Just Got the Apple Watch Series 7? Here Are Some Things You Should Do First

The Apple Watch Series 7 is just starting to roll out for everyone who ordered it first. And even though this isn’t the biggest Apple Watch update, we’ve seen the Series 7 still brings something new to the table with a bigger battery, a larger screen, and more durability across the board. 

If you’re one of the lucky ones who already got your Apple Watch Series 7, there are plenty of things you can customize to make it feel like your own right away. If you don’t know where to start, though, here are the first things you need to do with your Apple Watch Series 7.

Change the Text Size

The Apple Watch Series 7 features a 20% larger display than the Series 6, so everything will look clearer and bigger as soon as you take it out of the box. With that said, for those of us whose vision is not the best, you can still make the text size bigger. 

1. Press the Digital Crown.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Scroll down and tap Display & Brightness.
4. Tap Text Size.
5. Adjust the text size with the Digital Crown or by tapping on your screen. 

You’ll see in real-time the text size so you can choose the best one for you. You can also change this on your iPhone by going to the Watch app > Display & Brightness and then adjusting the text size however you want. 

Set Your Watch Face Display Time Ahead

If you’re not that good at managing time, you might want to set the time ahead on your Apple Watch. That can help you wake up earlier and even stop running late to meetings. 

You can set the display time ahead on your Apple Watch watch face without changing the actual time like this:

1. Press the Digital Crown.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Scroll down and select Clock.
4. Tap the hour below Set Watch Face Display Time Ahead.
5. Choose how much time ahead you want to set your watch face.

And that’s it. Keep in mind that notifications and alerts will still show the real-time on your Apple Watch and iPhone. 

Unlock Your iPhone With Your Apple Watch

Apple added this feature recently. You can now unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch without using Face ID. You’ll need to use your iPhone to set it up like this:

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings.
2. Scroll down and select Face ID & Passcode.
3. Enter your passcode.
4. Scroll down and, under Unlock with Apple Watch, toggle your Apple Watch on.

Next time you’re wearing a face mask or something is covering your face; your iPhone will automatically detect your Apple Watch and unlock itself. It’s not as snappy as Face ID, but it’s the next best thing. Keep in mind that your Apple Watch needs to be close to the iPhone, passcode-protected, and unlocked.

Unlock Your Mac with Your Apple Watch

Another cool feature is that you can unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch almost instantly. You don’t have to use Touch ID or enter your password.

1. On your Mac, click the Apple menu at the top left corner.
2. Click on System Preferences.
3. Click Security & Privacy.
4. Make sure you’re on the General tab at the top of the window.
5. Tick the check box that says Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac
6. You may need to enter your Mac’s password. 

Now the next time you’re close to your Mac, you’ll automatically unlock it if you’re wearing your Apple Watch and it’s unlocked. Make sure also to have the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your Mac turned on.

Turn On Fall Detection

Fall Detection is literally a life-saving feature. Many people attest to this feature, helping them call for help when something happened to them. Since Fall Detection is even better on the Apple Watch Series 7, there’s no reason not to have this feature available.

1. Press the Digital Crown.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Scroll down and tap SOS.
4. Tap on Fall Detection.
5. Toggle Fall Detection on

You can also do this on your iPhone by going to the Watch app > Emergency SOS and the toggling Fall Detection on.

Hopefully, it never happens, but if you fall, your Apple Watch will ask if you’re ok. If you don’t answer after some time, your Apple Watch will call for help.

Organize Your Dock

Like the iPad and Mac, the Apple Watch has a dock. You can customize your dock to show you your favorite apps or show the most recently used apps. However, you can’t change this feature on your Apple Watch, so you’ll need to go to your iPhone instead.

1. Open the Watch app.
2. Make sure you’re on the My Watch tab.
3. Tap on Dock.
4. Tap Recent or Favorites, depending on what you want. 
5. If you choose Favorites, tap on Edit on the top right corner of your screen.
6. Tap the “+” icon for the apps you want to add as favorites and the “-” icon for the apps you want to remove.

Change the App View

Not everyone likes the app view the Apple Watch has. Fortunately, you can change it whenever you want, right from your Apple Watch.

1. Press the Digital Crown to see all your apps.
2. Press and hold the app Home Screen.
3. Under View Options, tap Grid View or List View.
4. Your Apple Watch will automatically change.

You can also do this from your iPhone by going to the Watch app > App View and choosing which option you like best.

Automatically Install Apps

When you’re setting up your Apple Watch Series 7, you’ll be asked if you want to install all the apps from your iPhone that have an Apple Watch app available. No matter what you choose, you can change these settings later on your iPhone.

1. On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
2. On the My Watch tab, tap on General.
3. Toggle Automatic App Install on or off. 

Play Around with Watch Faces and Complications

The best part about the Apple Watch is its Watch faces and complications. While it’s true that the Apple Watch doesn’t have a watch face store, there are still many options you can try out for yourself. 

1. On your Apple Watch, press and hold your watch face.
2. Tap on Edit.
3. Swipe left or right to choose a different watch face. You can also swipe all the way to the left and tap the “+” icon to add a new watch face.
4. After you choose your watch face, edit the complications and colors to fit your needs.

To be fair, this is much easier to do on your iPhone. So you can go to the Watch app and tap edit next to your watch faces on top. You can also tap the Face Gallery tab at the bottom of your iPhone to find and try new watch faces.