Latest News

Long gone are the days when the only function watches could perform was telling you the time. While these types of watches certainly still exist, there’s now a new breed of all-singing, all-dancing watch that makes the perfect accessory for gadget aficionados. We are, of course, talking about smartwatches!

If you’ve just become the proud owner of a smartwatch – whether it’s an Apple Watch or one that runs off Google’s Wear OS – you’ll find that there are tonnes of cool things you can do with your device. And not all will be listed in the user’s manual!

Before we take a look at what some of these cool things are, you need to make sure that your wrist piece is protected against life’s little mishaps. Gadget Insurance from Gadget Cover can cover things like accidental damage, liquid damage and loss for an optional fee.

Go with Gadget Cover and you’ll benefit from the first month of cover totally free on policies paid monthly, discounts on policies paid annually, unlimited claims and a low excess. We’re sure you’ll be satisfied with your cover, but in the event you’re not, you can make the most of our 14-day money back guarantee.

Now, let’s take a look at 10 of the best things you can do with your smartwatch.

 

1. Pay for stuff

We’ve all been there… you go to pay at checkout, only to realise you don’t have your purse or wallet on you. With Apple Pay or Google Pay loaded onto your smartwatch, you’ll never be embarrassed at the till point again! A simple tap of your watch on an in-store card reader is all that’s needed to pay for your goodies. This also means that you don’t have to go out with a purse or wallet stuffed full of cash.

 

2. Control your home

If you’re someone who’s fully embraced the smart living revolution within your home, you can now control the tech from your wrist! Whether you’ve got smart lights or security cameras, smart locks or smart thermostats, all you need to do is download the manufacturers’ app, from which you can turn your tech on and off, set timers, adjust settings and much more.

 

3. Follow directions

If your smartwatch has GPS built in, you can use it on its own for turn-by-turn navigation – you just need to download the appropriate Maps app for the operating system. The Apple Watch cleverly uses sounds and tapsthat tell you when to turn – a low tone followed by a high one (tock tick, tock tick) means turn right, while a high tone followed by a low one (tick tock, tick tock) means turn left. Easy!

 

4. Track your fitness

If you’re into fitness, you can use your smartphone to record, track and assess your performance of your chosen discipline over time. While there are a lot of fitness trackers on the market, Strava is one of the best for runners and cyclists. As well as tracking performance, you can map and record your routes, set challenges and share your goals with friends and followers.

5. Listen to your favourite playlists

With a smartwatch, you can DJ from your wrist! Simply download your chosen music app, pair with your watch, sync your wireless headphones and hit that play button. Bear in mind some apps and functions only work with newer operating systems, but if your smartwatch is a new model then you should be fine.

 

6. Manage calls and messages

Our smartphones aren’t always easily accessible, so it’s really handy that smartwatches can be used for managing calls and messages. Depending on your device, you can do things like switch calls from the watch to your phone, send a call to voicemail, listen to voicemails, and send text messages by speaking the message then tapping ‘Send’.

 

7. Locate your phone

Misplaced your phone a few times in the past? The great thing about smartwatches is that they can be used to track down your phone. If your iPhone is connected with your Apple smartwatch, swipe up from the watch face then tap the Find iPhone button. In a few seconds your iPhone should ring with a short ‘ping’ sound to help you locate it. Similarly, you can command “Find my phone” into your Android smartwatch and it will ring your phone at full volume.

8. Order a taxi

You don’t even need your phone to hail a taxi anymore, as you can request a ride with a few taps of your smartwatch. Obviously, you need to download a ride-hailing app, the most popular being Uber. If you want to let a loved one know where you are, the Uber app has a handy Follow My Ride feature which allows you to share your trip status and location on a map. You can turn sharing on or off at any time.

 

9. Stay social

Never miss an important notification again by downloading your favourite social media platforms straight onto your smartwatch. If you own an Apple device, we recommend Chirp for Twitter, which lets you endlessly scroll through your timeline, catch up on what’s trending, and stay up to date with your mentions. You can also use the app to read and reply to direct messages.

 

10. Take perfect pictures

So long as your smartwatch is linked with your smartphone, it can be used as a remote shutter for the camera on your phone. This means you can use your phone to line up a perfect shot of you and your friends or family, before tapping your watch to take the picture!

Gadget insurance

You see, there’s so much cool stuff that can be done using a smartwatch! Before you start playing around, it’s important to make sure your tech is covered just in case it’s lost, stolen or damaged. A gadget insurance policy can protect against all of these risks and more, for a price that won’t break the bank.

Protect your smartwatch from today by getting a free, no-obligation quote.