• Tips - Maps can give directions on your wrist
• Trivia - Do you know why your Apple Watch readings are inaccurate?
• Deep Dive - Enjoy audio adventures on your watch
• Reader Questions - Help! My watch isn’t registering Standing Hours
• Fun and Interesting Tidbits - Apple devices and features save the day again

📞 Transfer a call from your Apple Watch to your iPhone for more privacy.

🗺️ Get audio or vibration directions hands-free via the Maps app on your wrist.

▶️ Stop Now Playing from distracting you on your Apple Watch.

Our Apple Watches work hard to track everything from the number of steps we take to the amount of oxygen in our blood, but they aren’t always entirely accurate. Which factors can affect the accuracy of a Watch reading?

• 🤔 Skin temperature
• 🤔🤔 Tattoos
• 🤔🤔🤔 Watch band fit
• 🤔🤔🤔🤔 All of the above

🏆 Scroll down to find out if you got the answer right! 🏆

Our February Challenge is almost over, but you can still join! As long as you’ve worn your Apple Watch, the free Challenges app will give you points for all the exercises you’ve already done this month.

We’ll be starting a new March Health Challenge on the 1st of March! It’s a great way to come together as a community and motivate each other to reach our health goals by staying active. We’ll be doing a weekly accountability post for premium subscribers in our Insider Facebook group to share struggles and tips and support each other on our journeys.

To join the challenge, download the free Challenges app on your iPhone and enter the code MKWN when prompted. Need help? This article explains the steps and tells you more about the app.

Are you enjoying the challenge? Do you have any suggestions for how we can make it even better? Email OntheWatch@iphonelife.com and let me know.

You can play all sorts of audio on your Apple Watch. Most Apple Watches require AirPods, or a Bluetooth speaker or headphones to enjoy your go-to audio content. However, the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 can actually play audio using their built-in speakers, and the quality is surprisingly good!

That means you can listen to your favorite songs, a podcast, or other audio directly from your wrist without needing to bring your iPhone, or you can use it to pause, play, or skip the audio playing on your phone. Let’s spice up your auditory experience!

1. How to pair a Bluetooth speaker or headphones with your watch

If you have one of the newest Apple Watch models, any audio content you play will automatically come out of your built-in speakers. If you prefer using AirPods, they will connect automatically once you’ve paired them with your iPhone.

If you have third-party headphones, earbuds, or speakers, you’ll need to take a few extra steps before you can start listening. Open Settings on your Apple Watch, tap Bluetooth, then find your device and connect to it. Then, just find your media and tap the play button.

2. How to control playback on your Apple Watch.

When you play music directly from your Apple Watch, you can control playback entirely on your wrist. While you are actively listening to something (on your watch or even on your iPhone), you’ll see a Now Playing screen on your watch, letting you pause or play and skip songs/episodes. Don’t forget that you can use your watch’s Digital Crown to easily control the volume!

3. How to listen on your watch without your iPhone.

While your watch makes a handy playback controller for your iPhone, you can enjoy your music, podcasts, audiobooks, and more on your Apple Watch even if you leave your phone behind. This is true even if you have a GPS-only watch without a cellular network. To do this, you need to make sure you have the media downloaded directly on your watch and double-check that you have an up-to-date app that will play it.

4. How to download music on your watch

To listen to the Music app on your Apple Watch without your iPhone, you’ll have to download the songs on your watch. You can do this using the Watch app on your iPhone or directly from your watch.

I prefer using the Watch app on my iPhone to take advantage of my larger phone display. My tip is to create a playlist on your iPhone (or iPad or Mac) in the Music app in advance. That way, you only need to sync the one playlist.

Once you are ready, open the Watch app, navigate to the My Watch tab, and scroll until you see the Music app. Tap Add Music and select whatever songs, albums, and/or playlists you wish to listen to on your watch. Tap the plus icon in the top right and wait for the music to be synced with your Apple Watch. If you want your watch to automatically add music that you’ve recently listened to, toggle on Recent Music. It is best to keep your watch on a charger and near your iPhone while you do this.

If you prefer using your Apple Watch to download music, make sure it has sufficient battery and is near your iPhone, then open the Music app and find whatever you wish to add. Once you have a song, album, or playlist selected, tap Add to Library.

For other types of content, you can follow the same steps as above, but select the relevant app in the Watch app on your iPhone.

5. How to remove audio from your watch

Apple Watch storage is limited, so if you no longer want to listen to something, it’s time to remove it from your device and make room for more. The quickest way to do this is to use the Watch app on your iPhone and open the Music app from your My Watch tab. There, under Playlists & Albums, you’ll see whatever music is downloaded on your watch. Tap Edit in the top right corner then tap the red minus icon.

6. Best Apple Watch apps for audiophiles

There are more apps than just the Music app (free) and Podcasts app (free) that you can listen to on your watch. Third-party music, podcast, and audiobook apps that work on your Apple Watch include Spotify, Radio FM, Pandora, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Player, Apple Books, and Audible for Watch. If podcasts are more your jam, make sure to check out Pocket Casts (free with various subscription fees).

Do you ever use your Apple Watch to listen to music or watch videos? What app is your favorite? Email OntheWatch@iphonelife.com and let me know!

You asked and we answered!

When I am standing for a while and not moving, my Apple Watch tells me, “Time to Stand.” But I am already standing! Can you fix that glitch? - Dora H

Hello, Dora. Been there, experienced that! It can be super frustrating when our smartwatches make dumb mistakes, and this is a common one with no solution. In my experience, if you are not moving while you’re standing, then your Apple Watch doesn’t count it as a standing hour. It’s possible that your watch cannot detect that you are standing without movement, but the purpose of the Stand Goal is to get you moving, not just standing. For it to register a “standing hour,” you need to be moving for an entire minute straight, so I usually make sure to walk (or pace) or do a little dance to make sure my watch knows I’m up and about!

✉️ Email your questions to OnTheWatch@iPhoneLife.com and we might answer them in a future edition! Questions may be edited for clarity and length.

The correct answer is: 🤔🤔🤔🤔 All of the above

Your Apple Watch can give you a good idea about things like heart rate and calories burned, but remember that even with perfect use there’s a margin of error.