Although they are not popular as smartphones and tablets, in recent times smartwatches have attracted a large chunk of users. There are many models, from the classic clock-shaped to others that look more like a fitness tracker. Functions and features also vary by model: almost all integrate apps and phone notifications, while some more advanced models offer dust resistance and waterproofing, and some sensors to monitor sleep quality, heart rate, and so on.
In short, choosing the right one is not easy from a lot of top smartwatches. It will depend a lot on the use we will make of it and on our economic availability. However, it could be even more difficult to set up a smartwatch if we do not know about it. Not adjusting the settings according to our preferences may not allow us to fully enjoy the device experience. In fact, in smartwatches, customizations are even more important than on tablets, computers, or smartphones.
After buying a new smartwatch, in fact, we will be able to customize the notifications according to our tastes, choose the “face” that best suits our needs, and configure everything so that we can make the most of its features and potential. So, here’s how to improve the first settings after buying a smartwatch, from slightly more complex customizations to simpler ones such as connecting headphones to the smartwatch you just bought.
How to Synchronize Smartwatch and Smartphone?
The first thing to do when we buy a smartwatch is to turn it on and pair it with our smartphone. A rather simple and intuitive operation, since it will be sufficient to download the app relating to the smartwatch operating system and follow the guided procedure. For Apple Watch, for example, just start the app of the same name on all compatible iPhones (it is not possible to synchronize the Apple Watch with Android), while for smartwatches with other operating systems (Android Wear or Samsung’s Tizen OS) just download the app recommended by the manufacturer and that’s it. One such smartwatch that’s compatible with both Android as well as iOS is Oshenwatch. To know more about the features of this watch, read this Oshen Smartwatch review and learn about its functionalities with pros and cons.
Notifications on Smartwatch
Thanks to the apps we will be able to set some functions of the device to our liking without fiddling too much with the small touch screen. Once the association and synchronization between smartwatch and smartphone have been carried out, it is advisable to customize the background, the position of the applications, the widgets in such a way as to make the device really ours. For example, if we spend a lot of time outdoors for work or if we travel long distances by public transport, it would be advisable to use a weather widget to avoid being surprised by rain and bad weather. If, on the other hand, we work a lot and have a full agenda, we install a calendar app to stay updated on all our appointments. Having the most important notifications on the main screen will save us a lot of time, not having to access individual apps to find out if there is news or not.
How to Activate Payments on Smartwatches?
While not yet widespread among all smartwatch models, contactless payments are certainly one of the most useful features ever. In this way, we will be able to make payments anywhere conveniently and safely without having to withdraw or physically have the credit card with us. At the moment only the top models Apple, Samsung, Garmin, and Fitbit offer the possibility for contactless payments but soon many other Android manufacturers will equip themselves with this function.
How do we activate this service? Simple, we download the Apple Pay app, Android Pay, or any other app for contactless payments and available in the Store of our smartwatch on the device. Once the application is launched, we enter our bank details and save the changes. At this point the game is done: to pay, just bring the smartwatch screen close to the POS and wait for the transaction to be registered.
Set up Automatic Replies
Answering incoming messages, whether these are emails or WhatsApp chats, is not very convenient via a smartwatch. Small screens and displays don’t always perform in sunlight and don’t offer the ultimate user experience when it comes to writing texts. Fortunately, however, on all smartwatches, there is the possibility to set and send automatic replies. This means that we will be able to select a predefined text that the smartwatch will send automatically when we receive an SMS.
On some smartwatches, there is also the possibility to answer using the voice keyboard. What does it mean? It means that it will be enough for us to speak for the smartwatch to start writing what we want to send to our contacts. However, this is still an unreliable solution. In fact, vocal keyboards don’t always recognize what we say perfectly. It is a technique recommended only if we send informal messages and we do not care that the text is accompanied by some errors.
How to Connect Headphones to the Smartwatch?
We come to one of the questions already mentioned above: how to connect the headphones to the smartwatch? Although it may seem complex, it is one of the simplest operations ever: just activate the Bluetooth of the smartwatch, wait for it to scan for nearby devices, and start pairing with the Bluetooth headphones or earphones. Once the operation is complete, there will be nothing left to do but download songs on the smartwatch (if the device memory allows it) or synchronize them with the smartphone and listen to the playlists on our mobile phone.
Install Our Favorite Apps
Many use a smartwatch as a replacement for their smartphone or PC. For this reason, it is more than advisable to install all the main applications that we usually use with our smartphone on the smartwatch. For example, if we are passionate about football, we will download our applications for notifications of match results. If we travel often, we can install the Uber or BlaBlaCar apps to always know everything about our next trips. If our smartwatch allows it, we use the IFTT system to enable or disable apps and app functions based on what we do. For example, if we connect to Wi-Fi, we activate certain applications while if we turn on Bluetooth we will automatically connect to our wireless headphones and so on.