjects and they are designed to be easy to understand and quick to digest. 

You can choose to listen to your daily Hack, read it or tap through visual stories. Like many other apps, Uptime uses streaks to help you maintain the habit of opening the app and learning something new for the day, and there's also the option to save your favourite quotes, insights and actions as "Sparks" that you can share later.

Night Sky

For the stargazers out there, Night Sky is a must have app. It works across all Apple devices but the Apple Watch app offers plenty of features despite the smaller screen compared to an iPad, Mac or Apple TV. You can use Night Sky to identify stars, plants, constellations and satellites, and it also uses the built-in compass to give you an idea of what's above you. 

The Apple Watch app for Night Sky also offers guidance on what the stargazing conditions are like and when they might be at their best, as well as detail when satellites are passing by overhead.

Daily Random Facts

There's a classic saying "you learn something new everyday" and the Daily Random Facts app makes sure that's the case. It offers up thousands of facts in a range of categories, comprising human body facts, history dates and facts about sports, but there are some fun ones too, like life hacks and riddles. 

The Apple Watch version of the app keeps it clean and simple but you'll still discover a new fact and you can select from a range of categories too. The Apple Watch version of Daily Random Facts also makes it nice and easy to share facts if you think they are worthy.

LookUp Dictionary

If you've ever felt like you use the same words a little too much and your vocabulary could do with a bit of expansion, then LookUp Dictionary is the perfect Apple Watch app for you. Powered by the Oxford English Dictionary, this Apple Watch app offers a Word of the Day with stunning illustrations to help you visually remember the word. 

You of course get the meaning of the word alongside the word itself and if you come across a word you don't know or haven't heard, there is a search tool as well. The LookUp Dictionary Apple Watch app also has a daily quiz, adding a little more fun to the learning process.

1Password

Already a great password manager, 1Password offers an equally superb companion for its watch app on the Apple Watch. While not a full-featured password manager on your wrist, 1Password for Apple Watch shows you the one-time login key for accounts that use two-factor authentication. 

If you do a lot of work with those types of accounts, 1Password is definitely an app you need to check out. The interface is great too, and everything is end-to-end encrypted.

MoneyCoach Budget

If you're not brilliant at keeping your money in check, budget apps can be very helpful for making you more aware about what you're spending and where you're spending it. You might still buy the extra coffee on your morning commute, but if you have to add it into your budget app, you also might think twice. 

MoneyCoach Budget has a great Apple Watch app that makes tracking money nice and simple. It allows you to see your daily limit, how much you have left to spend on certain items like groceries, and you can enter a new purchase directly from your wrist too.

Best social media Apple Watch apps

Lens

Instagram used to have an Apple Watch app but support was removed in 2018, which means the best way to view your Instagram feed on your Apple Watch is the Lens for Watch app. You can do pretty much everything you can do on the Instagram app, from viewing your feed and the explore tab to your seeing your activity, direct messages and stories. 

You can't upload new posts from Lens for Watch of course, but you can like posts, view comments, reply to comments, reply to direct messages and search for new users so there is plenty to keep you occupied.

Nano

If you're a regular Reddit user then you'll want to make sure you have downloaded Nano on your Apple Watch. The Nano app brings the Reddit experience to your tiny Apple Watch screen, allowing you to browse Reddit, check your inbox, vote on posts and read the latest news. 

There's also inline Twitter support and GIF support, as well as an article reader so there's plenty on offer here. You can even post a comment from your wrist if you feel you just can't wait until you have your iPhone handy to say what you need to say, and you can check out your profile too.

WatchChat 2

There are a couple of glaring omissions from the Apple Watch apps offering and WhatsApp is one of those. While you get notifications on your wrist, and you can reply to them when they appear, the only way to see your WhatsApp chats like you can Messages, is through a third party app like WatchChat 2. 

With WatchChat 2, you can't see all your chats unless you sign up to a subscription but your recent ones will be visible in the Apple Watch app and you can open them up and reply directly from your wrist. It's also possible to add a status to your WhatsApp and change settings like font size.

WristWeb

Meta doesn't offer official Apple Watch apps for any of its services, including Facebook. Don't worry though, WristWeb is available for Apple Watch so you can see your Facebook feed on your wrist. You can see your posts, with images, see your notifications and see comments and add comments. 

It's also possible to compose a new post, which you can do using the keyboard on your Apple Watch, Emojis, Scribble or Dictation. You'll need to link your Facebook account through the website but after that, you'll be able to scroll through your feed on your wrist as much as you like when you have a connection.

Best Apple Watch gaming apps

Snake.io

If you remember Snake on Nokia phones back in the day, you'll very much appreciate the Snake.io Apple Watch app. It's a very simple game — much like Snake used to be on phones — but it's highly addictive and great fun to play, even on the smaller screen. 

You can tap your Apple Watch screen to move your snake around but it moves much more fluidly with the Digital Crown to give you a better chance of a high score. Around 20 seconds into each game, a few extra snakes will appear so watch out for those as you'll need to avoid them and the edges so you don't die.

Invaders Mini

If Space Invaders was a favourite arcade game of yours then you'll want to make sure you have Invaders Mini downloaded on your Apple Watch. It uses the full screen of the Apple Watch Series 7 and newer and you can choose whether you swipe left and right to move or you use the Digital Crown. 

As you progress, the aliens get faster and deadlier so you'll need to make sure you tap your watch screen as quickly as you can. One of the best things about this game though is the sound effects and vibration, both of which really add to the experience.

Galaxia Watch Game

Galaxia: Watch Game is another take on arcade game Space Invaders and it is done brilliantly for Apple Watch. Its reminiscent of Namco's Galaxian, as its name implies — you will first need to defeat the aliens on the moon, after which you'll be taking on those in space. All Apple Watch models from the Series 7 are supported and you can swipe or use the Digital Crown to move around.

Just remember some aliens need extra hits to be destroyed, while the spaceship can take two extra hits and it will also be temporarily invisible when you first hit it so watch out for that. Galaxia: Watch Game is bound to make you feel nostalgic though.

Arcadia

The Arcadia app has a collection of 22 retro 8-bit games that you can play across a range of Apple devices, including Apple Watch. Within the list of games, you'll find Tap a Mole, Bounce, BrickOut and MineHound. There's even RainBowling, where you have to hit all the pins like traditional bowling whilst avoiding the unexpected obstacles, while Indiana GP lets you race from your wrist. 

Our favourite is probably Fruity Snake as it's nice and simple to play but put it this way, if you like the sound of retro arcade games on a small screen, there is plenty in this app to keep you occupied.

How we've picked the best Apple Watch apps

The Apple Watch is a powerful wearable device, packed with sensors and boasting all sorts of features that make it way more than a smartwatch but more a digital companion on your wrist. Although there are some fantastic native apps pre-installed on the best Apple Watch models, there are also lots of third-party apps you'll want to try.

The ones we've included in our best Apple Watch apps guide above are the apps that take advantage of everything the Apple Watch has to offer. They then use it to deliver a great experience and bring you plenty of2 bonus features. You might not download them all — 50 is a lot — but you should definitely consider some because they'll make your Apple Watch even more useful.

The developer who made Chirp, the popular Twitter app that was made available for your Apple Watch, has now brought out a similar app for Mastodon.

Stomp is made by developer Will Bishop; you need only sign in to your Mastodon account on your iPhone and you’re ready to go on your Watch. You can view toots, which are the Mastodon equivalent of tweets, alongside checking notifications about new followers or people favoriting your posts.

But if you decide to sign up to Stomp Pro for a one-off fee, or a $0.99 / £0.99 monthly or $9.99 / £9.99 yearly subscription, you can create a toot, reply to others, send messages, search, and more.

It’s also one of the few apps that take advantage of the cellular connections on some Apple Watches - so you can scroll through those toots without having your iPhone nearby. But while this all sounds good, how does it really work in the real world?

A foot in the Mastodon door

In our testing with Stomp, it essentially does what it says on the tin, and it does it well. Scrolling through toots with the Digital Crown is simple but works, and clicking on external links and photos within toots show as expected.

For a 1.0 release, it’s already fully featured and it really does bring the full Mastodon experience to your wrist, just like Chirp has in recent years.

Stomp can be a great way of quickly checking your timeline during a commute to work without reaching for your iPhone, and if you do sign up for a subscription, you’ll be able to reply to someone as you wait for the bus.

Bishop’s app is yet another example of how well a platform like Mastodon can thrive in this post-Twitter world that we’re clearly living in. Take Ivory on iOS by Tapbots for instance: The app developer also pivoted to Mastodon after its app, Tweetbot, closed down due to Twitter ending third-party support. Now it’s thriving, and many users on Mastodon consider this app to be the best client to use on iPhone and iPad.

Now though, there’s a reason to use Mastodon on your Apple Watch when you can’t use Ivory. Stomp brings a straightforward feel to your wrist without overloading you with new features and gives you a great way to quickly check your toot timeline at a glance. So if you were thinking of signing up, give it a try and install Stomp to see how it could replace that bird-shaped hole in your life.

Here in the UK, the Spring season has finally arrived. The sun is shining, and, at last, its warm rays are finally making an effect, so much so that my coat is unzipped. But this is also where our dog Jolly comes in, and his desperate need to sniff everything.

The routine usually goes like this - I’ll have a couple of podcast episodes on my iPhone, ready to go with Overcast alongside my AirPods Pro fully charged. My Apple Watch usually recognizes that something is playing, so I can pause or skip certain moments if needed.

However, Jolly loves to pull against the lead – especially if he sees ducks. Like Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty, Sonic and Robotnik, and the 90s battles of Blur and Oasis, Ducks are Jolly’s nemeses. This usually means that if I want to use my Apple Watch, I can’t as I’m pulling against Jolly. Worse still, when there are cold days and I’m wearing gloves, it’s even trickier to interact with it.

Until that is, Assistive Touch changed how I use my Apple Watch forever.

No need to use my right hand anymore

We’ve all been in a situation where you need to take your device out of your pocket to respond to a message, and you have to take your gloves off. Even worse when it comes to a smartwatch – after all, you can’t use your watch hand to tap the screen. Unless you wear it on your ankle. No judgment here.

I came across Assistive Touch on Apple Watch thanks to the above tweet from an iOS engineer. You can switch this on by going to Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Touch. While I was aware of the feature on iOS and watchOS, I was under the impression that it was a small menu you could access anywhere on the Watch.

How wrong I was. Instead, it uses a series of gestures to navigate your Watch. For example, say you get a tap from the Workout app that detects you’re on a walk, and it gives you the option to start a workout. With two taps of your finger and thumb, Assistive Touch recognizes this as an input, and will select ‘Start Workout’ - and it feels like magic.

The first time I did this, I was as surprised as I was when I first used an iPhone, or when I wore a VR headset back at University with a hacked version of Portal 2.

It was incredible – and straight away, I realized that it could be perfect for when walking with Jolly.

Assistive Touch in a jolly style

I’ve left this feature on ever since. It’s never distracting to me, as I use the Watch for fitness and notifications. There is a moment when a blue border flashes, letting me know that Assistive Touch is on, and if I want, I can clasp my fist and tap my fingers to select a Complication on my watch face.

It’s never distracting, and when it comes to walking with Jolly, I don’t have to stop, use my right hand for my Watch to start a workout. Instead, I see the notification, double-tap my finger and thumb, and it begins.

Of course, Assistive Touch wasn’t made for dog walks - it’s mainly for users who have disabilities, and this is where Apple Watch shines. Users with physical or visual impairments could use this feature to select certain menus when they’re notified by taps of when to choose something for instance. It helps those who want to use the best products available that everyone else is using at the same time, and that’s a wonderful thing.

It’s a great example of Apple at its best when it comes to design, innovation and ease of use. For a future update, I’d love to customize certain gestures - perhaps a clap of the hands to enable a scene in HomeKit for example, or waving a hand to select an Apple Shortcut or a specific app. The possibilities are endless, and it makes me excited for where accessibility on Apple Watch can go, and not just for how it can help me for walks with Jolly.

An update to Petey, the Apple Watch app that brings AI to your wrist, arrived this week, bringing ChatGPT 4 to the app, alongside bug fixes and other new features.

Developed by Hidde van der Ploeg, we've been using Petey since the first version arrived in early March and the ease of using the AI on your wrist compared to Siri's hokey answers has been great.

However, ChatGPT 4 was released soon after Petey was, which led Ploeg to implement an in-app purchase for this 1.2 update, so it's up to you if you want to upgrade to it, or stick with version 3.

We've been trying this new version out, and we're already impressed with what this update brings to your wrist.

Raising a wrist to GPT 4

Once you launch Petey from the home screen or from a complication on your watch face, you're brought to the same screen as before, but with ChatGPT 4, we found that we were receiving more detailed and accurate answers than ChatGPT 3.

However, it was the way that we could now reply to Petey, as if we were having a conversation, which only made this feel more natural as if we had a much more advanced assistant on our wrist compared to Siri.

Again, compared to using the Siri ChatGPT Shortcut, Petey is faster and easier, as you only have to download the app and use the AI, compared to creating an OpenAI account, then downloading a shortcut in order to use it.

Having ChatGPT 4 on your Apple Watch Series 8 for example is a big deal - not only are you getting a useful AI that's a tap away, but you're also getting the latest version from OpenAI, thanks to Ploeg's app.

With WWDC 2023 allegedly about to be announced for June soon, it will be interesting whether Apple will acknowledge the plethora of AI apps that have recently appeared in its App Stores, and if we'll see a mention of it in the keynote.

Regardless, having ChatGPT 4 on your wrist right now is a big appeal to many, and it will be interesting to see where Petey goes in the future, once more updates to the AI are brought out.

If you want to use ChatGPT as an app on your Apple Watch, then Petey could be the one to download.

Developed by Hidde van der Ploeg, Petey allows you to type in, swipe or simply speak into your Watch for requests, and it will respond in a similar fashion to other ChatGPT services you may have used recently, such as Bing and MacGPT.

If you’re unaware, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence assistant that can be implemented into apps and services. Similar to Siri and Google Assistant but much more powerful, it can give you recipes, methods to calm down anxious dogs, and much more. Petey is available for $4.99 / £4.99 on watchOS 6 and above, you don’t even need to sign up for an OpenAI account compared to the Siri Shortcut that also enables ChatGPT on your wrist - it’s one download, and you’re good to go.

AI is moving at a supersonic pace, with ChatGPT recently updated to version 4, bringing with it faster and more sophisticated answers. Some of us at iMore have been using the AI service for a lot of use cases, such as gaming guides and transcribing episodes of the iMore Show. However, it also makes us wonder what the AI category could be used for in the future and where apps like Petey could go.

With this in mind, we tried out the app and asked its developer what plans he has for Petey going forward.

Who’s a petey bird?

Using Petey is a simple affair - you can launch it from the home screen or as a complication on your watch face, and you can ask a bunch of questions, similar to launching Siri with the Digital Crown.

Compared to using the Siri ChatGPT Shortcut, Petey is faster, but it’s also easier to install compared to downloading a shortcut and creating an OpenAI account to use it.

For Petey, there’s no need for this. Open the app and ask ChatGPT a bunch of questions straight out of the box.

It’s a straightforward app, but that’s what makes Petey fun to use and more accessible to other users who still feel uncomfortable using Shortcuts. In just two simple steps you’ll be able to use it on your Watch, and it’s this simple aspect that we imagine will be a draw to individuals who just want something to work.

We asked Ploeg why it’s called Petey. “At first, it wasn’t because I didn’t realize that GPT was trademarked. But after launch, my updates started getting rejected because of this, so I’ve rebranded the app to Petey - AI Assistant,” Ploeg explains. “Initially, this was my plan already as my main goal for this app was to add a fun little robot on your wrist that can help with anything. As a bonus “Petey” sounds like PT!”

When asked if Petey will be able to use ChatGPT 4 when it releases, Ploeg said, “Not yet! The GPT-4 API isn’t available for everyone yet, but I have requested access and am planning to keep using the latest version of GPT that’s available at all times.”

However, Petey is in its early stages, but already there are plans to expand it with more powerful features to set it apart from what’s available through Shortcuts. “I’ve already started on a next bigger update for next week which includes a Chat-like interface, History, and potentially even a way to use your own API key (if you’re into that). I also want to add Siri integration and better voice-only input.”

With a big update to Petey already on its way, you could find yourself using the app on your Watch as an assistant more than ever. Already we’ve seen ChatGPT be used in apps such as MacWhisper and Bing, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that a whole category of apps rising up, and with WWDC on the horizon, it’s a great opportunity for Apple to see how developers can take advantage of this for the App Store.

As 2023 begins, you might have decided this is the year when fitness will play a more significant role in your life. However, rather than becoming obsessed with closing your Fitness rings on Apple Watch and iPhone, there is a different approach to consider. 

The Gentler Streak app doesn't promise to protect your Fitness app streaks. However, it does help you to feel much less guilty about taking a day or two off from exercising throughout the week. Available for iPhone and Apple Watch, the freemium app takes a "self-compassionate approach" to exercise where recovery is just as important as the intensity. 

I recently chatted with the team behind the Apple App Store Awards winner for 2022. What I learned about Gentler Streak convinced me to give the app a try as a new year is set to begin. It's something I'd encourage my readers to do as well.

The dilemma 

Apple has long promoted the importance of fitness and health. One of the tools it provides to encourage healthy living is the Fitness app for Apple Watch and iPhone and its three signature rings. The app tracks how often you stand, how much you move, and how many minutes of exercise you do daily. 

The company hands out virtual rewards collected through the app to encourage you to close your rings. Those rewards get enhanced when you establish streaks such as perfect stand weeks, new move records, new Fitness+ workouts, and more. 

A long-running criticism about the Fitness app is there's no way to take a day off without ruining a streak. That limitation is unfortunate as many health experts encourage resting the body between workouts.

Gentler Streak: something different

I've been an Apple Watch user since the first model launched and have always made it my daily mission to close my rings. Most of the time, this has involved taking a walk or spending an hour at the gym. Swimming at the family pool gets added to the mix during the summer months.

Closing the Apple Fitness rings, such as the ones on my Apple Watch Ultra, has become noticeably more challenging for me as I have gotten older. This growing resistance has less to do with my overall health than my increasing awareness that recovery must be an integral part of the health and fitness puzzle. This awareness has meant collecting fewer move streaks, but I'm convinced my overall health is better for it. With Gentler Streak, I've finally found an app promoting this type of living. 

Developed through a partnership between someone who found themselves overtrained for a triathlon and a runner who couldn't run for six months due to an injury, Gentler Streak was designed to fill a void. The app focuses on pushing users toward staying within healthy activity levels, regardless of how much activity they are doing. 

As co-founder and CEO Katarina Lotrič tells iMore, Gentler Streak is for everyday people who want to cultivate a "realistic and lasting fitness habit based on your compatibilities." As such, "instead of chasing outside goals, possibly validation, endlessly closing rings, doing 10.000 steps a day, we invite people to turn inwards — to understand what their body needs and to support it (instead of exhausting it) with suitable action."

Gentler Streak, especially on Apple Watch, will remind you of a traditional exercise and fitness tracker. You can use the app to monitor 104 workout types, with outdoor workouts offering maps, distance, and location readings. Current elevation, HR zones, elevation gains, and heart rate charts are also included when applicable. 

Once your workout is completed, the information gets sent to the Gentler Streak app on your iPhone and the Apple Health app, just like other fitness and exercise apps. 

But Gentler Streak is much more than this; instead of forcing you to chase steps and rings, the app keeps track of your readiness to create an individual activity path. Within this path, you'll find your optimal activity levels, which serve as a training log for the past 10 days. These levels are determined through your logged workouts and their effect on your performance. 

Would you rather not do a full workout today? Then, you can activate the app's "Go Gentler" tool, which provides a few optimal actions you can take to still positively affect your day. These options might include taking a rest day, doing a lower-impact indoor walk, performing an active recovery, and more. The presented choices depend on your current fitness level. 

Gentler Streak also includes powerful insights to make you a healthier person. These provide helpful health-rated information that can benefit any user and specific content that matches your fitness trends. 

Though you can start using Gentler Streak for free, all the features require buying a monthly or yearly subscription. These are available for individuals and families. 

Plans for 2023

Gentler Streak is packed full of valuable and unique features, which no doubt is why it ended up on Apple's radar for this year's App Store Awards. Plans for 2023 sound exciting and should make it even better. 

But first, the team behind Gentler Streak is introducing three final goodies for 2022. First, between now and January 3, you can save 50% off a subscription as part of a winter sale. There's also a 2022 Activity Recap in the app. The recap, free to anyone who uses the app, offers a yearly fitness review, assuming there's data in the official Health app. Gentler Streak is also about to begin utilizing Apple's Live Activity feature.

In 2023, the app will provide more reliable health insights and more advanced Go Gentler workout suggestions. There's also a new Health tab on the menu where you can find your relevant daily health metrics, such as RHR, HRV, sleep, wrist temperature, period, oxygen levels, and more. 

Lotrič calls the Health tab "visually pleasing."

The Gentler Streak team might also release a new app focused on mindfulness in 2023. However, that won't happen until "the time is right." 

We'll continue following Gentler Streak in the months ahead and let you know when new features are released. Until then, happy non-streaking!

Apple has today confirmed that it will make Fitness Plus available without an Apple Watch starting October 24. The feature will require iOS 16.1 which will also be released on the same date.

A press release confirms that the Apple Watch-less Apple Fitness Plus will be available in every country where the service was already available, while those who don't yet have a subscription will be able to get three free months when buying a new iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV.

iPhone-only fitness

While Apple Fitness Plus has been around for a while, it's historically needed an Apple Watch in order to be used. The Apple Fitness Plus content was always displayed on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV but it was the Apple Watch that made the magic happen. Starting October 24, only an iPhone is needed.

"Starting October 24, Apple Fitness+, the award-winning fitness and wellness service designed to be welcoming to all, will be available for iPhone users to subscribe to and enjoy, even if they don’t have an Apple Watch," Apple said via press release.

Apple also took the opportunity to confirm that the same date will see music by Taylor Swift become available in the Apple Fitness Plus service for the first time. There will be a dedicated Artist Spotlight series featuring songs from the new Midnights album.

Other new content is coming, too. New Time to Walk workouts will feature "Emmy-winning actor Hannah Waddingham, globally renowned singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, and former astronaut and colonel Eileen M. Collins."

Finally, Apple also notes that people can pick up free Apple Fitness Plus subscriptions via special offers from SilverSneakers, Target, UnitedHealthcare, and Mobile Health.

While Apple Fitness Plus remains one of the best Apple Watch workout subscriptions available for the wearable, being able to use it without a wearable at all makes it an option for a lot more people than ever before.

You can customize your Apple Watch in countless ways with the best Apple Watch complications. With custom complications, for example, you can view upcoming flights or hotels, your next pill dosage, whether it's going to rain in a half-hour, how long you've been working out, and much more from your display.  

There are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of third-party complications you can install on your Apple Watch. Here are some of our favorites.

Get the best Apple Watch complications

Things 3

One of the most popular apps for iPhone, Things 3 is an organizational app that work syncs across multiple Apple devices, including Apple Watch. With Things, you can easily make lists, build projects, set reminders, and more. 

Specifically on Apple Watch, you can use Things to get notifications about your daily tasks and check off items on your list. You can also create new to-dos from the Watch face with ease, making this one of the best complications for Apple Watch.

