How to add apps on Apple Watch

Turn your watch into a harder working device with countless third-party apps. Apple’s App Store is packed with options from advanced sleep tracking to music platforms to weather stats and so much more. Find out how to add apps to your Apple Watch and bring more tools right to your wrist.

Read more: Apple Watch buyer’s guide

Add apps on your Apple Watch

The easiest way to add apps to your Apple Watch is to download them from the App Store on the device itself. If you are connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network, you don’t even need your paired iPhone close at hand.

• Open the App Store app on your watch.
• Use your Digital Crown to scroll through featured apps or tap Search to look for a specific app. Use Dictation, or Scribble to enter words into the search field or type on your keyboard if you are using an Apple Watch Series 7.
• Once you find an app you would like to add, tap Get to download a free app or the price if it’s a paid app. If you see a cloud symbol instead of a price, you have already paid for the app and can tap the symbol to download it on your device.
• Follow the onscreen prompts to complete your installation.

Be careful if you use a cellular connection: data charges might apply if you’re on a limited plan.

Read more: How to zoom in on Apple Watch

Add apps to your Apple Watch from an iPhone

Any apps you already have on your iPhone that have a watchOS app available will automatically appear on your Apple Watch. To manually install an app, follow the steps below.

• Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone, tap the My Watch tab, and then tap General.
• Disable Automatic App Install.
• Tap My Watch again and scroll down to Available Apps. Tap Install next to the app you want to add to your watch.

If you want to search the app store on your iPhone for new watch apps, you can also do so. Some users prefer browsing available options on the larger screen.

• Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
• In the Discover tab, scroll down and tap Explore Watch Apps.
• From here, you can browse categories, search for apps, and tap Get to download a free app or the price to buy a paid app. Then follow the onscreen prompts to add the app to your Apple Watch.

Read more: Common Apple Watch problems and how to fix them

FAQs

Can you add the Fitbit app to your Apple Watch?

The Fitbit app is not compatible with Apple’s wearables and cannot be added to your device. However,  it is possible to sync your Fitbit data with Apple Health on your iPhone using a third-party workaround called Sync Solver.

Next: How to close or force quit apps on an Apple Watch