12 useful Apple Watch tips and tricks before Apple releases watchOS 12

With the WWDC 2025 dates now announced, we know that it won’t be long until Apple unveils watchOS 12. While we don’t know much about this future operating system, this is the perfect opportunity to share some of the best Apple Watch tips and tricks available, including new features in watchOS 11 and some perks you might have forgotten about.

Keep reading for 12 Apple Watch tips and tricks that should help you get the most out of your favorite smartwatch.

Walkie-talkie your friends: You might have forgotten about it, but to this day, I find the walkie-talkie feature one of the best features I can remind my friends with Apple Watch models about. It’s handy and convenient and might be the best option in some use cases. Once your friends approve your request, you can ring them anytime.

Find your iPhone: With an Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 (or newer), you can locate your iPhone 15 or iPhone 16 with Precision Find. Tap the Watch’s side button and then the button to buzz your phone. If your phone is in the Apple Watch’s range, its location will appear.

Vitals App and Training Load: With watchOS 11, Apple introduced a new Vitals app that helps you better understand your daily health status. Training Load shows you how to tackle exercising every day based on your health metrics.

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

Customize Activity Ring goals: watchOS 11 also lets you change your Activity Ring goals daily. More importantly, if you just want to take a break but don’t want to lose your streak, you can pause your rings for the day or the week.

Healthier sleep: With the Sleep app on your Apple Watch, you can create sleep schedules to help you meet your sleep goals. When you wear your watch to bed, the Apple Watch can estimate the time you spent in each sleep stage —REM, Core, and Deep—as well as when you might have woken up. 

Sleep Apnea detection: With the new Sleep Apnea Notification feature, you can be notified if your breathing disturbances show consistent signs of sleep apnea. Over time, sleep apnea can have important health consequences, including cardiac disease. 

Quick nap tracker: One of the best tips and tricks for the Apple Watch is its ability to automatically track your naps. It won’t be as accurate as your Sleep Focus, but sometimes, when you nap, you’ll see in the Health app that you slept a little more during the day.