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The Best Apple Watch Apps That Boost Productivity

The Apple Watch doesn’t naturally lend itself to productivity. But you can change that.

Productivity apps for Apple WatchPhoto by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

By Tucker Bowe

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The vast majority of Apple Watch wearers use the smartwatch to keep track of their fitness or monitor their general health and wellness. For those who don’t want to look at their iPhone as much, the Apple Watch can help with productivity, too.

Admittedly, the Apple Watch doesn’t naturally lend itself to productivity — it’s an extension of your iPhone, meaning any text, call, notification or alert you’d get on your iPhone, you’d also get on your Apple Watch. And that can be distracting.

But if you change certain settings (such as managing which apps can send notifications to your Apple Watch) and take advantage of built-in features, such as Do Not Disturb or create custom Focus settings, your Apple Watch can help you be more productive.

You can receive quick notifications and reminders right from your wrist. No need to touch your iPhone. And remember, social media apps — such as Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and Facebook — don’t have dedicated Apple Watch apps.

Additionally, certain productivity apps work really well across iPhone and Apple Watch. This way, you can get vital reminders and alerts, without all the distractions that come every time you open your iPhone. You can even add them to your Apple Watch’s Smart Stack for quick access.

Reminders

  • Price: Free
  • Supports Smart Stack? Yes

Apple’s default Reminders app is a to-do list app that works great on Apple Watch. It’s super simple, allowing you to manage and edit reminders right from your wrist. And thanks to Siri, it’s really easy to add new reminders without having to touch your iPhone.

Calendar

  • Price: Free
  • Supports Smart Stack? Yes

You probably already use Apple’s default calendar app, Calendar. It’s dead simple to use, syncs across all your Apple devices (including Apple Watch), supports most major email apps, and seamlessly integrates with Siri and Apple’s Reminders. Also, it’s free.

Drafts

  • Price: Free
  • Supports Smart Stack? Yes

For some reason, Apple’s default note-taking app, Notes, doesn’t have an Apple Watch app — so Drafts is the next best thing. While you can take notes using your Apple Watch’s tiny keyboard or scribble feature, it’s best to use your voice to dictate notes. You can then access these voice transcriptions in the Drafts iPhone app.

Fantastical

  • Price: $5/month
  • Supports Smart Stack? Yes

Fantastical has been one of the standout iPhone calendar apps for years. You can think of it as an upgraded version of Apple’s own Calendar app — it supports Apple’s Reminders app and works with Siri commands — but supports more advanced AI features (such as natural language understanding), features more calendar views and just looks stunning. The catch? There’s a monthly subscription.

Todoist

  • Price: $3/month
  • Supports Smart Stack? Yes

Todoist is a popular task management app that has been around for years. It is a more robust to-do list app than Apple’s Reminders. It’s great for completing your own tasks, chores, and reminders, but it’s also great for collaborative projects. You can assign people tasks, send reminders if they are not completed on time, and even add notes for commentary. There’s a free version, but you’ll need to pay a small monthly fee for its advanced organizational tools and built-in AI assistant.

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