Calendar by Fantastical

Not only is Fantastical an excellent calendar app for your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, it also supports your Apple Watch and offers one of the best Apple Watch complications. While the watch app gives you a quick rundown of everything on your calendar for the next few days and lets you add new events with your voice, the Fantastical complication displays your next (or current) appointment, along with either a time frame or an "UNTIL" indicator letting you know when your meeting's ending. It also supports Time Travel, letting you fast forward through the day's events. 

CARROT Weather

For a snarky take on today's weather, you can't go wrong with Carrot. One of the most popular weather apps on the App Store, Carrot doesn't come cheap, however. To get Carrot Weather complications on your Apple Watch, you'll need to purchase a premium plan, which is currently $4.99 per month or $19.99 per year. 

Carrot Weather provides numerous complications that vary by the Apple Watch face. These complications can list the weather in icon form, what the temperature feels like, the highs and lows of the day, and a quick notation on what the sky's doing—"cloudy later on," "rain in three minutes," and the like. 

You can download Carrot Weather free and get one of the best complications for Apple Watch to track your local weather. The freebie version will work on iPhone. Use an in-app purchase to upgrade your membership. You can also turn off the snark feature if you don't like being called "meatbag," for example.

Streaks

Streaks is one of the best habit tracking apps for iPhone or iPad—whether it's walking the dog, doing yoga, standing for a certain amount of the day, or more. (It even integrates with the Apple Watch and the Health app to track certain tasks automatically.)

The app's complication is one of the simplest I've seen—it's only available in small size and displays as a series of light and dark dots—but it's surprisingly useful. White dots mean you've completed your task for the day; gray dots nag you to finish on up. If you like motivating complications, Streaks might just be your ticket to greatness. They say that the best time to start a good habit is yesterday; the second best time is today. Streaks is one of the best Apple Watch complications to help you get started on your good habits right now.

Streaks is currently priced at $4.99 on the App Store. It's available for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. 

Citymapper

Need to catch a train? Citymapper is one of the best transit apps for iPhone, and it hooks into just about every transportation agency it can get its hands on to provide accurate data for your transit travels.

On the Apple Watch, you'll get a large complication that lets you know what train you should catch next, when it comes, and where you should board. A smaller complication shows your ETA.

This app is a must if you're a regular city transit user, and it has one of the best complications for Apple Watch. Citymapper is free and offers in-app purchases. 

Water tracker Waterllama

There are countless water-tracking apps, but perhaps none as fun as Waterllama. Made in Ukraine, the freemium app goes a terrific job of reminding you when and how much to drink. It will also segment your daily intake by the kind of drink. It currently features more than 40 beverage types. Discover 45 cute animal characters, motivating challenges, and more along the way. It also tracks your daily caffeine intake. 

Waterllama works with Apple Health sync and includes two handy widgets for Apple Watch. There's even an iOS 16 Lock Screen widget. 

To unlock all of Waterllama's features, you'll need to make a one-time in-app purchase. 

App in the Air

Do you travel a lot? The App in the Air should be your best friend. The Apple Watch app will show you when you're boarding your next flight and give you any essential status changes relating to your flight. With the complication, you can get this information quickly with a flick of your wrist, including other details like various times to get somewhere, which makes it one of the best Apple Watch complications. App in the Air also works with flights from relatives and friends if you need to pick them up. 

Most of the App in the Air features are free. For $29.99 per year, you can add real-time flight status updates, automated check-in, and the option to subscribe family members to your trip status via SMS. Try premium for 14 days free.

Lumy

If you're a photographer, you probably already know about Lumy. If not, add it to your iPhone (and Apple Watch) today. With Lumy, you always know when it's the best time to take outdoor photos, whether it be the golden or blue hour. 

Priced at $6.99, Lumy uses your current location (or any location you add) to present upcoming times. The app's Apple Watch complications offer numerous ways to see the times for first light, golden hour, sunrise, and last light. It also includes Moon phase information. In total, there are now nine Lumy Apple Watch complications. 

One purchase unlocks Lumy on other Apple devices, including iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. This is a must for photographers, one of the absolute essential Apple Watch complications.

Watchsmith

Offering a wide selection of highly customizable complications, the freemium Watchsmith is unique in that it's time-based. So, for example, you might want to see your Activity ring progress in a specific location on your Apple Watch each day between noon and 5 p.m., but sundown information between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. From there, you'd like to see more information about the weather, and so forth. 

Watchsmith supports Apple Health and offers various built-in tools and functions. These include a weather app, a workout app, a timezone converter, games, a calendar, and more. 

Most tools on Watchsmith are free. However, for $1.99 per month, you can unlock additional features, including tide data sources. This is one of the best complications for Apple Watch that automatically change to be most useful in the moment.

HeartWatch: Heart Rate Tracker

One of the most popular Apple Watch health apps on the planet, HeartWatch works with Apple Health and makes it better. On both iPhone and Apple Watch, you can view key heart rate metrics, detailed trend analyses, heart rate alerts, detailed ECG, and more. In total, the app now includes more than 30 health metrics. 

The HeartWatch Apple Watch complication makes it easy to find real-time information, including pulse, daily and sedentary heart rate, move time, and steps. 

Priced at $4.99, HeartWatch is a valuable tool; your heart will thank you for using it. It's one of the best Apple Watch complications for anyone that needs to keep a special eye on their heart.

The all-new Loops Guided Fitness platform soft-launched in early 2021 but officially debuted in June of this year. It's exclusive to the Apple Watch and utilizes your Watch’s HRV (heart rate variability) readings to provide personalized daily training plans. It lets you know when it’s time to push yourself in a workout, take an active recovery day, or a full rest day so you’re utilizing your body’s cues to reach your health and fitness goals more efficiently. Let's dive into it a bit more so you can get the full picture.

What is HRV? 

Heart rate variability is the fluctuation of time in between heartbeats. Your HRV changes throughout the day depending on your physical and mental health, and it’s a metric your best Apple Watch is already collecting and storing in the Health App on your iPhone. Loops founders Sarah Mace and Mike Morra believe HRV is the most invaluable yet underutilized health metric available today.

Why use HRV?

Utilizing your HRV for daily personalized health insights and workout recommendations enables you to reach your goals more efficiently because it lets you know what your body truly needs, so you’re working with it, not against it. Even though you might want to go all out in a workout, your body may need to prioritize recovery. If you pay attention and abide by your body’s natural cues, you’re much less prone to injury and much more likely to meet your goals.

Loops uses your morning HRV reading to deliver a fitness prescription for the day. It provides a Daily Outlook and an actionable goal recommendation. It uses real-time heart rate zone feedback to optimize your workouts, adjusting the intensity to match your current capabilities. It emphasizes the importance of following a balanced fitness routine. All days — rest, active recovery, performance, and relaxation — are equally integral to achieving your overall health and fitness goals.

Close the loop

Loops makes reaching your fitness goals fun with a gamified approach. The goal is to close loops — hence the name. What it takes to close an individual loop varies per loop, and when you succeed in closing a loop, you are rewarded with a rest day. The gamified aspect makes reaching your goals fun, competitive, and addicting (in the best way). Loops is available for download at the App Store for Apple Watch Series 8, Series 7, Series 6, SE 2, SE, and lower. It's compatible with watchOS 8 and the soon-to-launch watchOS 9.  

When Apple first announced Fitness+, there was some confusion about why they didn't allow you to AirPlay the workouts to your TV or another AirPlay-compatible screen. After all, following along to a workout on the biggest screen you have makes it much easier to do, as evidenced by the fact that Apple designed a whole app for the Apple TV to be able to use Fitness+ on it. Not everyone has the best Apple TV to take advantage of the Fitness app, but many people have AirPlay-compatible TVs.

The good news is Apple quickly changed its tune, and in an update shortly after the service launched, they enabled AirPlay for Fitness+. This means you can start a workout on your iPhone and AirPlay it to your TV, so if you don't have one of the best Apple TVs, you don't have to follow along with the class on your tiny little iPhone screen. It's perfect to go alongside one of the best rowing machines for Apple Fitness+ or similar. Here's how to AirPlay Fitness+ workouts to your TV.

How to AirPlay Fitness+ workouts to your TV

Using AirPlay with Fitness+ is pretty straightforward and very similar to using AirPlay for other apps or services, but you can do it right in the Fitness app as you go to launch a workout.

1. Launch Fitness from your iPhone Home screen.
2. Tap the Fitness+ tab at the bottom of your screen.
3. Tap the workout you want to do.

4. Tap Let's Go.
5. Tap the AirPlay button.
6. Tap the device you want to AirPlay to.

Get your sweat on!

Now you're ready to work out! Just remember that when you're using AirPlay to display a Fitness+ workout, you won't see your favorite Apple Watch metrics appear in the top left of the screen. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't allow the metrics to be displayed in iOS 15, so you'll need to check your Apple Watch to see your metrics while you AirPlay the workout to your TV.

However, in iOS 16, you are supposed to be able to AirPlay Apple Fitness workouts and display the metrics at the same time. Of course, iOS 16 is only in its first developer beta right now, and won't be released to the general public until later this fall.

Updated June 2022: Updated for the latest version of iOS 15 and added some information regarding the upcoming iOS 16 update.

Whether you're kickstarting a new healthy habit or switching to working out at home instead of the gym, Apple Fitness+ is a really useful tool for hitting your goals with your Apple Watch.

If you've been considering taking the plunge with Apple's guided workout service but don't know where to start, we've got you covered with this Apple Fitness+ guide. Let's dive in.

Here's what you need to set Apple Fitness+ up

Apple Fitness+ is aimed squarely at Apple Watch users, so it's no surprise that you need to have an Apple Watch in order to use the service. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be the very best Apple Watch on the market as some older models are supported. Here are the exact device requirements for Apple Fitness+:

• iPhone 6s or later
• Apple Watch Series 3 or later

Optionally, you can also use Apple Fitness+ on the below devices:

• iPad Air 2 or later
• Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K

On the software side, you'll need to make sure your iPhone is running iOS 14.3 or later and your Apple Watch is running watchOS 7.2 or later. Since Apple no longer offers these specific versions, upgrading to the latest release of iOS 15 and watchOS 8 will do the job.

How to set up Apple Fitness+

When you first pair your compatible Apple Watch, the Fitness app automatically appears on your iPhone. It's really easy to sign up for Apple Fitness+ in the Fitness app.

1. Open the Fitness app.
2. Tap the Fitness+ tab.
3. Tap the Get Started or Try It Free button. If you have already used your free trial, this button will state Start Working Out.

4. If you're new to the service, tap the trial offer.
5. If you aren't already, sign in with your Apple ID and password.
6. Verify your billing information and tap Subscribe.

If you want to follow along with a workout using your iPad, you'll need to download the Fitness app from the App Store. For Apple TV users, you'll find that the Fitness app will automatically show on your Apple TV after updating to tvOS 14.3 or later. You can sign up for Fitness+ through the Fitness app on iPad or Apple TV with similar steps to those above.

Those that are new to Apple Fitness+ will be eligible for a free one-month trial of the service. If you've just bought a new Apple Watch and want to try Fitness+ out for the first time, that trial period is extended to three months.

How to share your Apple Fitness+ subscription

With Family Sharing, Apple allows you to share your Apple Fitness+ subscription with up to five other people. Once you have set up Family Sharing, your family group members don't need to do anything in order to access Fitness+ workouts on their devices. Apple Fitness+ will be available to them in the Fitness app as long as your subscription is active.

It is worth noting, though, that each family member needs to have an Apple Watch Series 3 or later. If a family member has an Apple Watch, but no iPhone (for example, if it was set up using Apple Watch Family Setup), they can still use Apple Fitness+ on an Apple TV or an iPad.

How much does Apple Fitness+ cost?

There are a few different ways to pay for Apple Fitness+ depending on if you want to pay monthly, annually, or bundle it in with the Apple One. Here's how Apple Fitness+ pricing breaks down:

• $9.99 per month
• $79.99 per year

As you can see, you stand to save some money if you commit to a whole year, though that won't suit everybody. You can also get Apple Fitness+ in a bundle including other Apple services:

• $29.95 per month with Apple One Premier

Apple One Premier includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, iCloud+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Fitness+ for one monthly fee, all of which can be shared with your Family Sharing group. If you already pay for a few of these services, it could be cost-effective to bundle up if you're considering adding Fitness+ to your subscription list.

How to cancel your Apple Fitness+ subscription

Like Apple's other services, Apple Fitness+ is offered on a no-commitment basis so you can cancel your subscription at any time. It's super easy to do so on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Fitness app.
2. Tap the Fitness+ tab. (You can skip this step if you're on an iPad).
3. Tap your profile photo or the person icon in the top right of the screen.

4. Tap on your name.
5. Tap on your active Apple Fitness+ subscription.
6. Tap Cancel Subscription.

On Apple TV, the instructions are slightly different:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Users and Accounts.
3. Select your name.
4. Select Subscriptions. Enter your Apple ID password if prompted.
5. Select Apple Fitness+.
6. Select Cancel Subscription.

Witness the fitness

In our Apple Fitness+ review, we were positive about the service's quality, and it seems to get better over time as it continues to add more features and workout types. Since there's a free trial and you can cancel your subscription at any time, there's no real risk in trying it out for yourself.

Updated June 2022: Updated for the latest versions of software.

Muse S (Gen1) helped me develop a seated meditation practice and up my sleeping game last year. When I heard Muse S (Gen 2) had launched and introduced digital sleeping pills, I was curious and eager to try it out. This brain sensing headband not only balances the heart, body, breath, and mind through various guided meditations, but also provides soothing soundscapes and digital sleeping pills to help maximize your rest. Incorporating Muse S (Gen 2) into my daily routine has helped me reduce anxiety, stress less, fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer. Though pricey, I highly recommend this high-tech health tool if you're interested in meditation and quality sleep.

Muse S (Gen2): Price and availability

Currently, Muse S (Gen 2) is only available on the Choose Muse website for $400. It comes with the Muse S (Gen 2) rechargeable pod, headband, MicroUSB charger, and quick start guide.

Muse S (Gen2): What's good

I have spent a large portion of my adult life working on a seated meditation practice. I have countless meditation books and have tried multiple approaches. Muse S (Gen 1) was the first thing to make consistent meditation accessible for me. Muse S (Gen 2) keeps that trend going. It offers guided meditation and soundscapes that focus on balancing breath, body, heart, and mind.

You can set your session length anywhere from one to 45 minutes. I recommend starting with a three-minute session. This length is accessible for everyone and gives enough time to really understand what's going on and get a firm handle on how Muse works. There are many soundscape options to choose from, making it easy to find one that resonates with you. Soundscape categories include desert, gentle rain, river, and beach to give you an idea of what you'll be working with.

Before each meditation begins, you'll get exercise instructions via the app. Listen to these, or you'll be very confused as to what you're hearing. Once your session is complete, you'll be prompted to write a journal entry if you choose, then the app displays your meditation stats on a line graph. You'll see how many minutes were spent active, neutral, and calm.

You'll see your Muse Points — points awarded for every second you meditate in a natural and calm state. You receive one point per second spent in neutral and three points per second spent in calm. Your recoveries and birds are also displayed. Recoveries represent effort spent noticing your distractions — this builds focus. Birds land nearby when you're calm for a long time. It's soothing to hear them sing.

Prior to using Muse S, a 45-minute meditation session seemed impossibly long to me. However, support from the app, gentle notification reminders to meditate, and clear instructions have me well on my way to accomplishing that goal. Weekly targets and leveled challenges help beginning to advanced meditators reach their goals.

Why should you meditate? There are a plethora of health benefits associated with meditating such as reduced stress, improved memory, increased attention, enhanced will power, better sleep, less pain, lower blood pressure, less anxiety, less depression, greater compassion. A consistent mediation practice has improved my overall wellbeing tenfold. I feel less anxiety, more energized, and focused throughout the day, and get better sleep when I'm consistently meditating.

The most notable difference between Muse S (Gen 1) and (Gen 2) are digital sleeping pills. Digital Sleep Pills (DSPs) are responsive sleep experiences designed to put you to sleep and help you get back to sleep if you've woken up during the night. You can choose between sleep stories and meditations and music and nature biofeedback. I'm into DSPs. I've tried sessions in both categories; both have lulled me to sleep like a baby. On top of digital sleeping pills, Muse S (Gen 2) has a variety of other sleep experiences to offer such as sleep journeys, soundscapes, and guided sleep meditations.

Whether you choose to use a sleep experience or not, Muse S (Gen2) tracks and records your sleep when worn and synced with the app. It generates an overall sleep score the next morning based off your stats. Sleep stats are displayed on color coded line graphs and include sleep stages, deep sleep intensity, sleep position, heart rate, stillness, and how these categories fluctuated throughout the night.

The Muse app is straightforward and easy to use. It easily pairs via Bluetooth with Muse S (Gen 2) and will automatically pair after you connect for the first time. The app is where you control your meditation and sleep settings. It stores your session history, awards, individual session stats, and stats overall. For the record, the screen doesn't have to be on, and you don't have to be actively in the app to utilize any of the sleep soundscapes, guided meditations, or digital sleeping pills. You can pick your experience and doze off while your phone charges and the app works behind the scenes.

Muse S (Gen 2) is outfitted with many sensors to track your brain waves while you meditate and sleep. It has an accelerometer, gyroscope, pulse oximeter, heart rate monitor, EEG, and PPG sensors. It delivers 10 hours of battery life and takes three hours to get to 100%. It's fully adjustable, lightweight, and comfortable to wear, making it easy to incorporate into your daily and nightly routines.

Muse S (Gen2): What's not good

Muse S (Gen 2) is pricey, thought it's hard to put a price on the benefits of consistent meditation and a good night's rest. This headband is definitely on the higher end of the price spectrum, but if you can expense it, it's worth checking out.

One issue I had with Muse S (Gen 1) that I don't experience as much with (Gen 2), but still struggle with a bit, is my hair getting in the way of the sensors above my ears. This is particularly evident while sleeping when I move around, and the headband gets pushed out of place. If you've got long hair, it must be up and pulled back to get the most out of this headband while you're catching ZZZ's.

If you're anything like me, you move while you sleep. This can disrupt your sleep data if your headband gets knocked out of position. I will say that Gen 2 tracks my sleep much more consistently throughout the night than Gen 1 did. Sleep data disruptions don't happen as often. Make sure your Muse is nice and snug to keep it in place as firmly as possible while you snooze.

Muse S (Gen 2): Competition

Muse S (Gen 1)

The biggest thing that separates Muse S (Gen 1) from (Gen 2) are digital sleeping pills. Other upgrades include improved battery life and accuracy for overnight sessions, and a headband that fits a wider range of head sizes. I feel the fabric on the Gen 2 is a little softer and more comfortable than Gen 1 as well, but both are cozy to sleep in. If you can swing it, I think it's worth the upgrade to Gen 2.

URGONight

URGONight is an adjustable headband designed for sleep training. Training sessions are short and sweet at only 20 minutes, making it easy to do them anytime throughout the day. This brain sensing headband provides real-time feedback on brainwaves during each session so you can improve sleep over time. This product is similar to Muse S in the sense that it reads your brainwaves, but it's not a meditation assistant and doesn't over digital sleep experiences. It's also more expensive.

Muse S (Gen2): Should you buy it?

• You're interested in meditation
• You want to fall asleep faster
• You want to improve focus during the day and get better rest at night

• You're on a budget

You should buy this if you're interested in meditaion. Muse S (Gen2) makes daily meditation accessible to everyone via different lengths, sounds, and experiences. Digital sleeping pills and curated sleep soundscapes and meditations help the user fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and ultimately get better rest. Daily meditation improves focus, leads to less stress and anxiety, and better overall wellbeing. Muse S (Gen2) is pricey, so you should not buy this on a budget.

I really like using Muse S (Gen 2). It's lightweight and comfortable to wear making meditation an easy thing to access and incorporate into any daily routine. I feel less stress, more focused, less anxiety, and better overall when I meditate daily. I've always been interested in sleep data, and the sleep tracking and 10 hours of battery life on Muse S ensures I collect mine every night. Digital Sleeping Pills and sleep experiences help me drift off to dreamland quicker, with less disruptions throughout the night. There are lots of sleep apps out there on the best iPhone, and I consider Muse to be one of the best. If you're interested in meditation, better sleep, and improving your overall wellbeing, Muse S is worth checking out.

Heart rate monitoring is vital for a multitude of reasons. It's an indicator of the intensity of effort and your body's physiological response. It's an integral component of fitness assessments and training programs. Keeping tabs on your heart rate and personal heart rate zones equates to excellent heart health and reaching your health and fitness goals. Frontier X is an advanced heart rate monitor that offers ECG and all kinds of heart-based data to assist your training needs.

Frontier X: Price and availability

Frontier X is currently available on the Fourth Frontier site for $499. It comes with the Frontier X heart rate monitor, two chest straps, one micro-USB charging cable, a quick start guide, and two silicone protectors for the USB port.

Frontier X: What's good

As a master fitness instructor and someone who has worked in the health and fitness industry for over a decade, I firmly believe in heart-based training. It's the most effective way to track calorie burn and training loads to achieve your health and fitness goals. Maintaining good heart health is essential for everyone's longevity, so it's worth keeping tabs on.

Frontier X isn't your average heart rate monitor. It's one of the most advanced heart rate monitors I've come across. It offers continuous ECG monitoring and tons of heart-based metrics. There is a lot of data to crunch with this device and companion app. One might say a little too much, but Frontier X works in tandem with the Frontier X app to deliver valuable information if you're willing to put the time into understanding and utilizing it.

Advanced ECG monitoring enables the user to continuously record ECG for up to 24 hours during any activity (including sleep). You can also take a live ECG test anytime and are able to share these metrics immediately. Why monitor ECG? Well, monitoring your ECG identifies and alerts you to any rhythm irregularities and is a quick way to analyze your current cardiovascular health.

Frontier X works with the free Frontier X app to evaluate your heart-based metrics throughout the day. In the app, you'll find your training history, training load for the week, weekly goal, AI personal recommendations based on your profile, activity analysis, and community forums. Recordable activities include running, cycling, walking, indoor running, indoor cycling, strength, circuits, aerobics, boxing, hiking, rowing, skiing, sleeping, general sports, swimming, triathlon, yoga, etc. No matter the activity, X has got you covered.

For every recorded activity, you'll see your training load. The duration of your workout. Your heart rate, cardiac strain, body shock, breathing rate, HRV (heart rate variability), and your step cadence, if applicable. I told you — lots of data to crunch. It also offers connected GPS and will map your routes if your smartphone is on you. When you click on an activity in your history, you can view your physiological metrics timeline graph. This will open a detailed graph of your workout, where you can switch between tabs to see how the different parameters varied throughout your session or compare them in the comparison view.

You can add health event tags to any activity to help you understand how lifestyle choices and behavior affect your heart health. The health event categories include medication, beverage, food, supplement, body status, mental status, wellness activity, and environment. There are many sub-categories beneath those general health event categories. If you're interested in knowing how your lifestyle and behavioral choices affect your cardiovascular health, this is an opportunity to get a very detailed understanding.

While monitoring an activity, Frontier X will send real-time, personalized vibration alerts to keep your training on the right track in the proper zones. You can edit your alert settings and choose parameters for when you would like to receive a single or double buzz. You can choose between heart rate, breathing rate, or cardiac strain. You can also set upper and lower limits. Selecting an upper limit will give you a buzz every 20 seconds if you are above the upper limit threshold. Choosing a lower limit will buzz you every 20 seconds you are below the lower limit threshold.

Frontier X claims to offer 24 continuous hours of battery life and 12-15 days under typical usage. My experience has been a bit less than that. I've gone from close to 100% out of the box to 15% in exactly one week. It takes 45 minutes to charge fully. The Frontier X app is compatible with iOS and Android phones and Apple Watch.

Frontier X: What's not good

Frontier X is very pricey. In its defense, it does track, record, and deliver more cardiovascular data than any other wearable I've come across. That being said, the amount of data presented is overwhelming, difficult to understand and utilize. At least, that was my experience. There's a steep learning curve, but if you're willing to dedicate the time and energy, I could see it as a valuable tool over time.

In the short time, I've used this device (one week), it's updated five times — almost every time I tried to record an activity. These updates had to happen before I could start, and they each took five to 10 minutes. Sometimes, I only have 20 minutes to squeeze a workout in when I'm busy. The constant updates were frustrating, as they ate up valuable time I could have spent sweating.

Something I find odd about this device is that it doesn't record calorie burn. Now, calorie burn isn't the most crucial performance metric, but it's by far the most driving for me. I like to see where, when, and how many I burn every workout. Frontier X tracks such an abundance of activity metrics, and I was shocked that it doesn't track this one.

Frontier X: Competition

Polar H9

I've tried and reviewed the Polar H9 heart rate monitor. It boasts a similar design and gives accurate readings. When paired with the Polar Beat app, it grants users access to over 100 workout profiles, where you can track and store your workout routes, calories burned, and the duration of your training sessions. It's a lot less expensive than Frontier X but doesn't come close to offering all of the advanced heart-monitoring features the X does.

Scosche Rhythm Plus Armband

The Scosche Rhythm Plus Heart Rate Monitor Armband sports a different design. Rather than wrapping around your chest, it's worn on the arm. Some might say an armband is more comfortable to wear, while others say chest straps give more accurate heart rate readings. Whatever your personal preference, this armband is much less expensive than Frontier X but doesn't offer nearly the number of features.

Frontier X: Should you buy it?

• You want continuous ECG
• You're a serious athlete or training for a major athletic event
• You're into advanced heart-based metrics

• You're looking for a basic heart rate monitor
• You're on a budget
• You want a calorie counter

You should buy this if you want continuous ECG monitoring. Frontier X offers up to 24 hours of continuous ECG and enables the user to take a live ECG reading whenever they choose. If you're a serious athlete or training for a major athletic event, you could greatly benefit from this advanced heart-based data. You shouldn't buy this if you're on a budget and just want a basic heart rate monitor. Many highly accurate heart rate monitors on the market are far less expensive than Frontier X. Please note that the X tracks and records many cardiovascular metrics, but calories are not one of them.

Frontier X is an advanced heart rate monitor that delivers valuable cardiovascular metrics to help you maintain excellent heart health and reach your health and fitness goals. I'd recommend this device to professional athletes, those training for major athletic events, and those interested in getting an in-depth look at how lifestyle and behavior choices affect their cardiovascular health. It's pricey, doesn't count calories, and there's a steep learning curve, but if you're serious about heart-based training, it's worth checking out.

We have everything to gain and nothing to lose by improving our posture in an age where smartphones and laptops reign supreme. Unfortunately, proper posture is hard to come by. Posture training hosts a myriad of health benefits. These benefits include (but aren't limited to) less back pain, more confidence, and improved productivity, blood circulation, and organ functioning. Sounds desirable, right? Upright Go S is a rechargeable posture trainer that works in tandem with the Upright app to improve posture, which leads to better health and overall wellness.

Upright Go S: Price and availability

Upright Go S is available on Amazon for $60. It comes with a carrying case, charging cable, five adhesive patches, six alcohol prep pads (to prep skin for adhesive), and an adhesive removal tool. The Upright Go 2 necklace referenced in this review is sold separately. It's available on Amazon for $18.

Upright Go S: What you'll like

Upright Go S has certainly alerted me that my posture, on average, is terrible. Using this little device every day for the past week has shown me when and where my posture is the worst and gently nudged (buzzed) me to correct it. It's small, sleek, and discreet — making it easy to wear anytime, anywhere.

Training your posture is one thing that becomes second nature after a dedicated period of commitment. Awareness is key and leads to changing deeply ingrained habits. Trying to track and change other habits? Check out the best habit tracking apps. After wearing Upright Go S for at least 60 minutes every day for the past week, I have improved my chronic back and neck pain. I've also noticed that I've started correcting my posture automatically, even when I'm not wearing my device, which is the ultimate goal.

This posture trainer can be worn directly on your back via a mild reusable adhesive patch or on the Upright Go 2 Necklace (sold separately). I struggle with putting it upright (pun intended) when putting it on my back, so I either have my husband do it for me or wear it on the necklace — the easiest and preferred method.

The Upright Go S works in tandem with the free Upright app to train your posture and improve your health. Inside the app, you'll calibrate proper posture alignment. You can calibrate any time in seconds according to your needs by hitting the calibrate button. After you calibrate, you'll see a visual of your posture and where it needs to be.

You can set 5-, 15-, 30-, and one-minute vibration delays. Plus, you can turn the vibration on and off completely. Keeping my vibration delay at one minute works best for me. I find that anything shorter than that gets annoying after a while. All your posture stats are stored within the app; you can look at your history and how you've improved over time.

You'll see your upright versus slouch time throughout the day, daily percentages, uptime, and whether you met your daily 60-minute goal, as well as your upright percentage over time. You can also find a free library of exercises and stretches you can do in-app for better posture and back health, which is fantastic.

Upright Go S: What you won't like

I mentioned this earlier, but trying to stick this on your back yourself is difficult. I need someone to help me to apply it upright. I wish the Upright Go 2 Necklace came with it because it's a far easier method of wearing this device. It's sold separately but worth the extra cost.

The vibrations can get annoying, but hey, Upright Go S is doing its job. So if I wear this for extended periods throughout multiple activities, I'll either recalibrate before each activity or switch the vibration off.

Upright Go S: Competition

Upright Go 2

The Upright Go 2 hails from the same company and functions the same as Upright Go S. The only differences between these two are the Go 2 reportedly has five hours of battery life, versus the Go S's two and a half. In addition, both come with carrying cases. The Upright Go 2 comes with a hard carrying case, and Upright Go S comes with a soft external case with a hard interior. Perhaps the most notable difference between these two is price. Upright Go 2 is $80, while Go S is $60.

Viocorrect Posture Correcter

This is a posture corrector that you wear under or over your clothes. It's unisex and comes in two sizes to fit most body types. It functions as a kind of back brace to pull your spine into proper alignment. Unfortunately, it is not electronic and does not work in tandem with any app.

Upright Go S: Should you buy it?

• You suffer from chronic back pain
• You have poor posture
• You like tech for your health

• You're easily annoyed
• You're uninterested in improving your posture

Upright Go S is an effective and easy-to-use posture trainer. I've noticed an improvement in my back and neck health after just one week of use. I've also started to automatically detect when I'm slouching and improve posture on my own. The Upright Go 2 Necklace is sold separately but worth buying. The vibrations can get annoying after a while, but c'est la vie in the world of posture training. Cheers to better health, standing tall, and confidence!

One of the best things about having an Apple Watch is having many different watch faces at your disposal. While flicking through your different watch faces is very convenient, if you like to set up different watch faces for different occasions, it can become a little annoying to set your watch to display the right face at the right time. What if your Apple Watch could read your mind and change automatically based on your needs? Well, it kind of can by using the Shortcuts app.

If you set it up, you can create an automation in the Shortcuts app to ensure that your best Apple Watch changes to a specific watch face at a particular time or a specific location. Want a more classy-looking watch face at the office? Create an automation to automatically change your watch face when you get to your office. What about a darker watch face in the evening? Create an automation to change your watch face starting at 8 p.m. (or another time you set).

So get your favorite watchOS 8 watch faces ready; here's how to automatically change your Apple Watch face by time or location with Shortcuts.

How to automatically change your Apple Watch face based on time

This amazing automation lets you change your watch face based on time of day, so you can easily set your Apple Watch face to change at any time you want automatically. Let's say you head to the office every day at 8:30 AM and want to ensure that your watch face is set to something minimal and classic; this automation will help you do just that.

Before we begin, it's important to remember that this automation can only choose watch faces that you already have created. So be sure to add any watch faces you want to use before setting up the automation.

1. Launch Shortcuts from your Home screen.
2. Tap Automation.
3. Tap + symbol in the top right corner of your screen.

4. Tap Create Personal Automation
5. Tap Time of Day.
6. Set the time you desired. You can also pick Sunrise or Sunset if you want to follow the sun in your location.

7. Tap how often you want it to happen. Choices are Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.
8. Tap Next.
9. Tap Add Action.

10. Type Set Watch Face in the search bar.
11. Tap Set Watch Face from the list of actions.
12. Tap the word Face highlighted in blue on the screen.

13. Tap the Watch face you want to change to at that time.
14. Tap Next in the top right corner.
15. Tap the Ask Before Running On/OffSwitch to turn it to the off position.

16. Tap Don't Ask on the pop-up alert.
17. Tap Done.

Now your watch face will automatically change to the face you want at the time you set up. You can follow these exact instructions again to set up a different time to schedule your watch face changes as many times as you want.

How to automatically change your Apple Watch face based on location

If you'd rather change your watch face based on where you are instead of what time, this automation can help you do just that. Particularly useful if you have a specific location — like a gym maybe — where you prefer to use a particular watch face.

Once again, this automation can only use watch faces you've already created. So make sure you have the watch face you want to use added to your watch face list.

1. Launch Shortcuts from your Home screen.
2. Tap Automation.
3. Tap + symbol in the top right corner of your screen.

4. Tap Create Personal Automation
5. Tap Arrive or Leave. Arrive will change the watch face when you arrive at a location, and leave will change the watch face when you leave the set location.
6. Tap Choose.

7. Type in an address or select a location from the list of options.
8. Tap **Done* once your location is set.
9. Tap Next in the top right corner of your screen.

10. Tap Add Action.
11. Type Set Watch Face in the search bar.
12. Tap Set Watch Face from the list of actions.

13. Tap the word Face highlighted in blue on the screen.
14. Tap the Watch face you want to change to at that location.

15. Tap Next in the top right corner.
16. Tap Done.

There is one catch if you choose to set up your automation like this — there's no way to turn off Shortcuts from asking you if it's okay to run this automation. Instead of the watch face automatically changing with no effort from you at all, you'll have to allow the automation to run for the watch to change. Not quite as convenient as the time-based automation, but still useful in some instances.

Shortcuts have so much potential

The Shortcuts app has so much potential, and if this is the first time you've set up any shortcut or automation, there's a whole world to explore. It's especially useful if you have any HomeKit devices that you want to behave a certain way. We recommend you explore the Shortcuts app thoroughly to truly make your devices work for you!

Alo Moves is yet another health and fitness app for indoor training. It enables users to access a personal wellness studio at home or on the go. It grants access to thousands of classes in yoga, mindfulness, skills, and fitness. Their instructor roster features an all-star lineup, so you're practicing with some of the best in the business. You can access individual classes or commit to a series. I've been moving with Alo Moves for the past two weeks and have nothing but love for this amazing app. Memberships are on the pricier side but worth the investment for yoga, mindfulness, and fitness fans alike.

Alo Moves: Price and availability

You can purchase a membership to Alo Moves on the Alo Moves site. Monthly memberships are $20 a month, while annual memberships are $199 a year. A free 14-day trial is available to all new members.

Alo Moves: Luxe, large library and search filters

Alo Moves was created by Alo Yoga, the luxe athleisure brand. It's an easy-to-use fitness and wellness app that makes a boutique studio class accessible wherever you go. There are all kinds of yoga styles including vinyasa, ashtanga, hatha, restorative, yin, kundalini, and prenatal. There are multiple fitness modalities like strength, cardio, HIIT, barre, Pilates, and core. Mindfulness classes include meditation, breathwork, yoga nidra, and sound baths, while skills classes focus on things like inversions, flexibility, mobility, and backbends.

I love that you can filter your class search according to duration, instructor, style, difficulty, and intensity. This makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for. After you create your user profile, Alo Moves will send personalized daily class recommendations based on your fitness and wellness goals, as well as personal preferences.

Classes run anywhere between three to 90+ minutes, difficulty levels range from beginner, moderate, intermediate, and advanced; and intensity levels range from one to four. The Alo Moves library is huge so users can explore thousands of on-demand classes. New classes are released throughout the week to keep your practice fresh and your body guessing. I love switching up my routine and trying new workouts. Alo Moves makes that easy and accessible.

As a yoga and fitness instructor that has taught all over Los Angeles for the past decade, I can tell you firsthand that Alo Moves instructors are some of the best in the business. I've really enjoyed every class I've taken thus far and there's such a wide selection of class modalities that it's been fun to find the right fit for my mood and availability throughout the day. There's also an option to switch the music on and off so you can set the necessary ambiance, which is nice.

Class series are available to members looking to commit to a program that also want a sense of community. I love the Alo in the Wild series because instructors teach classes in exotic locations all over the world. To give you an idea of where Alo in the Wild takes you, locales include Morocco, Greece, Positano, Egypt, Yosemite, Croatia, Turkey, Tulum, Baja, and Big Sur. You can log your workouts and stay motivated with thousands of other users on the Alo Moves online community.

I have an Apple TV so I downloaded the Alo Moves app so I can watch classes on the big screen in my living room. Once you download the app, you can access videos offline — no Wi-Fi necessary. The Alo Moves app is available for iOS and Android and you can watch classes on your phone, tablet, computer, or Apple TV.

Alo Moves: Pricey; additional props needed

Compared to other digital app competitors, Alo Moves memberships are pricey. I can say that the production value for classes is large, they're very well shot, and everything looks gorgeous. There's definitely a luxe feel to the app. If you're a yoga, mindfulness, strength, barre, and Pilates connoisseur, it's worth the investment.

You may also want to take note that many of these classes require additional props that are not included in your membership. You'll see props like yoga mats, yoga straps, yoga blocks, weights, balls, and resistance bands. Check out the best accessories for yoga, barre, and working out at home to be prepared.

Alo Moves: Competition

Apple Fitness+

Apple Fitness+ is a monthly or annual membership for Apple Watch Series 3 users or later. It offers a variety of workouts for all levels in multiple exercise modalities such as HIIT, cycling, dance, yoga, strength, core treadmill, rowing, and mindful cooldowns. The platform hosts an impressive library of classes, and like Alo Moves, new classes are added every week. The price is a bit cheaper than Alo at $10 per month and $80 per year, but the entire experience is powered by Apple Watch, so you must have one to use this app.

Peloton Digital

Peloton Digital is a single user health and fitness app that brings the boutique studio feel to the comfort of home or wherever life takes you. Users enjoy access to Peloton's huge live and on-demand class library that includes classes in strength, yoga, cardio, meditation, running, outdoor (audio only), cycling, stretching, tread boot camp, bike boot camp, and walking. You can watch classes on your phone, tablet, TV, or web browser. Peloton Digital is also a bit more budget-friendly at $12 per month and you don't need to own Peloton equipment to access the library.

There are other health and fitness app alternatives other than these, but these are two of the most popular competitors to Alo Moves.

Alo Moves: Should you buy it?

• You love yoga, mindfulness, fitness, and working on skills
• You're looking for a luxe fitness and wellness experience
• You want to access classes at home or on the go

• You're on a budget
• You want all prop free classes

You should buy this if you love yoga, mindfulness, fitness, and working on new skills. Alo Moves boasts a library of thousands of on-demand classes and series for all levels in varying degrees of length and intensity. This premium fitness experience feels luxurious and enables users to access classes via the app on a phone, tablet, web, or Apple TV.

You should not buy this if you're on a budget. As a luxe fitness app, this membership is on the pricier end compared to competitors. Keep in mind that some of these classes require no props at all, while some require additional props such as a yoga mat, blocks, strap, exercise ball, weights, and resistance bands.

Alo Moves can be considered one of the best health and fitness apps for indoor training. It brings your favorite classes to the comfort of your home, outdoors, or wherever you go. The app is iOS and Android compatible, and once downloaded, you can watch on your phone, tablet, laptop, or Apple TV. There are tons of on-demand yoga, mindfulness, fitness, and skills workouts to choose from, with new additions added every week. They're all beautifully shot and taught by world-class instructors. Alo in the Wild gives users the opportunity to practice all over the world in exotic locales. Although the membership is pricey, I believe this luxe fitness experience is worth the investment.

If you like to work out with friends or find a little healthy competition between you and someone else important to achieving your fitness goals, the Fitness app can help you out. When you enable Sharing on your best iPhone and latest Apple Watch, other people can view your progress and compare and challenge themselves to work out as hard or harder than you.

If you have iOS 15 on your iPhone and own a great Apple Watch, here's you can set up Activity Sharing in the Fitness app.

What Activity data gets shared when I connect with friends?

In iOS 15, when you add a pal to your Sharing screen, you'll see all their Activity data from that day forward — and they'll get all of yours, too. But what exactly is Activity data? It breaks down into a few categories:

• Your day's Activity rings (Move, Exercise, and Stand), and your personal goals for each
• Calories burned
• Minutes exercised
• Hours stood
• Steps taken
• Distance traveled

Whether you have an Apple Watch Series 7 or something older, your Apple Watch and the Fitness app will never share more personal and confidential data with your friends, like your heartbeat or any other Health data potentially collected by the watch.

You also won't get a comprehensive date view of your friends' data the way you can scrutinize your own. You'll have a week's worth of activity data in the Sharing screen and can tap on your friend's profile for each of those individual days, but you won't be able to see a graph of their movement over time or any major trend line information.

How to turn on Activity Sharing

To turn on Activity Sharing with your pals, you'll need to use your iPhone and the Fitness app. Plus, you'll need to send a request to someone to share your Activity with.

1. Launch the Fitness app from your iPhone's home screen.
2. Tap the Sharing tab in the lower right corner.
3. Tap Get Started in the upper right corner.

4. Tap the add button in the top right corner.
5. Tap the add button again.
6. Type in the contact you want to add in the search bar.

7. Select the contact you want.
8. Tap Send.

Once you've done so, the contact you send the request to will need to accept it. Once that happens, you'll be able to view your friend's Activity in the Sharing tab.

How to share your Activity rings without using Activity Sharing

Want to brag to someone who doesn't have an Apple Watch? You can share your Activity rings as a stand-alone image from the Sharing screen. Here's how.

1. Launch the Fitness app from your iPhone's home screen.
2. Tap Summary tab.
3. Tap your activity rings.
4. Tap the share button in the top right.

From here, you can share your Activity for that day via messages, email, or plenty of third-party apps.

How to challenge someone in Activity Sharing

If you want, you can challenge your friends and family to an activity challenge, which is a seven-day competition to see who can close their rings the best.

1. Launch the Fitness app from your iPhone's home screen.
2. Tap the Sharing tab in the lower right corner.
3. Tap the person you want to challenge.

4. Tap Compete with (person).
5. Tap Invite (person).

How to mute notifications in Activity Sharing

By default, you'll get notifications from the Fitness app about how your friends are doing, but you can mute these notifications for a specific individual if you want.

1. Launch the Fitness app from your iPhone's home screen.
2. Tap the Sharing tab in the lower right corner.
3. Tap the person you want to mute.
4. Tap Mute Notifications.

If you want to go back to receiving notifications, you can follow these same steps above and select Unmute Notifications.

How to hide your activity data in Activity Sharing

Are you feeling ashamed about your Activity data lately? Going on vacation and don't want your pals to know how many steps you're not walking? You can hide your activity data on a per-friend basis with a few quick steps.

1. Launch the Fitness app from your iPhone's home screen.
2. Tap the Sharing tab in the lower right corner.
3. Tap the person you want.
4. Tap Hide my Activity.

If you want to go back to showing your Activity with said person, you can follow these same steps above, and select Stop hiding my Activity.

How to remove a friend from Activity Sharing

If you prefer not to continue sharing your Activity with a specific person, you can remove them from your Activity Sharing.

1. Launch the Fitness app from your iPhone's home screen.
2. Tap the Sharing tab in the lower right corner.
3. Tap the person you want to remove.

4. Tap Remove Friend.
5. Tap Yes.

If you want to share your Activity with that person again, you'll need to add them to Activity Sharing again.

You can close those rings with Apple Fitness+

Now that you're sharing your Activity, it's time to make sure you work up a sweat and crush your competition. Check out Apple's video-led workout service Fitness+, and make sure you're closing your rings every day!

Updated February 2022: Updated for iOS 15 and watchOS 8.

Apple has been finding ways to infiltrate the fitness market for a long time now, and since the Apple Watch first started offering activity tracking, people have been obsessed with closing their rings. Apple's latest big push into the fitness space is their guided workout service known as Apple Fitness+. When you pair Fitness+ and your best Apple Watch, you'll have access to over 2,000 workouts and guided meditations to choose from; here's everything you need to know about Apple Fitness+.

What's new in Apple Fitness+

Apple has expanded the offering available on its Apple Fitness+ service by adding two new big features to the platform: Time to Run and Collections.

Collections are a curated list of Apple Fitness+ workouts and meditations that are intended to help users achieve goals. The series of workouts and meditations are pulled from the over 2,000 workouts already on the service and offer a new way to stay motivated and focused on a goal.

Some of the Collections currently included are "30-Day Core Challenge," "Run Your First 5K," and "Wind Down for a Better Bedtime."

Collections also include suggested plans to help users make intentional training choices over the next several days or weeks.

If you've experienced Time to Walk before, then you know the basics of how Time to Run is intended to work.

Throw on an episode of Time to Run, and you'll be coached along your run with one of Apple Fitness+'s wonderful running coaches. Each episode is focused on a popular running route in locations such as London and Miami Beach, so you can get a little escapism when you're on the treadmill or jogging through your neighborhood.

Apple unveiled a slate of new features at its event on September 14, 2021, including Group Workouts.

Group Workouts

In the software, you can use SharePlay to initiate Group Workouts with Apple Fitness+ so you can enjoy a class together with friends.

Guided meditations

Apple Fitness+ now has guided meditations that you can access just like any other class on Apple Fitness+.

Pause and Resume across devices

Apple Fitness+ lets you pause your workout on one device and resume the same workout in the same spot on another device, making it easier to switch from your iPad to your Apple TV with ease.

Pilates

Apple Fitness+ has classes for Pilates, which you can also track on your Apple Watch with watchOS 8.

Launching in 21 new countries

Apple Fitness+ has launched in 21 new countries.

What is Apple Fitness+

Apple Fitness+ is a subscription service that allows you to access a library of video-led workouts that use real-time data from your Apple Watch.

You can select what workout you want to do and the video displays on either your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. While you are following along with the workout, your Apple Watch data is displayed directly on the screen so you can see your workout metrics without having to look at your watch.

Which devices can Fitness+ run on?

Apple Fitness Plus+ requires iOS 14.3, watchOS 7.2, iPadOS 14.3, and tvOS 14.3. For Apple Watch users, Apple Fitness+ will automatically appear as a new tab in the Fitness app on iPhone; a Fitness app for iPad is available to download from the App Store; and on Apple TV, the Fitness app will automatically appear once users upgrade to tvOS 14.3.

Note: You will have to download the Fitness app for iPad from the App Store. It does not automatically show up when you update iPadOS.

How do you access Apple Fitness+

Apple Fitness+ is available through the Fitness app on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. It's there that you will be able to watch the videos, follow along with the classes, and see your Apple Watch data right on the screen.

What types of workouts does it offer?

