Learn how to download and install apps on your Apple Watch from the App Store, either directly on the watch itself or through the paired iPhone.
Aside from manually installing Apple Watch apps, you can also set the device to automatically install watchOS versions of the apps you install on your iPhone.
The steps here are for watchOS 27, but they are more or less the same for older versions as well.
3 ways to install apps on the Apple Watch
You can install Apple Watch apps using the companion Watch app on your iPhone, via the App Store on the watch itself or by enabling automatic downloads.
1. The companion Watch app on your iPhone
- Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone.
- Scroll to the bottom of the My Watch tab and tap Apps (skip this step if your devices are running an older version of iOS and watchOS).
- Tap Install next to an app in the Available Apps section. These are the apps already installed on your iPhone that have an Apple Watch version. If installing them seems suspiciously slow, make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled on the phone and the watch. If the problem continues, restart both devices.
2. The App Store on your Apple Watch
The built-in App Store app on your Apple Watch enables you to download and install apps, update installed apps and view your subscriptions right from your wrist. This removes reliance on your iPhone while supporting independent watch apps that lack a companion iPhone version.
Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch, then open the App Store. Tap the all apps icon or rotate the Digital Crown if you don’t see App Store on the first screen. Scroll down to browse the latest apps or use the search to find specific apps, then choose:
- Get: Install a free app for the first time on this device.
- Download icon: Install a previously downloaded app.
- Price: Buy a paid app (authorize with a double-click of the side button).
If asked to enter your Apple Account password, you can do it on the watch or phone by tapping an Apple Watch keyboard notification that pops up.
Installing an app via the on-device App Store won’t automatically install its iOS version, if any, on your iPhone. You can get the iPhone version via the iOS App Store instead.
3. Automatically install Apple Watch apps
You can set watchOS to automatically install an Apple Watch version of apps you download on your iPhone.
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap General.
- Turn on the Automatic App Install option. Going forward, downloading iPhone apps that have Apple Watch versions available will automatically install on your Apple Watch.
These automatic downloads are convenient, but you might end up with apps on your Apple Watch that you may not need, which will clutter the Home Screen and fill your Apple Watch storage.
Find apps for your Apple Watch
Open the App Store on your iPhone and browse through the tabs and categories to download apps with a watch version. You can also open the Watch app and navigate to Discover > Explore Watch Apps to see apps for your watch. Tap Get or the cloud icon to download an Apple Watch app from here. If the app in question has an iPhone version, it will be installed on your phone.
How to know if an iPhone app supports Apple Watch
Apps listed in the App Store on your Apple Watch and those in the Discover section of the iPhone’s Watch app definitely support the Apple Watch.
To check if an app viewed via the App Store on your iPhone has a watchOS component, look for listed platforms below the App Store screenshots. If the Apple Watch is mentioned there, the app is compatible with the Apple Watch.
Where do the installed Apple Watch apps appear?
Apps installed on your Apple Watch appear on the Home Screen, accessed by pressing the Digital Crown (tap the all-apps icon or rotate the Digital Crown to see all apps).
If you find it difficult to visually identify an app just by its icon on the grid view, switch to browsing the installed Apple Watch apps in list view, which sorts them in alphabetical order with app icons and full names.
You can also ask Siri on Apple Watch to “Open [app name].”
More Apple Watch tutorials: