I remember my first smartwatch. It was a cheap, off-brand device that I bought from a friend for a few dollars. It counted my steps, even when I didn’t have my phone with me, which was helpful.
But the most incredible moment for me was when I received a phone call and could answer it through my smartwatch! For a few moments there, I felt like Michael Knight in the old 1980s TV show Knight Rider, talking to my super-futuristic car. Until I saw the way people were looking at me, and I decided the world wasn’t ready for that level of awesomeness yet.
That was more than a decade ago, and the world has changed a lot since then. Smartwatches have become a staple of society, and nobody is surprised to see someone talking to their wrist anymore. But modern smartwatches are capable of so much more than making and taking phone calls. I’ve found some great smartphone apps that will take your routine to the next level!
Lifesum Food Tracker & Fasting
Smartwatches have excellent health and fitness tracking sensors that can keep you updated with your daily activity levels, heart rate, and sleep patterns. But that’s just one side of our physical health—nutrition is just as important, and smartwatches are severely lacking in this department.
That’s where Lifesum comes in. It has a calorie counter, hydration tracker, diet plans, intermittent fasting schedules, and meal plans (with grocery lists) to cater to every taste. The smartphone app syncs perfectly with the smartwatch app to deliver reminders and put your grocery lists at your fingertips, making Lifesum your perfect health companion!
Fitbod Workout & Fitness Plans
There are hundreds (if not thousands) of workout plans, most of which come with their own smartphone apps. The problem is that I don’t always want to keep my smartphone with me while I’m working out—I’ve had one too many cracked screens due to phones dropping out of my pockets. Unfortunately, not many workout apps support smartwatches.
Fitbod is one of the few exceptions. It’s an AI-powered app that will help you develop the perfect workout or fitness plan for your purposes, delivered straight to your smartwatch. It shows techniques, counts reps, and gives you valuable reminders when it’s time to exercise, all right there on your wrist.
The app has fantastic reviews and ratings on Google Play and Apple’s App Store, so it’s well worth checking out!
Things 3
Things 3 is already a popular app on smartphones and computers, and it’s now also available for smartwatches. But what is Things 3, you might ask? Well, it’s one of the most excellent task-management apps on the market! It goes well beyond general to-do lists. You can add specific projects that you can break down into smaller chunks.
For example, when I went on a trip recently, I created a project for it. I categorized it into various tasks: packing, bookings, documents, sightseeing plans, etc. Then, I split each task into its own to-do list. This gave me a visual representation of my progress toward the final goal: going on a vacation with little to no unforeseen incidents.
I love how Things 3 splits tasks into various parts of my life—work, family, personal, financial, etc.—and delivers reminders, notifications, and visual guides so I can see my progress. All of this is directly on my smartwatch. In my opinion, Things 3 is one of the greatest productivity tools ever.
Shazam
This is an app that wouldn’t have crossed my mind if I hadn’t stumbled onto it by accident. Shazam is quite well-known as a simple way to get information about a song. I’ve spent more time than I care to admit with my phone pointed at grocery store speakers to find out what I’m listening to, and Shazam has yet to let me down.
Well, now I no longer have to imitate that famous introduction scene from The Lion King to identify a song. The Shazam smartwatch app means I can just tap on the screen and continue shopping while my watch tries to find that catchy tune. Shazam even gives me convenient links to the song on Apple Music and Spotify once it identifies it.
Be Focused Pro
The Pomodoro method is a popular way to set times for focused productivity. It reminds you when it’s time to focus and get work done but also notifies you when it’s time to take a break. You don’t have to constantly distract yourself by looking at the time.
The problem with most Pomodoro smartphone apps is that you should ignore your smartphone while you’re focused, which you can’t really do if it’s your timer.
That’s why Be Focused Pro is such a game-changer. You can control the timer directly from your smartwatch, leaving your phone far away to help eliminate distractions.
Meditate – Mindfulness App
Mindfulness meditation is a proven way to relax, reduce stress, and improve our mental well-being. Unfortunately, there aren’t many meditation apps that support smartwatches, and I’ve found that I can focus more clearly when I don’t hear constant notifications from my smartphone.
The Meditate app is different. It’s available for smartphones and smartwatches, and you can choose your type of meditation, get reminders and motivation, set timers, and track your meditation schedule, all directly from your wrist. It even monitors your heart rate and plays background music while you meditate.
This app really opened my eyes to the possibility of using a smartwatch for many of my daily routines since it’s so powerful, functional, and well-designed.
Infinity Loop
Sometimes, we have a few minutes to ourselves, like waiting for a doctor’s appointment. These are the times when we would typically take out our smartphones and start scrolling through social media. Infinity Loop changed that for me.
It’s a tiny, endless puzzle game that runs on smartwatches. You connect different images or patterns to create an infinite loop. It’s fun, addictive, and quick, but best of all, it improves logic and reasoning skills. I quickly found that it has become my go-to option when I have a few minutes to kill, and I can soothe my conscience because it’s good for my mind, too.
Before you go…
These are some of the best smartwatch apps that have changed my daily routine for the better. But can we use a smartwatch to do some of the other things we usually do on a smartphone? For example, can a smartwatch be used to browse the web? Read this to find out!