Apple Fitness+ has guided workouts across many popular categories, including cycling, treadmill (walk and run), rowing, HIIT, strength, yoga, dance, core, cooldown, and much more. Plus, Apple has been constantly adding new workouts and new categories since Fitness+ launched.

These classes are all led by trained individuals who are "specialists in their fields" such as professional athletes, yogis, personal trainers, martial artists, health coaches, gymnasts, and more.

Do I need equipment?

Some courses— like ones for a treadmill — will require gym equipment. Other classes will only need a set of dumbells or no equipment at all.

There's even a beginner program built into Apple Fitness+ that is meant to help you get the basics of movement down and prepare you for the studio-led workouts.

Does it work with my old Apple Watch?

Unfortunately, Apple Fitness+ only works with the Apple Watch Series 3 or newer, so the list of compatible Apple Watches should look like this:

• Apple Watch Series 3
• Apple Watch Series 4
• Apple Watch Series 5
• Apple Watch Series 6
• Apple Watch SE
• Apple Watch Series 7

How much does it cost?

The price for the subscription service is $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. There is a 30-day free trial that will allow anyone to try the service for no cost. You can also share with five other family members at no additional cost!

Is it available in Apple One?

Apple Fitness+ is available as part of a bundle with Apple One, but only in the Premier bundle ($29.95/mo), where it's available.

Time to Walk

If you're an Apple Watch and Apple Fitness+ customer, your walking experiences can become a lot more fun thanks to Time to Walk. The feature includes audio content from "influential and interest people" who share stories, photos, and music. It works with Apple Watch and AirPods, or other Bluetooth headphones. Time to Walk originally launched with four audio experiences but many more have arrived since then.

Episodes of Time to Walk are between 25 to 40 minutes in length and appear automatically in the Workout app on Apple Watch. You can also browse the available episodes in the Fitness+ tab in the Fitness app on your iPhone. For wheelchair customers, Time to Walk becomes Time to Push and automatically starts an Outdoor Wheelchair Walk Pace workout.

Where can you subscribe to Fitness+

While Fitness+ launched on December 14, 2020, it only launched in six countries to start; however, Apple has added more countries since then. Here's a list of which countries have access to Fitness+.

• Austria
• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• Colombia
• France
• Germany
• Indonesia
• Ireland
• Italy
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Portugal
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Spain
• Switzerland
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States

Updated January 2022: Updated with new info about Time to Run and Collections.

For a lot of folks, the start of the new year is the natural time to focus on fitness as a goal for the year ahead. It's certainly true for Apple who just unveiled some additions to its Fitness+ service to kick off 2022.

The service, which launched in December 2020, has seen a few updates since then but there's still plenty of room for more Fitness+ improvements. Here's how Apple can take Fitness+ to the next level in 2022.

Better shared workouts

When SharePlay for Fitness+ was first announced I was excited. My wife and I both wear an Apple Watch and, up until that point, when completing a workout together we'd have to find and start the same workout video (one on the Apple TV and the other on an iPad) at the same time. We'd both watch the workout on the Apple TV and have the sound muted on the iPad, but it was the only way for us both to get the credit for completing the Fitness+ session.

The downside was that only one person's Apple Watch rings were displayed on the big screen and we had the awkward and imprecise process of counting down from three to press play at the same time. Not a magical Apple experience.

While SharePlay solves some of those problems and is a particularly great tool for those not in the same room wanting to work out together, it's overcomplicated for families. What I really want to see is the Apple TV (or even iPad) Fitness app allow more than one user to join the same workout. When first opening up the Fitness app on Apple TV, you get to choose which Apple Watch you want to connect to for the workout but right now you can only pick one. It should simply let me pick more than one at this stage, run the workout on all of them, and show the rings for each device on-screen. This could even be capped at two to five devices to stop the UI from getting overcrowded.

Asynchronous workouts

For some people, working out is a regimen and they hit the gym or the play button on a Fitness+ workout at the same time every day. For others, their working out time is much more sporadic, spontaneous, or just has to fit in around other priorities in life. It can be hard, therefore, to tie some people down to working out with you at a particular time over SharePlay as Apple intends.

Instead, Apple could implement a shared workout system in which participants don't have to partake at exactly the same time. Perhaps I complete a HIIT workout in the morning and my workout buddy does the same workout later in the day. Though it wouldn't have quite the same effect as doing it live, this way there's still a social and motivational element to Fitness+ workouts without the need to be ready to hop on a FaceTime call.

Since the Apple Watch became a regular part of my life, I've gone through periods of feeling really motivated seeing my fellow Apple Watch-wearing friends' workouts as well as times where I've turned off the social features entirely after feeling overwhelmed. I think this asynchronous workout feature requires a bit of nuance in order to not feel like a guilt-trippy nag; something like the week-long activity competitions that you can set up ad-hoc between friends. It could be a neat addition for when you're feeling up to it.

Better filtering

Fitness+ already allows for some filtering, by letting you filter workouts by trainer, time, music, and required equipment. These are all useful and oftentimes necessary. However, Fitness+ now has over 2,000 workouts in its library, so some more advanced filtering is needed to make it even easier to find the right session.

The new Collections feature helps — and will hopefully continue to be updated regularly — but sometimes you want to be able to cherry-pick your workout on other criteria like difficulty or muscle group. The day after a long run outdoors, for example, I might not want to end up in a strength workout that throws in several rounds of squats. Each workout episode description does describe what the workout contains and how strenuous it should be, for the most part, but tapping into each episode to find one you want is a real chore and a true barrier to actually pressing play on one.

Guest trainers

Apple has already shown its willingness to use the power of celebrity to try to take Fitness+ mainstream by attaching names like Shawn Mendes, Naomi Campbell, and Prince William to Time to Walk workouts. It has also emphasized particular musicians in workouts with its Artist Spotlight series.

One feature that flew under the radar somewhat is its Guest Trainer Series, announced back in June. Six months on, Jeanette Jenkins, the trainer with whom the series launched, remains the only guest trainer.

I see the Guest Trainer Series as a great opportunity for Apple to bring in renowned fitness experts on a temporary basis, while also bringing with them their own audiences. It's great for users who get to experience a new style of coaching or some particular workout expertise and likely good for Apple as the new trainer will put Fitness+ in front of more eyes.

It's not hard to imagine a series from people like Sweat founder Kayla Itsines, A-list personal trainer Harley Pasternak, or popular UK instructor Joe Wicks. Apple could even enlist current or former athletes for some insightful coaching and celebrity pulling power.

Iron out those bugs

Last, but certainly not least, Apple Fitness+ still has some lingering bugs that have been around since it launched. It occasionally loses connection to the Apple Watch and crashes. It's not possible to resume a workout where you left off and it's not even possible to scrub forward manually in a workout to get to the point where it crashed.

There's also no way to start a workout on one device and pick up where you left off on another. That's rarely a problem, but sometimes someone else might want to use the TV and point the exerciser to the iPad in another room.

Witness the fitness

It's clear that Apple intends to continue pushing its services hard into 2022 and I hope that Fitness+ continues to get updated throughout the year with new features, workouts, and collections.

I know January is the time of year in which everyone hopes to snag some of the best Fitness+ equipment and reignite their passion for fitness. Apple is making the right noise regarding Fitness+ continuing to improve in 2022 at the moment. Let's hope it can keep its New Year's resolution better than most of us can.

Connected fitness has taken our post-pandemic world by storm. With more people staying at home and working remotely, the demand for an at-home boutique fitness experience has grown increasingly popular and necessary. I've researched, tried, and tested some of the best connected fitness equipment available; there are a ton of great options out there.

MYX Plus kept me sane and in shape all of 2020, well into 2021 — I'm a huge fan! So, I was thrilled to learn of the launch of MYX II, the newest connected bike from MYX Fitness. This bike hosts some notable upgrades from its predecessor, like a camera, cadence sensor, sleeker screen, improved processing power, and faster downloads. MYX Fitness has recently merged with OpenFit, and partnered with BODi (Beachbody on Demand), giving subscribers access to an ever-growing library of thousands of fitness classes and modalities at a competitive price point. When it comes to premium at-home fitness, MYX II does not fail to impress. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an at-home, total body fitness system.

MYX II: Price and availability

MYX II is available on the MYX Fitness site for $1399, or buyers have the option to finance it for $30 a month. It comes with a stationary Star Trac bike outfitted with a 21.5-inch sleek, interactive touchscreen tablet. You'll also get a Polar OH1 heart rate monitor, and a 12-month manufacturer's warranty.

MYX II: Touchscreen, cadence, camera

In the days before covid, I was an avid studio rat. I'm certified indoor cycling, barre, and yoga instructor and have worked in boutique fitness studios and gyms for over a decade. I love the boutique experience, and taking group classes at local studios was an occurrence that happened several times a week. Sadly, I had to kiss my beloved studios goodbye in 2020.

Now that I'm not teaching in-studio anymore and have been presented with numerous options to bring the boutique fitness experience home with me, I've jumped wholeheartedly into the world of connected fitness. It's convenient, efficient, and effective. With connected fitness, you can take classes anytime; you don't have to adhere to strict time frames of studio schedules. App subscriptions enable you to take classes anytime, anywhere — giving you the option of bringing your favorite workouts on the road.

I love MYX II because it's a total body fitness system at a great value. It functions as your own home gym. You'd be hard-pressed to find a system of this quality in a similar price range, and believe me, I've looked. MYX II is a Star Trac stationary bike outfitted with a 21.5-inch swiveling touchscreen for seamless transitions and workouts on and off the bike. The bike features four-way adjustments and a 41-pound flywheel, providing a smooth, comfortable riding experience for users of all sizes up to 350 pounds. An Openfit membership of $29 per month grants access to thousands of different classes, and new classes are added weekly.

MYX's recent merge with Openfit appeals to those looking for more of a boutique, one on one coaching experience. You can choose from personal training sessions, on-demand workouts, or structured fitness programs. You also have access to live walking and running classes with real-time feedback in the app. There's even a camera on MYX II so instructors can view your workout, form and provide personalized coaching.

For those that love Beachbody, MYX has recently partnered with BODi (Beachbody on Demand). This provides more of an interactive boutique fitness experience. Take note that BODi is a separate monthly subscription from Openfit. It costs $29 a month. BODi gives subscribers access to live group and on-demand classes. You can use MYX II's camera to join on-screen BODcasts or broadcast your workout on a jumbo screen, along with other BODi participants, for shout-outs, personalized corrections, and cues. BODi is great for those looking for an interactive community while they ride.

One of my favorite upgrades on MYX II is the addition of the cadence sensor, cadence monitoring, and cadence coaching. Cadence refers to the rhythm of a song. Cadence cueing is when an instructor gives you an RPM (revolutions per minute) range to hit. This gets riders to pedal on the beat. As someone who has taught rhythmic indoor cycling classes for over a decade, I find cadence cueing to be one of the most effective ways to coach. It's the easiest way to get everyone on the same page. As long as your cadence sensor is connected, you'll see your RPM displayed in real-time while you ride.

MYX Fitness focuses on heart-based training, and MYX II comes with a Polar OH1 heart rate monitor. You'll want to wear a heart rate monitor for every workout. MYX also easily pairs with Apple Watch if you'd prefer to track that way. When you hop on your bike for your first ride, the app will prompt you to take a MYX zone calibration ride. This ride uses a patented algorithm to determine your personal fitness level and target heart rate zones.

This helps riders start off on the right track and ensures the efficiency of every workout. MYX recommends testing first thing in the morning, following the trainer's directions, and completing the workout uninterrupted for best results. Your cardiovascular health should improve with regular exercise, so it's essential to take this calibration every six weeks so you can see your progress.

Let's talk performance metrics. While riding MYX II, you see the following metrics displayed on-screen: calories, cadence, speed, distance, music playing, current heart rate, and your heart rate zones in line graph form. You also see the time passed and time left in your workout. If you're not riding and taking a floor class like Pilates, yoga, or barre, you'll see everything except cadence, speed, and distance. I love performance metrics. I always keep mine on display, but you do have the option of turning them off if you'd rather it be just you and the instructor.

A cool thing about taking a class on MYX II is that you can adjust the volume of the instructor and music separately, depending on your needs. If you need more cueing, you can turn the instructor up and tone the tunes down, but if you want to zone out and blast the music, you can make that happen too. MYX II is outfitted with 20W speakers which enable you to play your class out loud, or you can connect wirelessly with any Bluetooth headphones. MYX II pairs easily — I've never had issues.

When it comes to fitness modalities, your Openfit subscription offers tons of options — all accessible on MYX and MYX II. Subscribers can choose from strength training, barre, Pilates, cycling, walking, running, cardio, HIIT, yoga, weights, kickboxing, stretching, treadmill, relaxation, and meditation. These classes range anywhere from five to 65 minutes. You'll earn fun badges on your way to fitness to keep you inspired. Right now, I'm preparing for my wedding, so I've been working out on MYX II five times a week. I credit my results to MYX workouts and a clean diet.

MYX II: Loose clips, cadence connect, membership

MYX II has sneaker cages or SPD compatible toe clips on the pedals. I prefer to clip in as I feel I get more out of each pedal stroke. The clips on my MYX II feel looser than my original MYX bike. This makes it easier to clip in and out of them, but sometimes I slide around a bit while I'm riding. If you're not used to clipping in, this can be scary. It also puts the rider at risk of falling out, and that's never fun. Pro tip: always keep a little resistance on the bike, especially when pedaling at faster RPMs, to avoid falling out.

I love the addition of the cadence sensor, but mine has trouble connecting at times, and I'm not sure why. Like I mentioned above, I love riding on rhythm and cadence coaching, so it's annoying not to have my RPMs displayed. The sensor uses a removable battery. If I take the battery out and reinsert it, it usually fixes the issue.

Monthly subscriptions can be costly, but in connected fitness, they're expected. Both Openfit and BODi at $29 per month are less expensive than top competitors like Peloton and NordicTrack. Just be aware that if you want to access both Openfit and BODi, you must purchase both subscriptions separately. Unfortunately, there are no combo deals.

MYX II: Competition

Peloton

If you're into connected fitness, and even if you're not, chances are — you've heard of Peloton. Peloton is a connected fitness company that sells both connected bikes and treadmills. Like Openfit, subscribers get access to thousands of live and on-demand classes with world-class instructors. The app required for the bike or tread costs $39 a month, and the Peloton bike+ with a swiveling touchscreen starts at $2495. MYX is much less expensive for virtually the same experience, making it a better value and the winner in this contest for me.

NordicTrack

NordicTrack is another big name in the world of connected fitness. It sells all kinds of connected fitness experiences. The comparable bike, NordicTrack's S22i costs $1499 and the companion app, iFIT costs $39 a month. It's less expensive than Peloton, but MYX II still wins when it comes to price, value, and subscription cost.

MYX II: Should you buy it?

• You're looking for affordable total body fitness
• You want on-screen performance metrics and heart-based training
• You want lots of class options

• You don't want to pay for monthly fitness subscriptions

You should buy this if you're looking for an affordable, total body fitness system. At $1399, it's an excellent value. MYX II delivers on-screen performance metrics so you can measure your progress in class and over time, with a focus on heart-based training. Subscribing to Openfit and or BODi grants users access to thousands of classes and fitness modalities. You shouldn't buy this if you're not into paying for monthly fitness subscriptions.

If you're looking for an affordable, all-encompassing, total body, connected fitness system, look no further than MYX II. It's a commercial-grade indoor cycle outfitted with an interactive touchscreen for seamless transitions from the bike to the floor. Subscriptions to MYX II's companion app Openfit grants users access to thousands of live and on-demand classes, trainers, and programs in multiple exercise modalities. MYX II is easily adjustable and pairs seamlessly with Bluetooth headphones, the included Polar OH1 heart rate monitor and Apple Watch. It's the best of the best in connected fitness.

What you need to know

• United Airlines now works with SMART Health Cards.
• Apple's Health app also works with the specification.
• Customers can now share their COVID-19 vaccination record through the Health app with the airline.

If you're traveling on United Airlines and have your COVID-19 vaccination card in the Health app on iPhone, you might not need your physical card anymore.

Spotted by 9to5Mac, United Airlines revealed that customers could now, through their iOS app, link their vaccination card from the Health app to prove their COVID-19 vaccination status with the airline. They have provided instructions on how to share your vaccination card from the Health app to the United Airlines app below:

• Customers with upcoming travel requiring proof of vaccination can visit the Travel-Ready Center on United's iOS app
• Customers can select the option to upload vaccine documentation
• Customers can then click on "Upload" then "Share your SMART Health Card"
• The Apple Health app will automatically open and ask customers for permission to share their verifiable vaccination records with United
• Once confirmed, the vaccination records will automatically be uploaded, verified on United's system and records will be stored until they complete their travels.

With iOS 15, Apple revealed that customers would now be able to store their vaccination card in the Health app for institutions that use the SMART Health Card specification.

While there are plenty of instances where you can store your COVID-19 vaccination card on your iPhone, storing it in the Health app opens up a lot more possibilities on how other apps can integrate with Apple's offering rather than building their own. United Airlines will hopefully only be one of the first of many to offer this easier method for proving vaccination status.

What you need to know

• With iOS 15, you can store verifiable health records in the Health app.
• Examples of what can be stored are COVID-19 vaccinations and test results.
• Apple says the Wallet app will soon support digital vaccination cards.

Some iPhone users will now be able to add their COVID-19 vaccination card to the Health app.

In an update on the Apple Developer website, Apple has announced that users running iOS 15 can now store verifiable health records, like a COVID-19 vaccination card, in the Health app. At this time, Apple is supporting the SMART Health Cards specification.

The company says that, in a future software update, you'll even be able to add your vaccination card to the Wallet app and use a digital version where it is required.

Developers can learn more about verifiable health records and how to implement them on the Apple Developer website.

iOS 15 was released to the public on Monday, September 20.

Peloton Digital is one of the best fitness apps for indoor training. It's a widely accessible, individual-user membership that enables subscribers to access thousands of on-demand fitness classes in different modalities for $12.99 a month. It features 10+ workout types, and you have the option of training with or without equipment on your smartphone, tablet, TV, or web browser. It's compatible with iOS, Android, and Fire TV. But you don't actually need a Peloton machine to use it.

Peloton Digital was basically created for those that don't own a Peloton Bike, Bike+, Tread, or Tread+. It offers individual users strength, yoga, cardio, meditation, running, outdoor, cycling, stretching, bike boot camp, tread boot camp, and walking classes that can be taken anytime, anywhere on a compatible device. Many classes require little to no equipment, while some like cycling, strength, or tread require an indoor bike, free weights, or a treadmill. When you select a class within the app, it will list all equipment needed in the class details.

Most of the Peloton Digital classes require little equipment like a workout mat or free weights, to none. If you're dying to ride or run with the app, it is possible to follow along with both cycling and tread classes on any stationary bike or treadmill. You're just not going to get the performance metrics Peloton equipment would provide since your equipment is obviously not going to sync with the app.

If you want to ride with Peloton Digital on a non-Peloton bike, we recommend using a tablet like the iPad Pro on your stationary bike. Just be sure you have a good mount that is compatible with both your device and your stationary bike. The goal here is to keep your tablet safe and secure while you ride while having a nice large display to follow along with. If you don't want to go that route, you can always set up your TV with Peloton Digital too.

If you do own a Peloton machine, you'll pay a higher monthly All-Access membership fee of $39 a month. It may seem like a sharp increase, but Peloton Digital covers one user profile while Peloton All-Access covers profiles for the entire household. Peloton Bikes and Treads are outfitted with large HD touchscreens that sync directly with the app. Perks that come with owning a Peloton Bike or Tread and All-Access membership include live interaction with the Peloton instructors and community, and helpful on-screen performance metrics as you take a class.

Regardless of how you want to ride, you don't need a Peloton bike to work out with Peloton Digital. The membership grants one user access to thousands of on-demand classes in different exercise modalities. All you need is a $12.99 per month membership and a smartphone, tablet, TV, or web browser to watch a class on, and you're good to go.

What you need to know

• Code in the Oculus app for iPhone shows that it may soon sync with Apple's Health app.
• The feature would let Oculus users sync their workout data over to their iPhone.

A new report says you may soon be able to do a workout on Facebook's Oculus headset and save your workout data to the Apple Health app.

As reported by Bloomberg, Facebook is looking to integrate its Oculus virtual-reality headsets with Apple's Health app, according to some code found in the Oculus phone app. The feature would allow a user of the Oculus Move workout system to track their workout statistics and have them sync over with Apple's Health app.

The Apple Health app allows users to store and track their health data in one place while keeping their information private. A ton of apps and services already integrated with the app. From Nike Run Club to Strava, you're able to store all of your workout data. The app also integrates with more and more health providers so you can share all of this data securely with your doctor.

The potential feature was discovered by developer Steve Moser, who also pointed out that Facebook is hiring in the health space as well.

It's currently unclear if Facebook will actually launch the feature, but it would be pretty great as more and more people turn to virtual reality for their workouts.

Most of us are interested in finding new ways to get healthier, lose weight, elevate athletic performance, or improve overall nutrition. From fitness trackers like Apple Watch Series 6 to the best connected fitness equipment, there is a lot of tech out there to help us accomplish these goals. Tracking metabolism and improving your metabolic flexibility is a tried and tested method for weight loss, athletic endurance, and leading a healthier lifstyle. That's why I've been using Lumen and measuring my metabolism daily over the past month. Lumen is a metabolism tracker that will deliver personalized, nutrition plans based on your metabolic rate. It gives insight on how your metabolism affects your body, the way you feel, and what you should be eating to achieve your health and fitness goals.

Lumen review: Price and availability

Lumen is currently available at Lumen.me for $349. It comes packaged with a convenient travel case, charging dock, and USB-C cable. Users can download the app for free on the Apple App Store and on Google Play. If you have one of the best Apple Watches with watchOS 6 or higher, you can download the Lumen app straight from your wrist on the Apple Watch App Store.

Lumen review: Easy to use, portable, informative

Lumen is user friendly, compact, and portable. It comes with a handy travel case that makes it easy to take anywhere. It calculates your breath measurements in seconds and gives a lot of insight on your metabolism and how it relates to your health. Based on the information you input, you'll get daily nutrition plans to help achieve your health and fitness goals. It will ask you what track you'd like to pursue: healthy weight loss, metabolic health, or fitness performance. My personal goal is weight loss. When I created my profile in the Lumen app, I wanted to lose 10 pounds. The app said that by improving my metabolic flexibility, I will reach my goal by October.

After using Lumen for one month, and following my daily nutrition plan as closely as possible, I'm on track to achieving my goal. Lumen arrives in sleek packaging and comes with enough charge to get you tracking right away. It has excellent battery life. After taking my initial measurements, I fully charged my device. I've used it multiple times a day for a full month, and the battery is currently at 55%.

Lumen determines your metabolic rate by measuring the CO2 concentration in your breath. The most important measurement is your morning breath. You'll want to take this breath right after you get up, before eating anything. This measurement is used to create your personalized nutrition plan for that day. You're encouraged to measure before and after exercise, before and after eating, before sleeping, and after fasting. You can also create custom check-ins to see how your activity throughout the day affects your metabolism. The more measurements you take, the better Lumen is able to assist with reaching your goals.

The ultimate goal is to increase your metabolic flexibility. Metabolic flexibility is your body's ability to switch back and forth between burning fat and carbohydrates based on their availability. Lumen measures your breath to see if your body is burning fat, carbs, or both, then rates these measurements on a scale of one to five. One indicates that you're burning fat for energy, and five indicates you're burning carbs. Ideally, you want to burn more fat for energy so your body partitions carbohydrates into muscle instead of storing them as fat. Blowing ones and twos is your morning goal. These numbers mean your burning fat for energy and improving your metabolic flexibility.

The Lumen app hosts a wealth of information. This is where you'll find all of your stored measurements, health insights, nutrition plans, meal suggestions, and advice. Because my goal is weight loss, Lumen generally creates low carb nutrition plans for me. The recommended carb servings in my daily plan, allow me to maintain a state of fat burn. You're asked to log exercise, carb intake, and fasting hours (hours between your last meal of the day and breakfast the next morning) each day. Lumen takes all of this data into account when creating your nutrition plan. Good news, ladies: there's an option to track your monthly cycle. It will tell you how your cycle affects your metabolism and the way you feel. At the time of testing, the app can only support women with a regular 28 day cycle.

I think it's easiest to track macros while following your nutrition plan. If tracking macros isn't your thing, there are other methods of tracking, such as weighing your food with a scale, keeping a food log, or carefully reading nutrition labels. Tracking what you eat, and learning how food affects your metabolic rate, and your body's ability to burn fat, is integral for weight loss, and healthier choices overall. The reason Lumen is effective, is because it holds you accountable, and shines light on how diet and lifestyle affect metabolic flexibility.

Lumen review: Pricey, takes practice, more meal options

Lumen is pricey, especially when compared to other similar products on the market; more on that later. But I have found it effective — I've learned a lot about my metabolism, and how to improve my metabolic flexibility to achieve my goals. It holds me accountable and encourages me to make healthier choices, but is it overpriced? Yes. Does it work? Yes. If you can expense it, it is a helpful tool.

When you log into the app for the first time, it will instruct you to take some practice breaths so you get a handle on what it needs for a successful measurement. Practice is necessary. Sometimes, it will ask me to take two breath measurments in succession. It will ask you to wait 12 seconds in between multiple breath measurements, which is kind of annoying, but you're supposed to be relaxed, so I think it's just trying to get you there. Although, sometimes this creates the opposite effect.

There is a section in the app for meal inspiration that you can tap to find meals that fit your daily plan. Overall, I this section could use more options, and they could be more creative. They're generally pretty plain. I've yet to be presented with healthy dessert options, and the app frowns on alcohol consumption — high in calories and carbs. I get it, skipping dessert and passing on alcohol is the healthiest choice, but is it realistic every day? For me, no. I definitely like to indulge in dessert from time to time, and I do enjoy the occasional glass of wine. These choices do affect my metabolism however. It shifts from burning fat for energy, to mostly carbs, which is the opposite of what I want to get closer to my goal. Lumen has shown me that.

Lumen review: Competition

V2 Ketoscan

The V2 Ketoscan is a portable breath acetone analyzer that measures the ketone level and calculates your body fat burning rate in your exhaled breath. It records and monitors your acetone levels and weight daily, monthly and annually, then stores this data in the mobile app. It doesn't offer personalized nutrition plans, and the app looks pretty basic. Lumen is sexier and more advanced, but to cost more than double the price, it better be.

FoodMarble Aire

FoodMarble Aire is a portable breath tester that works in tandem with its companion app to help find the foods most compatible with your digestive system. You can record your fermentation scores, log foods, track symptoms, stress, and sleep, as well as test your tolerability to individual foods within the app. Aire enables you to measure gas levels (specifically hydrogen) in the gut to track how food is being digested so you can make healthier choices. The goal of this device is to show how your breath scores and symptoms vary over time so you can identify personal triggers. The goal of this product is different than Lumen's, but both are designed to help the user achieve better health.

Lumen review: Should you buy it?

• You want to hack your metabolism
• You want portable, personal nutrition
• You want to make healthy, educated choices

• You're on a budget
• You're looking for bountiful healthy recipes

You should buy Lumen if you want to understand your metabolism and see the correlation between the food you eat, workouts, and your body's ability to burn fat for energy. Lumen is like carrying a portable, personal nutritionist with you wherever you go. It helps the user make healthier, informed choices. But you shouldn't buy this if you're on a budget — it's pricey. Or if you're looking for incredible healthy recipes. Lumen offers meal suggestions, but there could be more colorful options.

Lumen has given me valuable insight on my health and how my lifestyle choices affect my metabolism. I understand my metabolic rate on a deeper level than I did prior to using this device. A healthy diet and consistent exercise are integral to improving metabolic flexibility. Lumen makes hacking your metabolism accessible, holds you accountable, and offers a lot of personalized insight and guidance on how to get your body into prime fat burning mode. I've learned a lot and I think investing in Lumen is an effective way to achieve your health and fitness goals.

Both strength and cardio are integral components to an effective workout regimen. Some people prefer one over the other, but if you're trying to get results fast, incorporating both in your weekly workout routine will change your body the fastest. More and more connected fitness equipment is hitting the market featuring all kinds of workout profiles and connected exercise machines. Recently, I tried HYGEAR, a smart home gym system. I love that HYGEAR is lightweight, portable, and travel-friendly. This equipment easily pairs with the HyFit app to deliver effective strength training workouts wherever you are.

HYGEAR review: Price and availability

This product was just rebranded from HyFit Gear 1 to HYGEAR, and it's readily available via the HYGEAR Fit site. You can buy it for a one-time payment of $199, or you can choose the monthly payment option of $15 per month. Take note that if you decide on monthly payments, it is a 12-month commitment. The HyFit app is free.

HYGEAR: Lightweight, portable, travel friendly

The equipment

HYGEAR is a smart home gym system that uses two smart elastic bands to track and record your workout data. The entire system includes two smart bands, two ankle bands, two wrist bands, a door anchor, a foreign anchor, two handles, and a USB charging cable for the smart sensors. This purchase also includes a handy carrying case. The entire system weighs in at just over three pounds, making it lightweight, portable, and incredibly travel friendly.

I love to travel, and I love to work out. When I'm at home, it's easy for me to get four or five workouts in every week, but when I'm traveling, finding time to train can get tricky. HYGEAR makes it really easy to take a total body fitness system with you wherever you go. All you need is a solid anchor point, and you can do effective workouts pretty much anywhere.

The smart elastic bands are what make this training system a connected fitness system. These bands pair with the HyFit app to track and record your workout data on your smartphone or tablet. The app and the bands work in tandem to track your time spent working out, the number of workouts completed, reps, weight, averages, total calories, and total power.

The app and workouts

The bands easily pair with the Hyfit app. You press the button once on the smart sensors to wake them up, then red and blue lights will start blinking. If the app is open, it will automatically connect to your sensors. Once your device is connected, you'll see a blue light blink slowly. You can also manually pair your sensors if necessary. Note that they will automatically sleep if the app is not used for 20 minutes or three minutes after closing the app.

This system is compatible with both iOS and Android devices, and the HyFit app is user-friendly. Once you get your HYGEAR, download the free HyFit app onto your device. You'll be prompted to create a user profile where you'll enter your age, gender, weight, and height. One thing I want to point out that I think is really odd is that it won't let me measure my height in feet and my weight in pounds.

It offers centimeter and foot height measurements and kilo and pound weight measurements, but it automatically switches my weight to kilos every time I input my height in feet. If I input my weight in pounds, it automatically switches my height to centimeters. I don't know if this is a weird glitch on my phone only or if it's a universal issue, but it's annoying nevertheless.

Once you're in the app, it's straightforward to use. On the bottom of the screen, from left to right, there's a home tab, my workouts tab, statistics tab, and profile tab. The home tab allows you to view and choose available programs, workouts, and exercises. The my workouts tab is where you can create workout plans and exercises. The statistics tab is where you'll see all of your workout data, active muscles, and number of exercises spent working each muscle group. The profile tab is where you'll find all your personal info, settings, and devices.

HYGEAR offers strength, core, abs, weight loss, HIIT, cardio, and getting started with your gear workouts. The app also features workout programs with names like HIIT & Cardio, or Core Crusher, and the option of doing specific, single exercises like lunges, V-ups, or thrusters. Each class incorporates music to keep you motivated, which I love. The music isn't recognizable due to copyright expenses, I assume, but it gets the job done.

I've taken several HYGEAR workouts and have found them to be effective. This system definitely focuses more on strength training, but there are cardio and HIIT workouts available that will definitely get your heart pumping. If you're brand new to fitness or haven't worked out in a long time, I highly recommend starting with one of the getting started classes. Even if you're a fitness professional, I recommend watching the how to get started using your gear video so you know how to use the equipment and all of the attachments correctly.

HYGEAR review: Constantly switching out attachments, choppy flow

This system includes ankle, wrist, and handle attachments. In all of the HYGEAR workouts I've completed, I've needed to switch out all three attachments throughout the entire class consistently. It's annoying to have to do this all of the time. It really disrupts the flow of the class and makes the overall workout feel really choppy to me. I recommend starting each workout wearing both the wrist and ankle bands to expedite this process.

This system can be used as a suspension system, but to be used as such, you must have a solid anchor point. You can wrap it around a tree or pole or anchor it under or over a door, but make sure it's entirely anchored before you begin, or you run the risk of the bands pulling loose, sending you tumbling backward. I have a metal railing that works well on my outdoor patio because it's anchored in cement, so it's not going anywhere. However, it is really hard for me to see the classes on my smartphone or tablet when I'm outside in the sun.

HYGEAR review: Competition

The Vitruvian V-form trainer is a connected strength training machine. It consists of a platform with two resistance bands and the option of connecting a bar or individual handholds. This machine uses a unique algorithm to work in tandem with you. It's designed to deliver the perfect weight load in every rep. The Vitruvian app keeps tabs on your performance data and motivates you towards your goals.

In tandem with the V-form trainer, Vitruvian delivers killer strength training workouts personalized to your fitness level. The technology definitely exceeds that of HYGEAR. However, it's much more expensive, and it's definitely not portable nor travel-friendly. If you're looking for a gym you can take with you anywhere, HYGEAR is the obvious choice. If you want a smart, connected, strength training machine to work out with at home, Vitruvian V-form is a great option.

The LifePro WaverMini is a great workout and physical therapy tool. It features a vibrating platform for vibrational therapy and two handheld resistance bands that connect to the platform's base. You can do all kinds of workouts on this machine, and vibrational therapy is excellent for those rehabbing injuries, those with sensitive joints, or post-workout recovery. It's less expensive than HYGEAR but offers workouts and therapy. It is portable, but it's much heavier and bulkier than HYGEAR. If you're looking for something lightweight that you can take anywhere, HYGEAR is the way to go.

HYGEAR review: Should you buy it?

• You want something light
• You want something portable
• You want something travel friendly

• You're looking for lots of cardio workouts
• You don't want to switch out attachments constantly
• You want your workouts to flow smoothly

This system is lightweight (it weighs a touch over three pounds), versatile, and portable, making it extra travel-friendly so you can do your workouts anywhere. It's perfect equipment to take on the road. You shouldn't buy this if you're looking for lots of cardio workouts, this program does offer a few cardio classes, but it focuses primarily on strength. You'll also be switching out your attachments frequently, which makes the workouts a bit choppy.

The HYGEAR connected fitness system is lightweight, portable, and travel-friendly. It has everything you need to do effective workouts pretty much anywhere. The HyFit app pairs seamlessly with the smart sensors to track and store all of your workout data, and it's very easy to use. This entire system weighs just over three pounds. It's great low-profile equipment for those that want a connected home gym experience.

What you need to know

• A new patent talks about potential health coaching features in the Health app.
• It also hints at blood glucose monitoring.

As reported from My Healthy Apple, Apple is conducting new research that could result in more targeted health coaching including assistance with blood glucose monitoring.

A new patent talks about notifying users in a more effective way, rather than adding to the endless alerts that many of us receive on our phones. It also talks about a potential health coach feature that would help users stay on course with their health goals.

The patent also talks about habit tracking to either encourage you to meet new habits or avoid bad ones.

While it is unclear when or if the feature will roll out to users, it is something to keep an eye on as Apple ventures further into the health area. The company, just last month, launched its Apple Fitness+ workout subscription service.

One of the advantages of using an Apple Watch is viewing app notifications without looking at your iPhone. You can mirror the actions of these notifications so that they act similarly across both devices. For many native apps, you can customize these actions. In doing so, you can make sure less important notifications don't become a disruption.

Here's how Apple Watch notifications work on the Apple Watch 6 and older models.

How to customize notifications for Apple's built-in apps on Apple Watch

You can establish customization rules for native Apple Watch apps from the Watch app on iPhone:

1. Tap on the Apple Watch app on your iPhone Home screen.
2. Select Notifications from the My Watch tab.

On this screen, you'll see a list of apps currently installed on the Apple Watch. Towards the top of the screen, you'll see a listing of native Apple apps. These are listed above the Mirror iPhone Alerts From heading.

What native apps you can customize

The following native apps are customizable in the Apple Watch app in watchOS 5: Activity, Breathe, Calendar, Clock, Mail, Messages, Phone, Podcasts, and Wallet & Apple Pay,

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on Notifications.
3. Choose on Activity.

You can toggle Activity alerts on or off for stand reminders, daily coaching, goal completions, special challenges, and activity sharing.

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on Notifications.
3. Tap on Breathe.

There are plenty of notification settings available for the Breathe app. Chief among these is the ability to change the number of reminders to receive each day. From this screen, you can also mute notifications for the day, change the breath rate, and more.

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Choose on Notifications.
3. Tap on Calendar.
4. Select Custom under Notifications.

You can toggle Calendar alerts on or off, and for upcoming events, invitations, invitation responses, and shared calendar alerts, you can toggle sound and haptics on or off. You can also decide which calendars to use for alerts when you have more than one.

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Select Notifications.
3. Tap on Clock.

The notification settings for Apple Watch include the ability to sound chimes at the top of each hour.

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on Notifications.
3. Select Mail.
4. Choose Custom.
5. Tap Allow Notifications.

You can toggle Mail alerts on or off, and for each account, as well as VIP, you can toggle sound and haptics on or off.

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on Notifications.
3. Select Messages.
4. Choose Custom.

You can toggle Messages alerts on or off, as well as sound and haptics. You can also choose to repeat warnings never, once, twice, three times, five times, or 10 times.

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Choose Notifications.
3. Tap on Phone.
4. Select Custom.

You can toggle Phone alerts on or off, as well as sound and haptics on or off.

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Choose Notifications.
3. Select Podcasts.
4. Tap on Custom.

Notifications for Podcasts on Apple Watch is limited to turning them on/off and whether to group them automatically or by an app.

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on Notifications.
3. Tap on Wallet & Apple Pay.
4. Tap on Custom.

You can decide whether to turn notifications for Wallet & Apple Pay on/off.

How to troubleshoot custom notifications

If your custom notifications aren't working, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take.

First, you can disable and enable notifications and see if the problem resolves itself. This solution would be the easiest and quickest. You can also delete and install the Apple Watch apps causing an issue. As a last solution, you can reset your Apple Watch.

In the market?

Are you looking to purchase a new Apple Watch? Check out our best Apple Watch of the year.

Thoughts?

How do you have any additional questions about Apple Watch notifications? Let us know below.

Everyone has a different relationship with exercise. There are many different companies, services, and products that exist to help you get some activity in your life, and now Apple Fitness+ is here to offer another option.

With your best Apple Watch on your wrist, an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV to use as a screen, and a $9.99 monthly ($79.99 annually) subscription, Apple Fitness+ aims to provide you with a ton of guided workouts to enjoy. With categories like strength, HIIT, cycling, treadmill, and more, there's supposed to be something for everyone.

I've already tried a few workouts on Fitness+, and I see some great potential in the platform. Here's an overview and my first impressions of Fitness+.

Context for these first impressions

Before I get started, I want to put a few things into context before giving you an opinion on the service, so you know where it's coming from.

1. I'm pretty average in terms of fitness level. I play a few sports recreationally, and I try to get out of the apartment and do some exercises, like jogging a couple of times a week. In 2020, my fitness level has likely slipped, as I'm not playing sports because of the pandemic. While I have had memberships to various gyms, I have never tried any classes or video-led classes before.
2. This is a first impression based on just a few short workouts I did with the Fitness+, and not intended to be a full review. As I work my way through the free-trial, I plan on writing about my experience a few times, so keep an eye out for that.

Apple Fitness+: The interface

Apple has a history of making user experiences fairly straight forward, and I would say that it translates over to Fitness+. Once you've updated all your devices to the latest software, you can load up the Fitness app on your iPhone or Apple TV and browse through the entire catalog of workouts available.

Right at the top, you can see the workout categories, and by tapping or selecting the category, you'll be giving the chance to browse all the classes related to that category. You can even filter your search of that category by an instructor, length of time, and type of music (see below), making it easy to find something really specific if you want to.

Of course, the main screen is filled with recommendations based on the previous workouts you have logged on your Apple Watch. There are also many different categories to explore, like new this week, popular, beginners, and more if you want to browse around.

Apple Fitness+: Working out

If you are interested in a workout, you can select it and view some crucial information about the classes (see image above). You can see how long the class will be, the music genre, the date it was added to the service, and what equipment you need. You can even watch a video preview, which will show you one or two of the movements you'll be doing in the class, and the instructor briefly mentions what the class is all about.

Once you start a workout, your Apple Watch data will show up on the screen. In the top left, you should see the time you've spent in the class already, your current heart rate, and how many calories you've burned so far. This is all updated in real-time, so you can see how you're progressing. You may also see the Burn Bar (it unlocked for me after doing my second class), which gives you an idea of how many calories you've burned than other people who have taken the class. As a bit of extra motivation. You can also opt-out of using the Burn Bar if you please.

Meanwhile, up in the top right, you can see your Activity rings filling up in real-time. At certain points in your workout, the rings will expand to give you the actual numbers instead of just the visual, so you have an idea of how you're doing on your goals.

At the end of the class, you'll be presented with your results. Your total calories, time spent working out, active calories, average heart rate, and progress on your Activity rings are all displayed, just as it would be at the end of any workout you do on your Apple Watch. It's a logged on your Apple Watch and in the Fitness app, so you can go back and look at your workout metrics anytime you want.

If you want to head over to another workout right away, you can hit Done and start another workout. You can also opt to go straight to the Mindful Cooldown section of Fitness+ and engage in a video-led cooldown to let get your body and your mind to come down from your workout.

Apple Fitness+: Initial thoughts

As someone who has never done a video-led (or in-person) workout session before, I've been pretty impressed with the service after my first few sessions.

As someone who lives in a small apartment and has no equipment, I like that it's easy to see before you start a workout what you might need, and there's a decent amount of training that requires nothing. Plus, all the classes have one main instructor and two other instructors doing the modified movements, one less intense movement and the other more intense movement, so you can adjust how you are approaching the workout as you need.

Of course, at the center of this is the Apple Wach, which has long been my favorite fitness tracker, but being able to see your data in real-time, in front of you, as you do your workout is surprisingly a great motivator. Typically, if I go for a jog outside, I maybe look at my Apple Watch once or twice during my workout, but seeing the rings fill up before my eyes as I sweat is pretty dang cool.

Out of the three classes I have done, all of the instructors seemed great. There's obviously an emphasis on being motivating and reminding people to listen to their bodies — especially in the beginner classes I checked out — but I was certainly sweating and burning calories the entire time. The instruction was clear and concise, and pretty easy to follow, which is a big win in my book.

Even with the issues of claiming the free three-month free trial that some people are experiencing and the fact that you can just barely use Fitness+ without an Apple Watch, I still think Apple has put together a service with a ton of potential.

There are so many more features I want to dive into and so many more classes I want to try before I give my final opinion on the service as a whole. For now, I'll say this: if you're at all curious about Fitness+, you should start your free trial and give it a go. You could end up liking it a lot.

Typically, when you're getting your sweat on with Apple Fitness+, you're going to want your best Apple Watch strapped to your wrist to take all of your metrics. But, if for any reason your Apple Watch is not around or not charged up, you can do a workout Fitness+ workout session.

When you start a workout with Fitness+ on iPhone and iPad, the device will look for your paired Apple Watch before beginning the workout. If it does not detect your watch, it will ask you to pair it. However, users will also get an option to start the workout with the Apple Watch (see screenshot above). You can tap on the option to start Fitness+ without an Apple Watch, and the session will start. This, of course, means that none of your Apple Watch metrics will be displayed on the screen, and your Apple Watch won't log it as a workout, but you can still watch the class and follow along.

While you can do this on your iPhone and iPad, it seems that the Apple TV is another story. Just like with the iPhone and iPad, your Apple TV will look for your Apple Watch when you try to load the Fitness app on your Apple TV, but if it doesn't find it, you'll be prompted to pair your Apple Watch (see screenshot below).

There's no way to start Fitness+ without an Apple Watch on Apple TV; you need to have your Apple Watch with you when you want to start a Fitness+ session.

Fitness+ is available now and costs $9.99 a month or $79.99 annually. There is a one-month free trial for any user, but if you buy a new Apple Watch through Apple, you'll get a three-month free trial of the new service.

If you're yet to sign up for Apple Fitness+, Apple's new premium workout service, then you can do so for free. While you might be tempted to subscribe directly in the Workout app and start your one-month trial, you can actually score as many as six free months if you know where to look!

Apple Fitness+ costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 for the year. Apple is offering all Apple Watch owners one-month of Fitness+ within in the Fitness app, though if you purchased an Apple Watch after the September 15 announcement of Fitness+ then you'll get three months for free.

If you bought a new Apple Watch before that date or you are holding onto your existing model, you can get a two-month free trial of Fitness+ via Best Buy. That's twice as long as Apple will give you by going direct and an extra $10 in savings.

For the longest free trial period, your best option is also at Best Buy. Purchase a new Apple Watch there and you'll score six months of Apple Fitness+ for free. That's a total of $60 in savings and applies to all of the Apple Watch models currently on sale there, from the affordable Series 3 through the latest-and-greatest Series 6. Better yet, select Apple Watch models are discounted by up to $20 there right now.

You could also buy an Apple Watch Series 6 at Amazon with as much as $50 off, snag your three-month Fitness+ free trial at Apple, and put those savings towards your subscription when your due date comes around. In fact, some GPS + Cellular Series 6 models are up to $70 off there.

Apple Fitness+ launched on December 14 with the latest updates to iOS, watchOS, iPadOS, and tvOS. If you already pay for iCloud, Apple Music, Apple News+, or Apple TV+, it's well worth checking the Apple One Premier subscription that bundles in all of Apple's paid-for services at one reduced price.

What you need to know

• If you've bought a new Apple Watch as of September 15, you're supposed to get a three-month free trial of Apple Fitness+.
• Some people don't see the option for the extended free trial.
• No apparent fix as of yet, but Apple Support may be able to help you out.

Update

If you can't access the three-month free trial for Fitness+, and you should be eligible for the service, It seems your best bet is to contact Apple Support.

After a slightly lengthy process (about an hour) I have my Fitness+ three-month free trial. I did have to provide the receipt for my Apple Watch SE purchase (which was back on September 15, 2020), and I did have to talk to three different individuals, but they eventually found a solution for me.

If you're encountering an issue with claiming your free trial, I highly suggest contacting Apple Support. Be kind, be patient, and have your receipt for your Apple Watch purchase at the ready. Hopefully, they'll be able to help you.

Original article

Apple launched its new video-led workout service Apple Fitness+, and although lots of early reviews are praising the service, the launch is experiencing one major hiccup.

When Apple announced the service back in September, it told people that anyone who bought a new Apple Watch (Series 3 or later) would get a three-month free trial of the new service when it launched; however, not all users can see the option for the extended trial period.

