Apple Watch has become the world’s best-selling watch, as well as the most popular wearable digital device. Since the device’s introduction in 2015, Apple has developed numerous new watch product lines, vastly expanded the device’s capabilities, and enabled developers to create entirely new apps and tools. Your Apple Watch hides an enormous amount of technical complexity behind that unassuming touch screen, and with help from author Jeff Carlson, you’ll unlock every last bit of its power.
Take Control of Apple Watch covers all Apple Watch models through Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, as well as all the new features introduced in watchOS 26. Jeff walks you through getting to know your Apple Watch (including how to pick one out if you haven’t already), along with topics that teach you how to navigate among the watch’s screens with the physical controls, taps on the screen, and Siri. You’ll also find advice on customizing watch faces and sharing them with others; taking advantage of the electrocardiogram (ECG) capability blood oxygen sensor, and temperature sensor (on supported models); getting the notifications you want; handling text and voice communications; using Apple’s core apps; and monitoring your heart rate, hearing, and monthly cycle to improve your overall health. A final chapter discusses taking care of your Apple Watch, including recharging, restarting, resetting, and restoring.
Among the many topics covered in the book are:
Apple Watch Fundamentals:
- Picking out and setting up your own Apple Watch—covers models up through Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3
- How to adapt to the numerous changes in watchOS 26
- Making watch face complications work for you
- Using Control Center and the greatly improved Smart Stack
- Using Siri on your watch for a wide variety of tasks
- Adding apps to the watch via your iPhone or the watch’s built-in App Store
- Resetting a messed-up Apple Watch and force-quitting an app
Health, Fitness, and Safety Features:
- Tracking your exercise and analyzing your training load
- Doing workouts with Apple Fitness+
- Pausing your activity rings and setting different goas for each day of the week
- Using your watch to monitor sleep data (including checking for sleep apnea with recent models) and check for signs of hypertension
- Using health-related features such as the blood oxygen sensor and medication reminders, plus the ECG, Cycle Tracking, and Noise apps
- Detecting falls and car crashes, and automatically calling for help
Communication:
- Placing and receiving phone calls on your watch
- Using the Walkie-Talkie feature to chat with other Apple Watch owners
- Communicating in other languages using the Translate app
- Sending default (and customized) text messages, tapbacks, threaded replies, and even money via Messages
- Seeing email from only certain people
Interacting with Other Devices:
- Finding people, devices, and items
- Controlling your home with HomeKit-compatible devices
- Understanding how the watch interacts with your iPhone (including how to control your watch with your iPhone)
- Triggering your iPhone’s camera remotely using the watch
- Controlling an Apple TV, or Music on a Mac, with the Remote app
- Unlocking a Mac (and authenticating certain actions) with your watch
Getting Stuff Done:
- Getting navigation directions and using the Compass app
- Adding calendar events and reminders
- Loading your watch with photos and using them to create new watch faces
- Paying at contactless terminals using Apple Pay
- Putting tickets on your watch
What’s New in the Sixth Edition
Apple released new versions of the Apple Watch in September 2025, advancing the lines in a few ways. The Series 11 received a more incremental update from the year before, while the Ultra 3 finally paid off the patience of Ultra owners who saw only a color change in the last revision. And a new Apple Watch SE 3 brought the most affordable option closer to the rest of the line.
This book covers those changes, but more important, incorporates what’s new in watchOS 26, the latest version of the software running Apple Watch models back to the Series 6 and the SE 2. Here are some highlights of what’s changed in this edition:
- Added the new Wrist Flick gesture and why it’s one of my favorite new features. See “Flick Your Wrist.”
- Added a new sidebar about how you can set watch faces to change at set times and days. See “Automatically Change Faces Using Focus Modes.”
- Added Facer, an app that takes a different approach to providing custom watch faces, to the sidebar “Customize Further with Clockology and Facer.”
- Apple changed how you share watch faces: now can do it only from the iPhone, not from the watch directly. See “Share Watch Faces.”
