How to Find and Install Apps on Your Apple Watch
Your Apple Watch has its own App Store. Learn how to install useful apps like weather, maps, and timers — and remove the ones you don't need.
At a Glance
Open the App Store on your Apple Watch
~30sQuick Tip
On Apple Watch Series 6 and later, you can press the Digital Crown and use the search feature by tapping the magnifying glass icon at the top of the home screen.
Search for an app
~17sInstall a free app
~17sInstall watch apps from your iPhone
~27sQuick Tip
Under "My Watch" > "Installed on Apple Watch" you'll see everything currently installed. You can toggle each app on or off from this list.
Remove apps you don't use
~29sWarning
Deleting an app from your watch does not delete it from your iPhone. You can always reinstall it later by going back to the Watch app on your iPhone.
Organize your app grid
~18sYou Did It!
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Your Apple Watch isn't limited to the apps that came pre-installed. There's a full App Store right on your wrist — plus you can manage watch apps from the Watch app on your iPhone. Adding apps that are useful to you and removing clutter makes the watch much more practical.
Apple Watch apps fall into two categories. Some apps are watch-only (small, standalone apps designed specifically for the watch). Others are companion apps — when you install an app on your iPhone, a matching watch app often gets added automatically. That's how apps like Weather, Maps, and Timers end up on your watch.
The most useful apps for most people on Apple Watch include Weather (quick forecasts without pulling out your phone), Maps (turn-by-turn navigation on your wrist), Timer and Stopwatch (faster than reaching for your phone), Reminders (mark items complete with a tap), and Shazam (identify songs instantly). There are also health-focused apps for blood pressure logging, meditation, and medication reminders.
Finding apps is straightforward: press the Digital Crown (the round button on the side of the watch) to see your app grid, then scroll down to find the App Store icon. It looks like the same blue icon as on your iPhone.
Installing an app is a one-tap process. Search for it by name, tap the cloud/download button, and it installs within seconds. Most watch apps are free — the same ones that are free on iPhone are usually free on the watch too.
To remove an app you don't want, press and hold its icon on the watch face until a red X appears (similar to deleting iPhone apps), then tap the X. You can also manage all watch apps from the Watch app on your paired iPhone.
Keeping only the apps you actually use makes your app grid easier to navigate and your watch easier to use at a glance.
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