Once you've updated your iPhone to iOS 14.3 and your Apple Watch to watchOS 7.2, the 3-month trial should automatically appear as an option (as you can see in the screenshot to the right). Some users are complaining that they only have the opportunity for a one-month free trial, which is the standard free trial period that anybody can try.

I am experiencing this issue. I bought an Apple Watch SE on September 15 and should be eligible for the 3-month free trial; however, when I open the Fitness+ tab in the Fitness app, I only get the option for a one-month trial period. All my devices are logged in to the same Apple ID (which is necessary), and I have no outstanding updates to be completed.

Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any fix for the problem yet. I suggest you contact Apple Support (which is what I have done) to remedy the issue. Also, Apple Watches bought through Best Buy are supposed to be eligible for an extended trial period. Best Buy is supposed to be sending out emails to qualified customers with the correct details.

**Update

Apple Health Records is a feature that has been around for a few years now. This tool helps you keep your medical information safely on your iPhone. And yet, you probably haven't seen or heard much of it. However, Apple is always improving and expanding this feature. Learn more about it here!

What is Apple Health Records?

Apple Health Records is a feature built inside your iPhone's Health app. However, unlike your Health app, which tracks your regular information, like the heart rate that you take with your Apple Watch, or an external heart rate monitor, your Health Records store you clinical and medical history.

With the help of institutions that support and use Apple Health Records, you can quickly access your medical information from your iPhone, share it with doctors or medical providers, and even get your test results right inside the app.

This feature was created because of the huge popularity of the Health app and the Apple Watch had. Because of how easy it was to record and track a lot of data, including your steps, your heart rate, and even the workouts you made using the Fitness app, formerly known as the Activity app.

Is Apple Health Records really that important?

Source: Apple

It doesn't matter how you look at it, having your medical information at hand is important, and it's practical as well. Apple Health Records helps both the patients and the care providers.

It helps doctors, hospitals and clinics have quick access to your Electronic Health Record, or EHR for short. They can quickly learn everything about your medical history, instead of having to rely on your memory to give the correct information. This would be extremely helpful if you go to several medical institutions, or if you just changed doctors. That way is easier to learn from these records and give the patient a better, more efficient treatment.

And it helps you have your records at hand, making it easier to know about your clinical records, and to share them with any institution that you want. Plus, you can see any additional information that's updated to your Health Records, like some test results that the medical institution sends you.

The best part is that the Apple Health Record feature shows you all your medical information in simple terms. You don't have to be an expert to read and understand your data.

How many times have you forgotten about your prescriptions, or when you took your last blood test. With Health Records, you don't have to even think about your tests. Everything is neatly stored in one place.

Is Apple Health Records safe?

This is one of the most important questions. After all, your medical records are highly delicate and private information. Apple has always worked hard to ensure its users' privacy remains secure, and the company is doing the same for your medical records.

During an interview with Kevin Lynch, Apple's VP of Technology, he tells iMore how "At Apple we value privacy so highly, we built our system to manage health data including health records in the most secure way. Health data is some of the most important and sensitive data that people have, and privacy is core to everything that we do."

Ultimately, your medical history is secure behind Apple's Health Records features. The only way you can access it and share it with professionals and other apps is by entering your PIN, and using Touch ID or Face ID. Plus, Apple makes it very clear that your information is only shared with the institutions you chose, and once you send or receive any type of information, the information is shared without using Apple's network.

It's also worth noting that Apple states it's not creating, receiving, and maintaining or transmitting any protected health information. If you choose so, you can upload your data to iCloud, which will be encrypted as soon as you upload it.

Is Apple Health Records only available in the US?

No, not anymore. Recently Apple announced that Apple Health Records would finally expand to the UK and Canada would be able to use Apple Health Records with only a few medical institutions. However, Apple also said there will be more institutions available in the upcoming months.

What healthcare providers participate in Apple Health Records?

You can transfer your health records from a multitude of healthcare providers into the Apple Health app. Here is a complete list of them in alphabetical order! We'll add more providers as they're announced.

• Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (England, UK)
• Oxford University Hospitals NHS, Foundation Trust (England, UK)

• Mackenzie Health (Ontario, Canada)
• St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (Ontario, Canada)
• Women's College Hospital (Ontario, Canada)

• Abigail Family Medicine (Delaware)
• Richard M. Adams, DPM - Family Foot Care (Texas)
• Adult Internal Medicine (North Carolina)
• Adventist Health (California, Oregon, Hawaii)
• Adventist Health System (Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, and others)
• Adventist HealthCare (Maryland)
• Naomi Akita, M.D. (Georgia)
• Dr. Hussain Al-darsani, MD (California)
• Albany Surgical, PC (Georgia)
• Alfieri Cardiology PA (Delaware)
• Allegheny Health Network (Pennsylvania)
• Allen County Regional Hospital (Kansas)
• Allentown Family Foot Care Professional Corporation (Pennsylvania)
• Allina Health (Minnesota, Wisconsin)
• ALON Family Health (Texas)
• Jason Amato, MD Dermatology LLC (Missouri)
• AMITA Health (Illinois)
• AnMed Health (Georgia)
• Arlington Podiatry (Virginia)
• Artesia General Hospital (New Mexico)
• Ashland Mansfield Foot & Ankle Specialist (Ohio)
• Associated Podiatrists (Wisconsin)
• Associates in Internal Medicine PA (Florida)
• AtlantiCare (New Jersey)
• Atrium Health (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia)
• ATX Orthopedics (Texas)
• Augusta Health (Virginia)
• Aultman Health Foundation (Ohio)
• Austin Regional Clinic (Texas)
• Aveon Health (Arizona)
• Rabia S. Awan, MD, PA (New Jersey)
• Jalal Badday, MD (California)
• Bal K. Gupta, MD, PC (Michigan)
• Ballad Health (Tennessee)
• Banner Health (California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, Nebraska)
• Baptist Health (Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois)
• Baptist Health South Florida (Florida)
• Barton Health (California)
• Bates County Memorial Hospital (Missouri)
• Bay Clinic, LLP (Oregon)
• BayCare (Florida)
• Bayhealth Medical Center (Delaware)
• Baylor College of Medicine (Texas)
• Baylor, Scott & White Health (Texas)
• Baylor, Scott & White Texas Spine & Joint Hospital (Texas)
• Baystate Health (Massachusetts)
• BCMH Physicians Group (Michigan)
• Beaumont Health (Michigan)
• Behavior Change Center Clinic (Texas)
• Dr. Bryce Beseth (California)
• Better Me Healthcare (Florida)
• Black River Memorial Hospital (Wisconsin)
• Blanchard Valley Health System (Ohio)
• Blessing Health System (Illinois)
• Boca Raton Regional Hospital (Florida)
• Bon Secours Health System (Kentucky, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, and Florida)
• Boone County Health Center (Nebraska)
• Dr. Albert Boyd, MD (Texas)
• Brain Vitals (California)
• Brandon M. Lingenfelter, D.O., Ph.D., PLLC (West Virginia)
• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (Vermont)
• Bristol Hospital (Connecticut)
• Broadlawns Medical Center (Iowa)
• Broadwater Health Center (Montana)
• Broward Health (Florida)
• Brownsville OB/GYN Associates, PLLC (Texas)
• Buffalo Medical Group (New York)
• Burgess Health Center (Iowa)
• Cabinet Peaks Medical Center (Montana)
• Caneva Foot & Ankle Clinic (Illinois)
• CaroMont Health (North Carolina)
• Carroll County Memorial Hospital (Missouri)
• Carson Valley Medical Center (Nevada)
• Catholic Health Initiatives - CHI Health, CHI Franciscan Health, CHI St Luke's Health, CHI St. Alexius Health (Nebraska, Iowa, Washington, Texas, North Dakota)
• Catholic Health Services of Long Island (New York)
• Cayuga Medical Center (New York)
• Cedar Hill Women's Center (Texas)
• Cedars-Sinai (California)
• Center for Manual Medicine (Kansas)
• Centers for Pain Control (Indiana)
• Centra Health (Virginia)
• Central Valley Medical Center (Utah)
• Centura Health (Colorado and Kansas)
• Cerner Healthe Clinic (Kansas, Missouri)
• CGH Medical Center (Illinois)
• Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (New York)
• Charleston Area Medical Center (West Virginia)
• Chase County Community Hospital (Nebraska)
• Asim Chohan, MD (Oklahoma)
• Christiana Care Health System (Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey)
• Circle Health (Massachusetts)
• Citizens Memorial Hospital (Missouri)
• Clarinda Regional Health Center (Iowa)
• Cleveland Clinic (Ohio, Nevada, and Florida)
• Cogdell Memorial Hospital (Texas)
• Columbia Pacific Medical Services (Oregon)
• Columbus Regional Healthcare System (North Carolina)
• Community Healthcare System (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan)
• Community Healthcare System (Kansas)
• Community Health Network (Indiana)
• Community Health Systems (Nationwide) - including AllianceHealth (OK), Bayfront Health (FL), Commonwealth Health (PA), Lutheran Health Network (IN), Merit Health (MO), Northwest Health (AR), Physicians Regional (FL), Tennova Healthcare (TN)
• Community Hospital Fairfax (Missouri)
• Community Medical Centers (California)
• Cone Health (North Carolina)
• Conemaugh Health System (Pennsylvania)
• Confluence Health (Washington)
• Consultants in Infectious Diseases LLC (Florida)
• Copley Hospital (Vermont)
• Coquille Valley Hospital (Oregon)
• Covenant Health (Tennessee)
• CoxHealth (Missouri)
• Crabapple Family Medicine, PC (Georgia)
• Crawford Memorial Hospital District (Illinois)
• Crisp Regional Hospital (Georgia)
• Cullman Regional (Alabama)
• Davis County Hospital (Iowa)
• Deaconess Health System (Indiana)
• Deborah Heart and Lung Center (New Jersey)
• Decatur County Hospital (Iowa)
• Delano Regional Medical Center (California)
• Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) (Nationwide)
• DeSoto Regional Health Systems (Louisiana)
• DHR Health (Texas)
• Diabetes and Endocrine Specialists (Kentucky)
• Digestive Disease Associates (Pennsylvania)
• Dignity Health (Arizona, California, and Nevada)
• DiToppa Medical Center (Pennsylvania)
• Doctors Care (South Carolina)
• Doylestown Health (Pennsylvania)
• Dr. Joan Sy Medical Corporation (California)
• DRH Health Inc. (Oklahoma)
• Dubuque Orthopaedic Surgeons, PC (Iowa)
• Duke Health (North Carolina)
• Edward-Elmhurst Health (Illinois)
• Eisenhower Health (California)
• Elkader Medical Center (Iowa)
• Ellsworth County Medical Center (Kansas)
• Embry Women's Health (Arizona)
• Emory Healthcare (Georgia)
• Englewood Health (New Jersey)
• Equality Medical Group, LLC (Arizona, California)
• Erie County Medical Center (New York)
• Erlanger Health System (Tennessee)
• Esperanza Health Centers (Chicago)
• Fairview Health (Minnesota)
• Family Foot and Ankle Clinic, P.A. (Minnesota)
• Family Footcare Specialist (New Jersey)
• Firelands Regional Health System (Ohio)
• First Choice Community Healthcare (New Mexico)
• First Coast Surgical Associates (Florida)
• Fisher-Titus Health (Ohio)
• Fitzgibbon Hospital (Missouri)
• Floyd Medical Center (Georgia)
• Florida Community Health Centers, Inc (Florida)
• Foot and Ankle Specialist (Arizona)
• Foot Specialists of Greater Cincinnati (Ohio)
• Fort Healthcare (Wisconsin)
• Franciscan Care Services (Nebraska)
• Franciscan Health (Indiana, Illinois)
• Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (Louisiana)
• Franklin County Memorial Hospital (Mississippi)
• Franklin General Hospital (Iowa)
• Franklin Neurology (Michigan)
• Frederick Health (Maryland)
• Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
• Garfield Medical Center (California)
• Geisinger (Pennsylvania)
• Genesis Health System (Iowa)
• Genesis Healthcare System (Ohio)
• Grace Cottage Hospital (Vermont)
• Grand Lake Primary Care (Oklahoma)
• Grand View Health (Pennsylvania)
• Greater Baltimore Medical Center (Maryland)
• Greater El Monte Community Hospital (California)
• Greater Hudson Valley Health System (New York)
• Greater Salem Family Footcare Associates (New Hampshire)
• Greenville Health System (South Carolina)
• Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
• Gunnison Valley Health (Colorado)
• Hackensack Meridian Health (New Jersey)
• Hal J. Freiman, M.D. (New York)
• David Hamilos, DPM (Tennessee)
• Hancock County Health System (Iowa)
• Hancock Health (Indiana)
• Hansen Family Hospital (Iowa)
• Thourya Haoues-Brown MD (Connecticut)
• Mehna A. Haq, MD (New Jersey)
• Harbin Clinic (Georgia)
• Harrington Physician Services (Massachusetts)
• Harrison County Hospital (Indiana)
• Hartford HealthCare (Connecticut, Rhode Island)
• Hattiesburg Clinic (Mississippi)
• Hawaii Foot & Ankle Associates (Hawaii)
• HB Magruder Memorial Hospital (Ohio)
• Health Quarters (Massachusetts)
• Hemphill County Hospital (Texas)
• Hendrick Medical Center (Texas)
• Henry Community Health (Indiana)
• Henry County Health Center (Iowa)
• Henry Ford Health System (Michigan)
• Highland District Hospital (Ohio)
• Hillsdale Hospital (Michigan)
• Holland Hospital (Michigan)
• Holy Cross Medical Center (New Mexico)
• Hospital for Special Surgery (New Jersey, New York)
• Hospital Sisters Health System (Illinois, Wisconsin)
• Houston Methodist (Texas)
• Hudson Medical (New York)
• Hudson Physicians (Wisconsin)
• Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital (North Carolina)
• Huntington Hospital (California)
• Huntsville Hospital Health System (Alabama)
• Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System (Kansas)
• Ida Family Wellness Center (Michigan)
• IM365 Health (California)
• Indiana University Health (Indiana)
• Indianapolis Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Indiana)
• Infectious Diseases Associates, PC (Nebraska)
• Innovative Express Care SC (Illinois)
• Inova Health System (Virginia)
• Inspira Health (New Jersey)
• Intermountain Healthcare (Utah)
• Iredell Memorial Hospital (North Carolina)
• Jaisohn Medical Center (Pennsylvania)
• Jefferson Health (Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania)
• Jennings American Legion Hospital (Louisiana)
• Jersey Coast Family Medicine (New Jersey)
• John Muir Health (California)
• Johns Hopkins (Maryland)
• Johnson County Healthcare Center (Wyoming)
• Johnson County Hospital (Nebraska)
• Johnson Memorial Hospital (Indiana)
• Jupiter Medical Center (Florida)
• Kadin Foot & Ankle Center (New Jersey)
• Kahuku Medical Center (Hawaii)
• Kaiser Permanente (Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Mid-Atlantic States, and Hawaii)
• Kaleida Health (New York)
• Kalispell Regional Healthcare (Montana)
• Kansas Medical Center (Kansas)
• Kansas Nephrology Physicians, PA (Kansas)
• Keck Medicine of USC (California)
• Kettering Health Network (Ohio)
• KidneyCare Oklahoma (Oklahoma)
• Klamath Orthopedic Clinic (Oregon)
• Kingfisher Family Clinic (Oklahoma)
• Knoxville Hospital & Clinics (Iowa)
• Kohles Family Practice (Indiana)
• Kossuth Regional Health Center (Iowa)
• Kreptowski Family Practice (Ohio)
• Awani Kumar, MD, PC (New Jersey)
• LabCorp (Nationwide)
• Lafayette General Health (Louisiana)
• Lake Health (Ohio)
• Lake Regional Health System (Missouri)
• Lakeland Regional Health Systems (Florida)
• Lakes Region General Hospital (New Hampshire)
• Laredo Cardiovascular Consultants P.A. (Texas)
• Lavaca Medical Center (Texas)
• Lebanon Medical Associates (Kentucky)
• Legacy Health (Oregon and Washington)
• Lehigh Valley Health Network (Pennsylvania)
• Levine Heart & Wellness (Florida)
• Lexington Cardiology (Connecticut)
• LifeBridge Health (Maryland)
• LifePoint Health (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)
• Lincoln Surgery Center (Nebraska)
• Little Colorado Medical Center (Arizona)
• LMH Health (Kansas)
• Long Island Surgery, PC (New York)
• Steve Lovelady, MD LLC (Alabama)
• Lynn County Hospital District (Texas)
• David J. MacGregor, MD (California)
• Madison Memorial Health Partners (Idaho)
• Magnolia Regional Health Center (Arkansas)
• Main Line Health (Pennsylvania)
• MaineHealth (Maine, New Hampshire)
• Mammoth Hospital (California)
• Martin County Hospital District (Texas)
• Perry Mansfield, MD (California)
• Margaret Mary Community Hospital (Indiana)
• Martin County Hospital Distrct (Texas)
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (California)
• Fernando L. Martinez-Catinchi, MD PA (Florida)
• Mary Washington Healthcare (Virginia)
• Maui Health System (Hawaii)
• Tony S. McClung, MD (Texas)
• McDonough District Hospital (Illinois)
• McKnight Clinic PLLC (Tennessee)
• McLaren Health Care (Michigan)
• MCR Health (Florida)
• Medical Associates Clinic (Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin)
• Medical Clinic of Northville (Michigan)
• Medical Health Center of Middletown, INC. (New Jersey)
• Medical University of South Carolina (South Carolina)
• MedStar Health (Maryland and Washington D.C.)
• Memorial Community Health, Inc. (Nebraska)
• Memorial Health Care Systems (Nebraska)
• Memorial Healthcare System (Florida)
• Mercy Health (Missouri)
• Mercy Medical Center (Iowa)
• Methodist Health System (Nebraska)
• Methodist Health System (Texas)
• Methodist Hospital of Southern California (California)
• Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (Tennessee)
• Metro Infectious Disease Consultants (Illinois)
• Miami Pulmonary Specialists (Florida)
• Michigan Institute for Interventional Pain (Michigan)
• Michigan Medicine (Michigan)
• Mid-America Internal Medicine (Missouri)
• Mid-Columbia Medical Center (Oregon)
• Middlebrook Family Physicians, PA (New Jersey)
• MidMichigan Health (Michigan)
• Midwest Surgical Hospital (Nebraska)
• Milford Regional Medical (Massachusetts)
• Millennium Physician Group (Florida)
• Minnie Hamilton Health System (West Virginia)
• Mission Health (North Carolina)
• Missouri Delta Medical Center (Missouri)
• MIT Medical (Massachusetts)
• Moffitt Cancer Center (Florida)
• Monroe County Hospital & Clinics (Iowa)
• Monroe Foot Clinic (Wisconsin)
• Monroe Surgical Hospital (Louisiana)
• Monterey Park Hospital (California)
• Mosaic Life Care (Missouri)
• Mount Sinai (New York)
• Mt Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (Vermont)
• MU Health Care (Missouri)
• Munson Heathcare (Michigan)
• Munson Healthcare Charlevoix Hospital (Michigan)
• Murfreesboro Medical Clinic and Surgicenter (Tennessee)
• Navicent Health (Georgia)
• Nebraska Cardiac Care (Nebraska)
• Nebraska Foot & Ankle, PC (Nebraska)
• Nebraska Medicine (Nebraska)
• Nemaha County Hospital (Nebraska)
• Neosho Memorial (Kansas)
• Neurology LLP (Omaha)
• Nevada Regional Medical Center (Missouri)
• New Hampton Medical Center (Iowa)
• New Hanover Regional Medical Center (North Carolina)
• New York Presbyterian - Hudson Valley Hospital (New York)
• Next Step Orthopedics (Texas)
• North Canyon Medical Center (Idaho)
• North Kansas City Hospital (Missouri)
• Northeastern Health System (Oklahoma)
• Northfield Hospital + Clinics (Minnesota)
• Northern Light Health (Maine)
• NorthRiver Primary Care Associates (Alabama)
• Northside Hospital (Georgia)
• Northwest Community Healthcare (Illinois)
• Northwest Physicians Associates (Pennsylvania)
• Northwestern Medical (Vermont)
• Northwestern Medicine (Illinois)
• Norton Healthcare (Indiana, Kentucky)
• Nouriche Wellness and Aesthetics (Louisiana)
• NYU Langone Health (New York)
• Ocean County Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates (New Jersey)
• http://ochsner.org (Louisiana)
• http://ohiohealth.com (Ohio)
• OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University) (Oregon)
• Old Naples Concierge Medicine (Florida)
• Olean Medical Group (New York)
• Omni Dermatology (Arizona)
• Opelousas General Health System (Louisiana)
• Open Door Health (California)
• Orchard Hospital (California)
• Orchid Ob/Gyn (Florida)
• Orleans Community Health (New York)
• OrthoNebraska (Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa)
• Orthopedic & Sports Medicine of Saint Joseph (Missouri)
• OrthoVirginia (Virginia)
• Osmond General Hospital (Nebraska)
• OSU Medicine (Oklahoma)
• Othello Community Hospital (Washington)
• Overlake Hospital Medical Center (Washington)
• Ozark Health Medical Center (Arkansas)
• Pagosa Springs Medical Center (Colorado)
• Palo Alto County Health System (Iowa)
• Pana Community Hospital (Illinois)
• Park City Gynecology (Utah)
• Parkview Medical Center (Colorado)
• Partners HealthCare (including Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital)
• Hiren Patel, MD (Alabama)
• PeaceHealth (Alaska, Oregon, Washington)
• Peachtree Nephrology, PC (Georgia)
• Penn Medicine (Pennsylvania)
• Penn State Health (Pennsylvania)
• Pensacola Foot & Ankle Center (Florida)
• Peoria Foot & Ankle Specialists (Arizona)
• Perlman Clinic (California)
• Pershing Memorial Hospital (Missouri)
• Personalized Primary Care Atlanta (Georgia)
• Peterson Health (Texas)
• Physicians Urgent Care - Cookeville (Tennessee)
• PIH Health (California)
• Pinnacle Health Group (Florida)
• Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (Massachusetts)
• Podiatry Associates (South Carolina)
• Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (California)
• Pratt Regional Medical Center (Kansas)
• Precision Surgical Specialists of Lowell, P.C. (Massachusetts)
• Premier Health (Ohio)
• Premier Medical Group (Tennessee)
• Prime Healthcare (California, Texas)
• Princeton Community Hospital (West Virginia)
• Professional Associates in Surgery, LLP (New Jersey)
• Providence Health & Services (Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon, and Washington)
• Providence Medical Center (Nebraska)
• Quest Diagnostics (Nationwide)
• Rancho Family Medical Group (California)
• Randolph Community Clinic (Wisconsin)
• Basel Refai, MD (Alabama)
• Regional One Health (Tennessee)
• Regional Urology (Louisiana)
• Renal Associates of LaGrange at Emory (Georgia)
• Renown Health (Nevada)
• Reyes Cardiology (Oregon)
• Thomas R. Rich, DPM (New Jersey)
• Riverside Medical Center (Louisiana)
• Riverview Health (Indiana)
• Rochester Internists (Michigan)
• Rocky Mountain Infectious Disease (Wyoming)
• Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital (Texas)
• Rush Memorial Hospital (Indiana)
• Rush University Medical Center (Illinois)
• RWJBarnabas Health (New Jersey)
• Juan J. Salazar MD (Texas)
• San Antonio Regional Hospital (California)
• San Gabriel Valley Medical Center (California)
• San Francisco Gynecology, INC. (California)
• Sansum Clinic (California)
• Sarasota Memorial Health (Florida)
• Sauk Prairie Healthcare (Wisconsin)
• Scituate Podiatry Group, Inc (Massachusetts)
• Scripps Health (California)
• Seiff Center for Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery (Delaware)
• Shahla Medical Associates (Florida)
• Kishwar Shareef, MD (New Jersey)
• Sharp Healthcare (California)
• Shenandoah Medical Center (Iowa)
• Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (SRA Lab) (Illinois)
• Sicher Foot Center (Texas)
• Sigma Pain Clinic (Texas)
• Silver Cross Hospital (Illinois)
• Singing River Health System (Mississippi)
• Dr. Chad Smoker, MD (North Carolina)
• Solano Kidney Care, Inc. (California)
• Southcoast Health System (Massachusetts)
• Southeast Colorado Hospital District (Colorado)
• Southeast Health (Missouri)
• Southern Iowa Orthopedics (Iowa)
• Southwest General (Ohio)
• Southwest Memorial Hospital (Colorado)
• Southwestern Women's Clinic (Texas)
• Sparta Community Hospital District (Illinois)
• Speare Memorial Hospital (New Hampshire)
• Specialists Hospital of Shreveport (Louisiana)
• Spectrum Healthcare Group (Arizona)
• St. Charles Health System (Oregon)
• St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital (Mississippi)
• St. Joseph's Health (New Jersey)
• St. Luke Hospital and Living Center (Kansas)
• St. Luke's Health System (Idaho and Eastern Oregon)
• St. Luke's Hospital (Minnesota, Wisconsin)
• St. Luke's Hospital (Missouri)
• St. Luke's Hospital (Ohio)
• St. Luke's University Health Network (Pennsylvania and New Jersey)
• St. Mary's Medical Center (Wyoming)
• Stanford Health Care (California)
• State of Franklin Healthcare (Tennessee)
• Stewart Dermatology (Alabama)
• Robert S. Stipek, DPM (Massachusetts)
• Summit Medical Group (New Jersey)
• Sunrise Family Clinic (Oregon)
• Sunset ID Care PA (Texas)
• Surgical Associates of Atlanta, P.C. (Georgia)
• Sutter Health (California)
• Swisher Memorial Hospital District (Texas)
• Syringa Hospital & Clinics (Idaho)
• Tampa General Hospital (Florida)
• Tenet Health (Alabama, Florida)
• Texas Health Resources (Texas)
• Texas Tech Health Sciences Center (Texas)
• Thayer County Health Services (Nebraska and Kansas)
• The Brooklyn Hospital Center (New York)
• The Christ Hospital Health Network (Ohio)
• The Foot & Leg Specialty Center (Florida)
• The Guthrie Clinic (Pennsylvania, New York)
• The Hypertension Clinic (New Jersey)
• The Listening Doctor (Florida)
• The National Diabetes & Obesity Research Institute (Mississippi)
• The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group (Texas)
• The University of Kansas Health System (Kansas)
• Think Healthcare (Nebraska)
• Thiru, MD, PA (New Jersey)
• Tidelands Health (South Carolina)
• Tift Regional Health System (Georgia)
• TMH Physician Partners-Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep (Florida)
• Torrance Memorial Medical Center (California)
• Total Foot Care (Delaware)
• Tower Health (Pennsylvania)
• Treasure Coast Podiatry (Florida)
• Trinity Health (Nationwide) - including Mount Carmel (OH), Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (MI), Trinity Health New England, Saint Agnes (CA), Saint Alphonsus (ID)
• Trinity Health (North Dakota)
• Truman Medical Centers (Missouri)
• UAB Medicine (Alabama)
• UC Davis Health (California)
• UC Irvine Health (California)
• UC San Diego Health (California)
• UCLA Health (California)
• UCSF Health (California)
• Ultimate Access Primary Care (Ohio)
• UMass Memorial Health Care (Massachusetts)
• UNC Medical Center (North Carolina)
• Union General Health Systems (Georgia)
• Union Hospital of Cecil County (Maryland)
• United Medical (Delaware)
• UnityPoint Health (Iowa)
• Universal Family Care (Tennessee)
• University Health Care System (Georgia)
• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Arkansas)
• University of Chicago Medicine (Illinois)
• University of Iowa Health Care (Iowa)
• University of Louisville Hospital (Kentucky)
• University of Maryland Medical System (Maryland)
• University of Miami Health System (Florida)
• University of Rochester Medical Center (New York)
• University of Tennessee Medical Center (Tennessee)
• University of Texas Medical Branch Health (Texas)
• University of Utah Health (Utah)
• University of Virginia Health System (Virginia)
• UPMC (Pennsylvania)
• Upstate Medical University (New York)
• Urgent Care Now (New Jersey)
• Urology Associates Central Coast (California)
• Urology Associates of Central MO (Missouri)
• Urology Partners of North Texas (Texas)
• USA Health (Alabama)
• UT Health Austin (Texas)
• UT Physicians (Texas)
• Vail Health (Colorado)
• Valley Health System (New Jersey, New York)
• Valley Medical Group (Massachusetts)
• Valley Perinatal Services (Arizona)
• Valley Presbyterian Hospital (California)
• Vancouver Clinic (Washington)
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Tennessee)
• Van Diest Medical Center (Iowa)
• Dr. Catherine F. Vanderloos (Louisiana)
• Vascular Surgery Associates (Florida)
• VCU Health (Virginia)
• Ventura County Healthcare Agency (California)
• Verdugo Dermatology (California)
• Vibrant Health Family Clinics (Wisconsin)
• Virginia Mason Medical Center (Washington)
• Vista Physician Group (Illinois)
• Wabash General (Illinois)
• Waterbury Hospital (Connecticut)
• Wayland Personal Physicians (Massachusetts)
• Wayne HealthCare (Ohio)
• Weill Cornell Medicine (New York)
• West Broadway Clinic (Iowa)
• West Tennessee Healthcare (Tennessee)
• Wheeling Hospital, Inc. (West Virginia)
• Whiteville Eye Associates, P.A. (North Carolina)
• Willow Midwives Ltd (Minnesota)
• Winona Health (Minnesota)
• Women's Group for Health (California)
• Women's Health Institute (Illinois)
• Wood County Hospital (Ohio)
• Working For Life - Engineered Floors (Georgia)
• WVU Medicine (West Virginia)
• Yale New Haven Health (Connecticut)
• Yavapai Regional Medical Center (Arizona)
• Yoakum Community Hospital (Texas)
• Yuma Regional Medical Center (Arizona)