- Smart Stack hints are a new indicator that pops up at the bottom of the watch face when some actions are taken, like opening the Camera app on your iPhone. See “Use the Smart Stack.”
- You can assert more control over which widgets show up in the Smart Stack. See “Configure Widget Suggestions.”
- Speaking of control, there’s a new way to add items to Control Center, including controls from third-party developers. See “Show and Hide Control Center Items.”
- Added a section on how to enable Siri to read notifications from apps when you’re wearing headphones such as AirPods. See “Announce Notifications.”
- Apple came up with a way to record blood oxygen levels after the feature had been disabled in the United States due to litigation. I explain what’s going on and how to use it in “Measure Your Blood Oxygen Level.”
- Added instructions for setting up hypertension (high blood pressure) notifications. See “Check for Hypertension.”
- The Workout app has been revamped with a new look and a few changes in how you add and edit exercises. Subsequently, the section “Work the Workout” has been extensively rewritten.
- Speaking of workouts, literally, the new Workout Buddy can talk to you during an exercise session to motivate you. See “Get Alerts and Workout Buddy Commentary.”
- I wake up each morning and check my Sleep Score from the night before. I added a section about this new feature. See “Check and Understand Your Sleep Score.”
- watchOS 26 supports Hold Assist, a feature also found in iOS 26 that saves you from listening to the poor quality, repeating music that companies play when you’re on hold. See “Use Hold Assist.”
- Apple changed some terminology in the Maps app (your Library became your Places, for instance). See “Use Maps and Directions.”
- The new Notes app lets you view notes synced via iCloud and make new notes on the go. See “Read and Create Notes.”
- Now that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 includes the hardware to connect directly to satellites, I wrote a new section about how that works, incorporating material from the previous edition that covered just connecting via a compatible iPhone. See “Connect to a Satellite.”
Posted by Joe Kissell on January 4, 2026
Jeff Carlson joined host Chuck Joiner on MacVoices to talk about Take Control of Apple Watch, Sixth Edition.
In part one, Jeff discusses the new 2025 Apple Watch models and the basics of watchOS 26.
In part two, Jeff goes into more detail about some of the bigger watchOS 26 features.
Posted by Joe Kissell on November 20, 2024
Jeff Carlson joined host Chuck Joiner on MacVoices to talk about Take Control of Apple Watch, Fifth Edition.
In part one, Jeff talks about Apple’s update process and some of the major changes in watchOS 11.
In part two, Jeff covers more of what’s new in watchOS 11, including the check-in feature in Messages and the new Translate app.
Posted by Joe Kissell on October 24, 2023
Jeff Carlson joined host Chuck Joiner on MacVoices to talk about Take Control of Apple Watch, Fourth Edition.
In part one, Jeff talks about Apple Watch bands, changes in watchOS 10, and focus modes.
In part two, Jeff talks about the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and discusses more new features in watchOS 10.
Posted by Joe Kissell on December 4, 2022
Jeff Carlson joined host Chuck Joiner on MacVoices to talk about the new edition of Take Control of Apple Watch.
In part one, Jeff discusses the Apple Watch generally, as well as the new Backtrack feature.
In part two, Jeff covers a variety of Apple Watch features and controls, including the use of Siri.
Posted by Joe Kissell on November 10, 2021
Jeff Carlson joined host Chuck Joiner on MacVoices to talk about Take Control of Apple Watch, Second Edition.
In part one, Jeff covers some of the new features in watchOS 8 and the Series 7 Apple Watch models.
In part two, Jeff talks about Apple Watch apps, sensors, and more.
Posted by Joe Kissell on October 13, 2020
Jeff Carlson joined Chuck Joiner on MacVoices in a two-part interview to discuss his updated book Take Control of Apple Watch.
In Part 1, Jeff discusses new features such as sleep tracking and Family Setup.
In Part 2, Jeff covers the Series 6 blood oxygen sensor, sharing watch faces, the hand washing alert, and new apps.
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