Useful Apple Watch basic settings

　It seems that more and more people are becoming health conscious since the pandemic started. Among the many wearable devices, the author believes that the Apple Watch cannot be ignored in healthcare. You can accurately measure steps, heart rate, electrocardiogram, blood oxygen level, etc. Now is the time to notice changes in your body just by wearing it.

　This time, we will introduce the basic usage for those who have just started using Apple Watch and those who are thinking about using it.

How to use the electrocardiogram (ECG) app, how to measure

The electrocardiogram (ECG) function is now available on Apple Watch Series 4 and later models (excluding Apple Watch SE). In addition, Apple Watch Series 3 and later also supports the "irregular heartbeat notification" function.

　When using the ECG for the first time, it is necessary to set it first, so after launching the healthcare app on the iPhone, follow the instructions on the screen. After completing the settings, start the ECG app and take an ECG.

When using the ECG app

　The procedure is as follows. ①Wear the Apple Watch firmly on your wrist and start the ECG app on the Apple Watch. ② Place your arms on a desk or knees and fix them. ③ Put the fingers of the other hand on the digital crown. ④Wait for about 30 seconds without moving your finger.

　When the recording is finished, the results (classification) will be displayed, and tap Save to finish. The types of results are "sinus rhythm," in which the heart beats in a regular pattern between 50 and 100 BPM, "atrial fibrillation," in which the heart beats in an irregular pattern, and heart rate below or above a certain level. In the case of , there are "high or low heart rate" and "undecidable" where the recording cannot be classified.

After measurement, it is classified as sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation, high or low heart rate, or indeterminate

　The irregular heartbeat notification function is available on Apple Watch Series 1 and later, and checks for irregular heartbeat rhythms that suggest atrial fibrillation. How it works is that you check your heartbeat occasionally while you're resting to see if you're having an irregular heartbeat. In addition, the number of measurements per day and the interval will change depending on how actively the user moves.

　By the way, I have also set this function since it became available, but I haven't received any notifications, so I guess it's safe for now. To enable notifications, tap "Browse" from the Health app, tap Heart → Irregular heartbeat notification, and then set.

Once enabled, you can turn it on/off by tapping "My Watch" from the Apple Watch app and tapping Heart → Irregular Heartbeat Rhythm in that order.

"Irregular heart rhythm" notification can be turned on/off

Record "Sleep"

By setting a sleep time goal in advance, you can check whether you have achieved that goal every day. First, set the length of time you want to sleep (sleep goal), the time you go to bed and the time you wake up. You can record your sleep time with just your iPhone, but I personally recommend wearing an Apple Watch to sleep. Although the number of items that can be checked is limited to the average bedtime and average sleep time, my favorite point is that it gently vibrates when it's time to wake up. With vibration, I don't have to worry about being surprised by a loud alarm and I've never overslept.

Sleep recording example

However, some people may not be using it because they are concerned about battery consumption. In my case, I use the cycle of fully charging my Apple Watch while I'm taking a bath after work at night, and then putting it on again before going to bed and spending the day as it is. Even with this usage, the battery will not run out on the way, and it will continue to operate for a full day.

How to save battery

In the flow of the battery story, next we will introduce how to save battery consumption. First, let's adjust the brightness of the display.

You can change it by tapping "Screen display and brightness" from the Apple Watch settings. The brightness can be adjusted in 3 steps, so if you shorten the bar to the far left and darken it, the battery will be better. However, if it is darkened, it will be less visible when viewing the screen outdoors, so be careful.

Screen brightness can be switched in 3 levels

　Next is switching to constant lighting. As the name suggests, it is a function that allows you to keep the screen always on, and the time and information will remain displayed on the display even if you do not turn your wrist. Turning this off can extend battery life.

It is OK to switch by tapping in order of settings → screen display and brightness → always on.

Changing the lighting time when the screen is tapped

　It is often used to extend the battery life of the iPhone, but similar improvements can be expected with the Apple Watch.

Tap Settings → General → Wake screen and change the tap time to "Wake for 15 seconds".

Wake up when tapped can be selected from 15 seconds / 70 seconds

Unlock iPhone while wearing a mask

With the release of iOS 14.5, using Apple Watch Series 3 or later (watchOS 7.4 or later), you can mask with Face ID on iPhone X or later models. Unlocking is now possible even when worn. This is what Apple Watch users have been waiting for.

When you tap Face ID and passcode from the iPhone settings, the item "Unlock with Apple Watch" is displayed, so turn it on. Then, a pop-up saying "If a face wearing a mask is detected, the iPhone will be unlocked with ○○" will be displayed, and tapping on will complete the setting.

　Although the unlocking speed is not as fast as without a mask, it is faster than expected, so I think it is a practical level and there is no problem. It's so convenient that once you set it, you won't be able to go back.

Notify Apple Watch when unlocked

　Even if you change the settings a little, the usability will be greatly improved, so please give it a try.