Thoughts? Questions?

Still have some burning questions regarding the Health Records API that you need answered? Share them in the comments below and we'll do our best to answer them as we learn more.

Updated October 2020: Updated with the latest information about Apple Health Records.

The pandemic has forced thousands of fitness studios across the nation to close their doors to the public and pivot to hosting virtual fitness classes to survive. So much so that virtual fitness classes have become the new normal and an excellent way for all of us to stay in shape as we quarantine at home.

FitGrid, an NYC tech company, has built a social fitness marketplace of thousands of studios, where classmates can connect with each other virtually. Their FitGrid app is supporting studios, giving them a long term solution for this new normal. The best thing about the FitGrid app is that it's designed to encourage users to purchase directly from the studios and invite new friends to take classes with them, thereby giving studio owners a new way to engage existing clients and gain new members. I'd recommend the FitGrid app to anyone looking to discover and take new fitness classes, maintain a healthy, fit lifestyle, and connect with other like-minded individuals.

FitGrid Features

FitGrid is a social networking fitness platform designed to support studios and enable users to invite and connect with classmates before and after class. You get a free class just for signing up that is redeemable at a variety of studios you have not visited before. You can earn four more free classes simply by using FitGrid to reserve three classes at any one studio.

FitGrid is an NYC tech company that created the FitGrid app to encourage users to visit, connect with, and invite friends to their favorite studios virtually. The platform hosts thousands of studios nationwide, most of which have virtual fitness class offerings, and encourages users to purchase directly from the studios.

The app itself will track your workouts as long as the studio you take classes is registered with FitGrid. It will ask some personal preference questions regarding fitness and using the app to create your user profile. From there, you can set weekly goals, connect with other FitGrid members, and work towards rewards.

Supporting studios and connecting with classmates What I loved

As a fitness instructor and someone who has taught at boutique and corporate fitness studios, it's been heartbreaking to see the effect this pandemic has had on some of my favorite fitness spots. Many studios nationwide have been forced to close down completely or pivot to a virtual fitness platform. FitGrid has created a way to connect with your fitness community, meet new people of similar fitness interests, and invite new clients to your favorite studios, thereby creating a fun social atmosphere for you while you support your favorite brands and businesses along the way.

When you initially download and set up the app on your smartphone, they ask a few simple questions to get to know you better and create your user profile like: "Which fitness activities do you like?" "Are you open to meeting other people in your studio, or not so interested?" and "Do you travel for work often?" etc.

Once the app has gained a little intel on your personal preferences, your user profile is created. From there, you can track your classes, set weekly workout goals for yourself, connect and invite friends to take classes with you, and works towards rewards. You can also create a chat group with classmates or friends to stay connected while supporting and holding each other accountable.

Easy to use + free class for joining

The FitGrid app is free to download, and you get a free class just for signing up! That free class is only redeemable at specific, designated studios, so you'll want to make sure that the studio you want to take class has the little, red gift, circle symbol, aka the free class award if you're trying to redeem it.

It features a nice clean interface and makes it easy to search for your favorite classes and studios. It also asks you to link your favorite studios via the email addresses you regularly use when you sign up, as well as your Facebook account so you can search and connect with other FitGrid members there.

It also has a special section of your profile that's specifically for your instructors that gives them a little background on you as an athlete, whether or not you have any injuries or special conditions, your fitness level, and your weekly workout goals so they're aware and can help you achieve them.

When you're searching for studios and classes that you might want to take, if you intend to take a virtual class (which it will be for most of us), you can verify that the class is virtual by checking to see if it has a little, blue camera, circle symbol to the left of the name of the class on the schedule. You can search for classes by studio, instructor, or specific modalities. If there are other FitGrid members in your class, you'll be able to connect with them before or after to chat about all things fitness.

I live in Los Angeles, and this is one of my favorite yoga studios, so I was happy and excited to support them. FitGrid directed me to purchase class directly from them, so my money went straight to the studio. There were 11 other people in my class, but none of them were FitGrid members, so I was not able to connect with them. However, the class was excellent, yoga is my favorite way to start the day, and the fact that I completed the class is reflected in my FitGrid app view. That's one class down towards my five class weekly goal.

Just launched What could be better

The FitGrid app is brand spanking new, so don't expect to find all of your friends and favorite fitness studios on there just yet. It does host an impressive array of studios already, but it being an east coast company, I could not find a lot of my west coast favorites. I'm definitely going to spread the word to the studio owners and fitness class connoisseurs in my network because I think it's an excellent service for user and studio alike.

Bottom line

FitGrid is a social fitness platform designed to connect classmates virtually and enable users to support and invite friends to their favorite studios. You get a free class just for signing up and can discover and reserve virtual classes nationwide. You'll track your workouts, set weekly goals, and earn rewards for the classes you take. It's a great way to connect with your fellow fitness community, gives you incentive to stay healthy and fit, and enables you to discover and support your favorite fitness studios in the process.

In the Before Times, when it was safe to breathe indoors around other people, you exercised in a gym. You treasure the ever-foggier memory: the comforting hum of the treadmill, the blessed distraction of videos on your iPad, the variable speeds and timer display you could use to create an effective interval workout. Now the world has changed, and you're forced to exercise outside, in the weather, like some kind of caveman. FourthFrame's Intervals Pro can't do anything about sunburn, bugs, low-hanging branches, or the dangers of running outdoors while also trying to watch Netflix, but it can at least restore structure to your exercise regimen.

Free to try, $7.99 to fully unlock: Download now

Whether you want to set up a basic interval training workout (it me), create your own custom circuits of timed exercises, or embark on a full-on couch-to-fitness training program, Intervals Pro's mix of custom creations and readymade programs has you covered. It integrates fully with Apple Health and Siri, can upload workouts to a synched Apple Watch for phone-free exercise, and even plays nice (mostly) with music and podcasts. It has a few quirks that waver between annoying and endearing, but the features and flexibility it offers more than justify the full version's entirely fair price.

Shape up and ship out

You start using Intervals Pro by creating a timer. The app offers three increasingly complex options here:

1. A HIIT (high-intensity interval training) timer, which alternates between short bursts of activity and longer periods of rest.
2. A custom interval timer, where you can color-code multiple custom intervals — i.e., red for squats, yellow for burpees, blue for planks — to build your own workout routine.
3. A set timer, where you can string together groups of those custom intervals into multiple repeating sets of workouts.

If even the least of those sounds exhausting, fear not. Intervals Pro has done most of the work for you by creating various workout templates you can make your own. They include, among others:

• A simple run/walk routine.
• A Tabata workout — eight rounds each of 20 seconds of intense activity, 10 seconds of rest.
• The various no-equipment-needed exercises of the 7-Minute Workout.
• And even a mindfulness meditation exercise.

If you want even more coaching than that, Intervals Pro packs in a complete nine-week 5K training program, and a 12-week program to get you from absolutely no exercise to regular running.

Customize to exercise

I probably should have used that "simple run/walk" template myself. My first few HIIT workouts got confusing until I dug into the settings and switched off various features that I shouldn't have turned on in the first place — like a purpose-defeating "extra time" feature after each interval, presumably in case you weren't really serious about only wanting to run for one minute.

I also needed to tweak the custom sounds that announced the start and end of each high-intensity interval. The defaults sounded so mild that I often missed them while listening to podcasts or music. Switching them up for a starting bell and a coach's whistle solved that problem nicely.

I'd also advise against running while listening to anything you want to hear in great detail because sometimes Intervals Pro just won't shut up. Don't get me wrong: When the app tells me I'm halfway through a run cycle, or have only 10 seconds left, that's sweet music to my ears. But the app's insistence on announcing a host of other non-essential stats can run roughshod over any other audio you're listening to. And you may have to adjust the volume frequently if you're tuning into a fairly quiet podcast, lest the much louder Intervals blow out your eardrums when it chimes in.

My main gripe with Intervals comes from one of the features I also enjoy the best. In the gym, I could set the treadmill's maximum speed when I started running. But out in the world, my body basically has two settings: "Brisk stroll" and "Go fast now." To prevent you from exhausting yourself too soon (or giving yourself too much of a break), Intervals Pro can track your speed via iPhone or Apple Watch and try to keep you within a designated range.

I like that, but I'd like it more if it worked more consistently, or provided more useful guidance. "Slow down by 35 seconds" doesn't really help me any more than a simple "slow down" would, and "speed up by zero seconds" only makes me wonder whether the developers' tastes lean toward mild sadism. The app also — but not exclusively — tends to perform oddly timed and wildly unhelpful speed checks just after you've completed one interval, urging you to speed up or slow down right after you know you're supposed to do the opposite.

Fit and finish

Still, once I got a handle on Intervals Pro's settings and eccentricities, I grew to enjoy it. I particularly like the Siri integration, since I can just ask to start any of my workouts by name to get things rolling. And the app keeps excellent data, both in its own logs and in Apple Health, of how long I've been running, how many calories I burned, and more. If I had an Apple Watch or external heart monitor, it'd log my pulse rate, too.

Intervals Pro's interface gets a tad busy, but it looks nice and keeps the most useful information front and center. Even if you don't have headphones or earbuds — or if they go rogue and leap from your ears in the middle of a workout — the app will vibrate your phone to signal the start and end of each interval, a nice bit of haptic nudging.

My verdict

Intervals Pro keeps my workouts from veering into chaos for an entirely fair price. Once you fork over that single unlock fee, you're never bothered with ads or nagged for further upgrades, and you get a ridiculous pile of features and extra sounds to justify the expense.

Even when the world returns to some semblance of its previous normalcy, and I get reacquainted with treadmills, I'll still be glad to have Intervals Pro for those times when I'm on vacation and/or away from a gym. If you want to get in, return to, or stay in shape without breathing in who-knows-what from who-knows-who, you'll probably find your own reasons to be glad you bought it, too.

Free to try, $7.99 to fully unlock: Download now

What you need to know

• Apple is reportedly working on a fitness class subscription.
• It's said to be similar to services like Peloton.
• It'll likely be rolled into Apple One as well.

Apple is reportedly working on another new subscription service, this time one focussed on fitness. According to a new Bloomberg report, Apple has new fitness classes up its sleeve.

The fitness class subscription would reportedly work just like Peloton, something that will surely set the hares running at the fitness company's HQ. Apple will also likely roll the new subscription into the rumored Apple One as well.

Apple's upcoming launch of iOS 14 will already see its Activity app be renamed to Fitness, perhaps signaling that these new classes will live within that app on iPhone. Fitness would also need to be launched on iPad and, presumably, Apple TV as well.

The thought of Apple launching fitness classes that users can watch on their iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs while having their Apple Watch track everything is one that makes tons of sense. It also gives Apple another service that adds additional value to a potential Apple One bundle.

Bloomberg says that Apple One will launch alongside iPhone 12. It isn't clear whether the fitness subscription is on the same timescale, however.

Water — whether you like it or not, it's necessary for us to live. But I, like many others out there, tend to forget to drink enough water throughout the day. Sure, I drink a glass or two a day, but sometimes that's just not enough, especially if you're more active. I've also tried various water reminder apps, but I tend to fall off of those after a while too (so many notifications on my phone).

So when I heard about the HidrateSpark 3 Smart Water Bottle earlier this year, I had to check it out. After all, I have a smart coffee mug already, why not add a smart water bottle to my collection?

The HidrateSpark 3 definitely helps me remember to drink enough water each day.

Tracking water intake has never been easier

HidrateSpark 3 Smart Water Bottle: Features

The HidrateSpark 3 consists of six parts: lid, soft grip body, sensor stick, finger loop, battery, and bottom ring. It uses a standard CR2032 button cell battery, which you insert into the base of the sensor stick. The lid twists onto the smaller opening at the top of the bottle, while the sensor stick and bottom ring twist onto the wider, bottom opening. The product comes with a quick start guide that shows you how to get the battery inside the base.

Because of the sensors in the HidrateSpark 3, this does mean that the bottle is slightly heavier than your typical plastic water bottle (I compared it to a plastic Camelbak) when empty, but the difference is negligible. It's even less noticeable once it's full of water, but of course, the HIdrateSpark 3 is just itty bitty heavier due to the sensors.

The soft touch body has some conformed ridges that help you have a better grip on the bottle. While you can add ice to the bottle for cold water, it may cause inaccurate readings with the sensor, so during my testing, I just used room temperature water. But if you do add ice, the soft grip body does help minimize condensation, so you don't need to worry about your bottle "sweating" everywhere.

HidrateSpark 3's lid also has a button that you can push, which results in the top half swinging open, and it stays open until you close it. On the back of the lid, where the hinge is, you can attach the included finger loop through the metal pin. This is optional, but it does make it easier to carry your water bottle around when necessary.

Now, the real magic behind the HidrateSpark 3 is the sensor stick, which you must put in the bottom ring before twisting it onto the body. The sensor stick is how the bottle knows how much water it's holding, while detecting how much water you consume with each drink. This same sensor stick can glow throughout the day to remind you of when you should drink, and it also glows after you finish a bottle and refill it. There are three glow styles that you can customize your bottle with as well, all done through the app.

Before you start using your HidrateSpark 3, you will need to calibrate the sensor stick through the app, which is done by placing the empty bottle on a flat surface, filling it up and placing it back on a flat surface for 10 seconds, and then emptying it. If you ever feel that the measurements are off, you can recalibrate it at any time in the HidrateSpark app.

The app itself features a sleek UI and is a joy to use. To use it though, you'll need to create a free account, but HidrateSpark does make use of the Sign-in with Apple feature. I used Sign-in with Apple and was up and running in seconds.

With the HidrateSpark app, you can connect it to Apple Health and other fitness apps to get a recommended water intake goal based on your information (age, height, weight, activity levels, and local weather). If that makes you uncomfortable, a manual goal can also be set.

The home view of the HidrateSpark app shows your weekly progress at the top, and your daily goal is up front and center. Each time you open the app, it syncs up with your water bottle, so you can check your daily goal progress (percentage, how many more bottles, and your current streak). You can even add water intake manually if, for example, you drank water outside of your water bottle.

In the History view, you get a chart of your daily or monthly progress. The day view is especially cool, because it breaks down your intake by the ounce each time.

Reminder notifications can also be set if you need them. HidrateSpark lets you customize your notifications to be funny, motivational, or even quotations, and you can have them always on or only active when you're actually behind pace to reach your goal. There is also the option to choose how your bottle glows (Low, Medium, or High) to remind you, and like notifications, you can have it set to always or just when you're behind. The bottle can also glow when you reach your goal, because why shouldn't you feel accomplished?

If you have friends who also have a HidrateSpark water bottle, there is a feature that lets you compete with them.

The HidrateSpark 3 should be rinsed out after each use. The body of the bottle and sensor stick are hand wash only, while the lid and bottom ring are dishwasher safe. The bottle should be stored with the lid, bottom ring, and sensor stick removed so that everything dries completely.

Drinking water has never been so cool

HidrateSpark 3 Smart Water Bottle: What I Like

Since I've tried to cut out soda and other sugary drinks (diabetes concerns), I've mostly switched to unsweetened iced tea and water as my beverages of choice. But I often find myself drinking something else throughout the day instead of water, or I just don't drink enough (usually just one or two glasses). I've found the HidrateSpark 3 to be a very useful addition in my day-to-day life.

The 20 oz. capacity seems to fit my needs perfectly. With my recommended goal, I need to drink three bottles full of water daily, which seems easy to do with the HidrateSpark 3. Perhaps it's due to the fact that the bottle is slim and tall, but I feel like I can knock them out fairly quickly. There's a definite uptick in my water consumption since I started using it.

The app is also fast to set up and connect, and all data syncs seamlessly. I love seeing how I'm doing throughout the day, especially the ounce-by-ounce breakdown. I also find the reminders to be quite motivating. And it gets logged in Apple Health without skipping a beat.

It's a little pricey

HidrateSpark 3 Smart Water Bottle: What I Don't Like

The HidrateSpark 3 is not rechargeable, since it uses a standard run-of-the-mill CR2032 button cell battery (like the ones that go into car key fobs and regular watches). However, you will get several months of use out of one, which is nice, and the app can inform you of your current battery level.

Another thing I don't really like is that the HidrateSpark is pricey. This regular version of its Smart Water Bottle costs $60 — for a water bottle! It definitely isn't cheap, but honestly, I feel that it's worth it for the extra motivation.

While you could put ice in it, doing so may not give you the most precise readings with the sensor stick. But if you prefer ice cold water all the time, then it's just another thing to consider. At least the soft grip body minimizes the condensation.

Please remember that the HidrateSpark 3 is also designed to be used only with water — you can't use it for hot, carbonated, or pulpy beverages.

Stay hydrated, my friends

HidrateSpark 3 Smart Water Bottle: The Bottom Line

For some people, it can be hard to remember to drink water on a regular basis. Heck, some people don't even like to drink water, but it's a necessity. The HidrateSpark 3 Smart Water Bottle is one of those things that you may never have thought of getting, but once you have one, you'll wonder how you did without it. It has a good capacity size, the bottle itself feels nice to hold and is easy to clean, and the sensor is very helpful in keeping track of your water intake. The app is also easy to set up and gives you a great look at your daily progress.

As of this writing, it does appear that HidrateSpark is going to be launching a new stainless steel version, which will have a rechargeable battery, advanced sensors, insulation and works fully with ice, and customizable glow colors and patterns. If you're interested in checking out the HidrateSpark Steel, you can find it on HidrateSpark's site.

Having a smart scale and the power to get 17 different health insights on your body composition can be a powerful thing. FitTrack's Dara Smart BMI Digital Scale paired with the FitTrack PRO app claims accuracy in delivering 17 different body measurements for up to eight users so you can get to know your health on a deeper level and track your progress over time.

I got to take Dara for a spin, and the science behind this scale is interesting. I found the number of body measurements it's able to take via an electrical current through your feet very impressive. Do you necessarily need to know your weight without fat, protein mass, and bone mass? No, but is it fascinating? Absolutely! I would recommend the Dara BMI smart scale to anyone looking for full body composition analysis that would be motivated and inspired by such readings instead of disheartened.

Dara Smart BMI Digital Scale Features

The Dara BMI smart scale uses dual BIA technology and two different gentle electrical frequencies to accurately find 17 different body measurements: weight, BMI, BFP, muscle rate, body water, bone mass, BMR, protein rate, metabolic age, visceral fat index, subcutaneous fat, standard weight, weight control, fat mass, weight without fat, muscle mass, and protein mass.

The affiliated (and free) FitTrack PRO app recognizes Dara users and tracks results for up to eight different people, including your baby (if desired), while keeping individual results private. FitTrack Pro keeps your measurements on your smartphone so you can track the progress of your body health indicators and set weigh-in reminders for yourself. The Dara smart scale and the FitTrack Pro app help you be more aware of how your diet and lifestyle affects each aspect of your body's health. The athlete and infant modes increase effectiveness for all types of users.

Health insights What I love

This scale, paired with the FitTrack app measures your weight, body mass index, body fat proportion, muscle rate, body water percentage, bone mass, basal metabolic rate, protein rate, metabolic age, visceral fat index, subcutaneous fat, standard weight (where you should be), weight control, fat mass, weight without fat, muscle mass, and protein mass. That sounds like a lot because it is. The different measurements this device can take are truly amazing.

It takes these different measurements and puts them on a line graph that is organized into three to four categories: low, standard, high, and very high. I found these insights to be fascinating and fun to look at, but I have no way of testing how accurate some of them are. I found the most helpful categories to be my BMI which is my body mass index or my weight in relation to my height, my BMR which is the rate your body uses energy when at rest/inactive, and my visceral fat index which is the extent of visceral fat that would indicate a likelihood of health related factors occurring in the future. These types of measurements are helpful with weight management and could potentially help you avoid health pitfalls in the future in relation to your weight.

FitTrack Pro app

The FitTrack Pro app is easy to use and extensive. It was super easy to connect to my Dara smart scale and has always been able to register her when I use it. The app is where you get to see your fully body analysis, aka that's where all of your 17 measurements are stored, explained, and kept.

It even has a feature where you can weigh your infant, which I loved because I have a 9-month old daughter. Take note that it doesn't break down your baby's weight into 17 different categories, it will simply give you your baby's weight alone. You find this by stepping on the scale yourself first (without baby), then holding your baby and stepping back on. The scale simply shows you the number difference in weigh-ins.

You can easily switch weight unit measurements in your FitTrack app from kilograms to pounds to stones, and height unit measurements from centimeters to inches for convenience. You can also access the history of each user so you can track each user's progress over time.

Design

I never thought that I would call a scale "sexy," but that's exactly what Dara is, she's sexy. She features a sleek design that looks clean and futuristic. She's lightweight, portable, and easy to move to any room or bathroom of your house. When you step on her, she displays your weight alone. All 17 health insights appear in your FitTrack app, where they are explained and stored.

The user manual is straightforward and informative and tells you how to set Dara up and connect her to the FitTrack Pro app, but it doesn't break down how the science really works, and that's something I would have liked to see there. I had to look up how the technology works on www.getfittrack.com.

Inaccuracies What could be better

I did experience some inaccuracies while stepping on this scale. I really wanted to test it, so I did some of my own experiments. One day I weighed myself without clothes, and then I stepped back on fully clothed, and it weighed me two pounds lighter (clothed vs. unclothed), which honestly, I wasn't upset about. Who doesn't want to lose two pounds in two minutes - even in error? On another occasion, I stepped on with clothes, and it weighed me five pounds heavier than it did five minutes later completely unclothed, so I definitely experienced a few weigh-in inconsistencies. It should be noted that this only happened a couple of times. Most of the time, it provided the same reading when I stepped on it a few times in a row, so it could have been user error on my part.

I will say that they urge you to wear nothing or light, loose fitting clothing when weighing yourself and that you have to put your feet perfectly square on the metal electrode pads so the electrical signal can pass through your body evenly and deliver the correct insights. If your feet are lopsided on the scale, it's going to give you inaccurate readings.

I also think it's important to note that this scale told me I was 15.2 pounds heavier than "normal" for my height (I'm 5'5"). Don't get me wrong, I could afford to lose a few pounds, but 15 pounds is a lot. I am physically fit, healthy, and I am not overweight. I think these types of statements from a scale could potentially be very dangerous and are setting an unrealistic standard of normal.

To test this theory and to ensure that it's not just wishful thinking on my part, I had one of my best friends step on this scale as well. He is very fit, toned, has a very low BMI, and is the same height as me (5'5"). The scale told him he was also 15 pounds above normal for his height (it does take sex into account), and there's no way in the world that could be true. He would literally start disappearing and would look unhealthy and frail if he lost 15 pounds. I think these types of measurements could potentially be very triggering. The scale is obviously using some sort of equation here in relation to height that seems to be unrealistic and could be truly damaging to the user.

Pricey

At $90 a pop, this scale is definitely pricier than your average scale. If you're a tech junkie or someone who would directly benefit from getting 17 different body measurements every time you weigh yourself, you will love this product. I definitely found the body measurements interesting, but they can get overwhelming, and again, I'm not sure how accurate they are. While the 17 insights are a neat feature, I don't really need to know all of this information every time I weight in; especially if it's not extremely accurate.

Does the science really work?

This was the big money question, and I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical considering FitTrack claims Dara can determine all of these measurements through an electrical signal passing through your feet. In my experience, measurements like these are done with very expensive equipment in a gym or a doctors office, and I've always had my BMI measured via a machine that I hold with both hands and an electrical signal that passes through my arms.

Nonetheless, this is how FitTrack says the Dara science works. When you stand on a FitTrack scale, a very low, safe electrical signal is sent from four metal electrodes through your feet to your legs and abdomen. The electrical signal passes quickly through water that is present in hydrated muscle tissue but meets resistance when it hits fat tissue. This resistance, known as impedance, is measured and input into scientifically validated FitTrack equations to calculate body composition measurements.

Sounds high-tech and cool, right? I find it amazing that all of these insights can be calculated via your feet, but who am I to question it? I am not a scientist. It also says that this electrical signal is traveling through your legs and abdomen, but not your entire body. I'm a pear shaped woman, so my lower half is definitely meatier and larger than my upper half, so I'm not sure if I'm getting an accurate full body analysis because this scale is not sending signals throughout my entire body.

Bottom line

Overall, this is a very informative scale that delivers a complete body analysis every time you weigh in. I would highly recommend it to tech-junkies, smart device enthusiasts, serious athletes in training, or anyone that would directly benefit from a full body analysis every time they stepped on the scale. The FitTrack Pro app is user friendly and pairs really well with the Dara smart scale. You can use the scale and the app to get to know your body on a deeper level, set weigh-in reminders, and track your progress over time to better manage your health.

The Dara BMI scale is a smart scale that uses Bluetooth to connect to the FitTrack Pro app to deliver 17 different body measurements so you can get to know your body and health on a deeper level.

What you need to know

• Pandora has issued a big update to its iOS app.
• The new release brings Siri support to Apple Watch
• You can ask Siri to play songs, albums, and more, as well as telling it whether you like or dislike a song.

Popular streaming app Pandora has been updated to include Siri support for Apple Watch.

The app was updated April 29 and its full release notes state:

NEW: Edit Shuffle Stations feature * Available for Premium listeners * Select which stations you want to play on shuffle_

NEW: Siri on Apple Watch

• Ask Siri to play stations, songs, albums, and podcasts: "Hey Siri, play Thumbprint Radio on Pandora."
• Tell Siri you like or dislike the current song: "Hey Siri, I like this song."_

ADDED FEATURES/IMPROVEMENTS: Siri on iOS * Ask Siri to add music to your collection or for a specific playlist: "Hey Siri, add Hotel California to my collection on Pandora." (Premium listeners only) * Tell Siri you like or dislike the current song. * Even more personalized discovery to help you find and listen to the music you love.

Now, with Apple Watch, you can use Siri to play all of your Pandora content straight from your wrist. As with other third-party audio, you'll need to specify 'On Pandora' when making your request, just like you might with Spotify, otherwise your Watch will default to Apple Music. You can use Siri to play stations, songs, albums, and podcasts from the Watch, and you can also tell Siri if you like or dislike a song.

Pandora has also updated Siri across all iOS platforms, so you can now use Siri to add music to your collections or a specific playlist with Siri.

The new update is available now from the App Store.

What you need to know

• Developers now have new guidelines for HealthKit.
• Guidance for using the Works with Apple Health Badge was also published.
• Apple revealed HealthKit in 2014.

On Monday, Apple revealed new guidelines for HealthKit for developers. The SDK allows app developers to integrate health-related insights to users by working with the Apple Health app. The updated HealthKit Human Interface Guidelines offer guidance on using the Apple Health icon in a third-party app, enhanced editorial guidance on using Apple Health-related terms, and clarifies privacy and data-usage guidelines.

The update also explains how app developers can now use the Works with Apple Health badge to promote HealthKit-enabled apps.

New HealthKit icon use guidelines state:

Under the new HealthKit editorial guidelines, Apple explains:

With regards to the Works with Apple Health Badge, Apple has noted requirements for localization, artwork, background color, clear space, and more. There's also a section explaining the "Dos and Don't" for the badge.

HealthKit was first introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in 2014 alongside the iOS 8 reveal.

So which bike is for you?

Both the Peloton and the NordicTrack S22i are reputable, high tech spin bikes. Paired with their companion memberships, you get thousands of on-demand and live indoor cycling opportunities. However, the NordicTrack S22i gives you more bang for your buck!

It's less expensive than Peloton. The Nordictrack automatically comes with a one-year membership to iFit where you can stream thousands of live/on-demand fitness classes, participate in virtual riding experiences around the world, cross-train with other workouts, and includes a set of free weights.

NordicTrack's customer service also seems to be a bit more responsive, and repairs occur on average in about one-week vs. Peloton, where a single repair can take weeks. There's plenty to break down to get the right fit for you, so let's jump in.

Which is the better ride?

When it comes to picking the perfect bike for you, the best place to start is the specs. Let's have a look at what these machines offer:

A critical difference that sets these two apart is the control over your settings. With the NordicTrack S22i, the instructor or chosen ride experience controls your incline, decline, and resistance as you ride. With Peloton, the rider is in control of their resistance settings. The NordicTrack S22i is the better choice for those that want the push to come from their instructor or experience, vs. Peloton, which is more for those that enjoy pushing and being in control of their settings themselves.

Pricing it out

Another big difference is the membership cost. Keep in mind you'll have to pay for the $39/month Peloton membership on top of the cost of the bike package you choose, whereas the NordicTrack automatically comes with a year-long membership to iFit. Both memberships give you access to thousands of live and on-demand boutique spin classes. Still, NordicTrack uses Google Map technology to allow you to ride all over the world in outdoor simulations.

NordicTrack also offers a 10-year frame warranty, 2-year parts warranty, and 1-year labor warranty, whereas Peloton only provides a 5-year frame warranty and 1-year parts and labor warranties. NordicTrack's customer service also seems to be a bit more responsive. NordicTrack repairs take a week on average vs. many Peloton customers have complained of repairs taking weeks.

Setup, mobility, & durability

Let's talk about setup and mobility for a second. When you order your Peloton, it will arrive at your door fully constructed. All you have to do is roll it to your desired location. When you order your NordicTrack, it will arrive in a box. NordicTrack recommends having two people there to assemble it as some of the parts are quite heavy. However, you can have them do the job for you for an additional charge at check out.

Both bikes are fully moveable. They each have two wheels on the front so you can pick up the back end and conveniently roll them around to your desired location. The Peloton bike is a little bit bigger, but not by much, measuring 60-by-24-by-48-inches vs. the NordicTrack, which measures 55-by-22-by-55-inches.

Both bikes are made out of heavy-duty, extremely durable hardware. You get a 10-year frame warranty with NordicTrack and a 5-year frame warranty with Peloton.

Working it out

Both memberships include access to cross-training workouts. You can incorporate other exercises into your fitness routine with Yoga, Pilates, and other strength training classes. Plus, they include access to arm strength segments within their rides. The NordicTrack S22i comes with a pair of 3lb free weights. With Peloton, you must purchase all the extras separately.

Let's talk about metrics. What you see while you ride differs slightly between Peloton and NordicTrack. When you ride your NordicTrack S22i, you will see incline/decline, calorie burn, the time elapsed, distance traveled, and speed (in mph). When you ride your Peloton, you will see your heart rate, resistance, cadence (in RPMs), and output of power.

NordicTrack S22i provides live interaction with your instructor or experience, whereas Peloton offers live interaction with your instructor and other riders. You can compete with other riders and filter who you see based on age, gender, and followers. If you're looking to bring your spin class home with you, Peloton is your best bet. If you want a more individually focused ride, NordicTrack is definitely the way to go.

To wrap it up

You can't go wrong with either bike. Both are reputable, high tech, and loved by many. I think that the NordicTrack S22i gives you the most for your dollar and will provide you with premium boutique spin classes and global outdoor simulations. Plus, you get the added bonus of getting a year-long iFit membership and a set of 3-pound weights with your purchase.

NordicTrack has longer coverage with their warranties, and their customer service and repairs are quicker and more responsive. Additionally, the live, individually focused interaction with your instructors or global riding experiences will give you that extra push to go the distance.

What you need to know

• Things has issued an update for iOS.
• Version 3.12 means your Apple Watch now syncs directly with Things Cloud.
• They've also improved the data you'll see on your Apple Watch.

Things has rolled out an update for iOS which means your Apple Watch will sync directly with the Things Cloud.

As reported by MacRumors:

As the report notes, previously Things for Apple Watch would sync up with Things Cloud via your iPhone, but thanks to this new update it will now sync directly.

Other new features include improved quality of watch face data, including synced complications as long as you have a free Things Cloud account. You can also now add new to-dos to your list via the Apple Watch. You can also remove a to-do from your today view from the Watch. Things also now has scribble support for the Watch for adding and amending notes.

You can download Things 3 for $9.99 from the App Store now!

What you need to know

• Pandora has updated its iOS app to include a standalone Apple Watch app.
• The standalone app will work to play both music and podcasts.
• You can do it all straight from your wrist, no phone required!

Pandora has updated its iOS app to include a new standalone Apple Watch app, bringing all your Pandora music right to your wrist.

As reported by MacRumors, the new standalone app is available to download on WatchOS 6.

Released February 13, the release notes for the latest update says:

Introducing our new standalone Apple Watch app!

https://twitter.com/WhatTheBit/status/1228076815056621572

Pandora is a US streaming service that lets you create stations from your favorite songs, artists or genres, searching or browsing to find recommended stations for your mood or activity. The new standalone watch app will allow users to listen to both music, stations and podcasts directly from their Apple Watch.

Pandora's last big update came in October last year, when its iOS app got an overhaul. It's standard iOS app notes state:

Apple's News app on Apple Watch offers the latest headlines from the sources you trust. While you can't read full stories on the app, you can still keep up-to-date on the latest stories and save them for later reading on your iPhone or iPad. Here's how!

How to use the News app on Apple Watch

Simply titled "News" on Apple Watch, Apple News offers five top news articles picked from sources you follow in the News app on iPhone. These stories change throughout the day.

To access News on your Apple Watch:

1. Tap the Digital Crown to see all the apps installed on your watch.
2. Select the News app. It's a white icon with a bold red N.
3. Scroll horizontally to see each story's photo, headline, and brief summary.
4. On each headline, scroll vertically and tap Save for Later if you want to read the full article on your iPhone.

Besides accessing the top headlines through the News app on Apple Watch, you can also use the News app complication, which is available on different watch faces.

• How to add complications to your Apple Watch

In the following example, the Modular Compact Apple Watch includes the News app complication. Once clicked, you can read the article just as you would above:

How to view Save for Later articles

You can access and read news articles you saved for later on Apple Watch on your iPhone.

1. Open the News app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the Following tab.
3. Select Saved Stories at the top of the screen.
4. Tap on the article to read.

How to change what stories you see in the News app on Apple Watch

There are two ways to alter the stories you see on Apple Watch: Through following channels, and notifications.

• How to change which channels you follow
• How to mute a channel in the News app

1. Open the News app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the Following tab.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select Notifications.
4. Toggle news sources for your notifications.
5. Tap Done when finished.

How to turn off notifications for the News app on Apple Watch

If you want to kill News notifications entirely on your Apple Watch, here's how to do it.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Go to the My Watch tab.
3. Select Notifications.

4. Tap on the News option.
5. Change the alert style from Mirror my iPhone to Custom.
6. Tap Notifications Off.

Any questions?

Let us know in the comments.

Updated August 2019: Includes watchOS 6 update.

We've made huge strides in technology over the past decade: smart phones, smart TVs, smart cars, smart homes, and smart fitness clothes. The fact of the matter is that "smart" fitness clothes are a trend that's not widely mainstream yet, and because it's all so new (and expensive), you want to be sure a product lives up to the hype before buying. Here are a few of our favorite "smart" clothes and why we think you'll dig them.

Our favorites are the Nadi X Yoga Pants, because sometimes it's hard to get the personalized attention you need, especially if you're new to yoga. These yoga pants provide a way for students to get hands on adjustments and personalized attention throughout their practice in every pose.

The fact that even the slightest alteration in alignment can make or break the benefits and safety of your yoga flow makes these pants worth the money and the learning curve at the beginning. Once you've become accustomed to the signals the pants are sending and what they mean, you'll be flowing like a champion knowing your alignment is right on point.

In a day and age where overexposure to the sun and skin cancer is becoming more and more of a threat, these smart swimsuits are a great choice. With the Spinali Design Smart Suits, you type in your skin tone and how tan you want to get into the affiliated app and it tells you when to apply sunscreen or head for the shade accordingly. There's even a "valentine" feature that sends your partner an alert as to when it's time to slather you with sunscreen. Now, isn't that sweet?

The Ambiotex Smart Tanktop performs a regular stress test every morning and gives you a static snapshot of your mental state on a scale of 1 to 10. Increases and decreases in your stress levels are recorded over time so you can learn to handle daily demands and stress levels better than ever before. If you're serious about your training and want to increase your overall athletic endurance, this top makes it easy to test your IAT (individual anabolic threshold) anytime, anywhere. Training just below the anaerobic threshold is excellent for the development of high endurance. No stress and endurance for days, that's you!

The SUPA Power Sports Bra was designed to monitor your heart rate during your workouts so you can get a thorough understanding of your heart, the role it plays in your fitness routine, and how to make it stronger, and therefore train more effectively. SUPA powers activate, go get em' SUPA woman!

This is just the start of the possibilities when it comes to tech and fitness clothes. If you want the get the most out of your workouts, these smart clothes may be what you're looking for.

Third-party Apple Watch apps aren't truly apps — they're iPhone app extensions. As such, when you download an iPhone app with an Apple Watch component, that app will by default automatically install to your watch. Here's how to prevent that from happening, add new apps, and delete apps you no longer want.

• How to turn on or off automatic app install
• How to add new apps to your Apple Watch
• How to install old apps you've downloaded to your Apple Watch
• How to rearrange apps on your Apple Watch
• How to remove apps from your Apple Watch

How to turn on or off automatic app install

You can have Apple Watch compatible apps automatically install on your Apple Watch when you install them on your iPhone, but if you're worried about having enough space on your Apple Watch for music or photos, you may want to limit how many app extensions you keep on your Apple Watch. One way of doing this is to turn off automatic app install.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab (if not already open).
3. Tap on General.
4. Toggle the Automatic App Install switch off.

You can always turn this setting back on again at any time by following the same steps listed above.

How to install old apps you've downloaded to your Apple Watch

Whether you turned off automatic app install or deleted a third-party Apple Watch app that you now want back on your watch, it's pretty simple to reinstall apps you've removed or haven't added yet.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab (if not already open).
3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen.

4. Tap the app you wish to install on your watch. If you have apps you can install on Apple Watch, they'll be listed at the bottom of the screen under the Available Apps header.
5. Tap the Install button.

How to view and rearrange apps on your Apple Watch

You can view apps on your Apple Watch in three ways: via the Dock, Grid View, or List View.

The Dock offers a place for you to quickly find either:

• the last 10 apps you've opened
• your favorite apps (also up to 10) along with the most recent app launched

You can access it by pressing once on your Apple Watch's side button.

How to use the Dock on your Apple Watch

You can also access a quick view of all your apps by pressing once on the Digital Crown from your watch face. This will bring you into watchOS's honeycomb-like Grid View by default. While this view looks cool, its practical functionality is far more limited — especially for users with 38mm watches or larger fingers. We've come up with a number of hacks over the years to make finding apps easier on the Apple Watch, including Carousel patterns and Siri commands; with watchOS 5, however, users can happily put that chapter of their Apple Watch past to rest and use the alphabetical List View option instead.

List View displays all your Apple Watch apps by name in alphabetical order; you can scroll through them with either a finger swipe or the Digital Crown. While in List View, you won't be able to rearrange or delete apps; you'll have to return to Grid View for those options.

If you choose to keep your Apple Watch in Grid View, you can navigate it by using horizontal or vertical swipes to move around the screen, or the Digital Crown to zoom in or out on the grid.

To move apps around, simply:

1. Tap and hold on any app icon.
2. Hold and drag the icon you'd like to move.
3. Release your finger once the app icon is where you want it.

You can also move apps around in Grid View from the Watch app on your iPhone.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab.
3. Tap on App Layout.
4. Drag and rearrange apps. When you're finished, your changes will automatically sync to Apple Watch.

1. Press the Digital Crown once while viewing your watch face to enter your app list in Grid View.
2. Firmly press on the Grid View display.
3. Select the List View option.

To return to Grid View, firmly press on your Home screen's list view again and press the Grid View button.

How to remove apps from your Apple Watch

You can remove apps in two different ways on your Apple Watch: From the watch itself, or from the Watch app on your iPhone.

1. On the Apple Watch's watch face, press the Digital Crown once to get to your app list.Note: If your app list is in List View, press firmly on the display to change it back to Grid View — you can't delete apps in List View.
2. Press lightly and hold on an app icon until it goes dark and begins to wiggle.
3. Swipe around the screen to find the third-party app you wish to delete. (You can't delete stock apps on watchOS.)
4. Tap the app icon.

5. Tap Delete App.
6. Press the Digital Crown to exit Edit mode.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab (if not already open).
3. Scroll to the Installed on Apple Watch section.

4. Tap the third-party app you wish to uninstall.
5. Toggle the Show App on Apple Watch switch to Off.

Any questions?

Let us know below!

Updated February 2019 Updated for watchOS 5. Serenity Caldwell contributed to an earlier version of this guide.