Apple Watch App Development: All You Need to Know for a Successful Result

Apple devices become trendsetters and bestsellers long before they are launched into sales. On top of innovative features, the company’s products are distinguished by security, excellent design, eye-candidness, and, at the same time, minimalistic interfaces. What makes them truly unique, however, is the exclusive software they are packed with.

Which Smartwatch is the Best in 2023?

More and more popular smartwatch models appear in large engineering workshops and design studios of leading IT giants and ambitious private startups. These include Google Pixel Watch, Garmin Fenix 7, Mobvoi TicWatch E3, Fitbit Versa 3, Samsung (Galaxy Watch 5), and others. But no matter how good they are, they all fall short of Apple’s level.

According to the manufacturer, Apple Watch covers about 40% of the market, while the closest competitor (Samsung) boasts a four times smaller figure. That is why the market for Apple-compatible applications never seems to die down.

Key Reasons to Develop an App for Apple Watch 

Let’s start with the fact that this is a serious global trend, which is silly to ignore. Second, it’s profitable. Lastly, it is long-term promising since the audience of users is constantly growing and at an increasing pace.

By having a good understanding of how to develop an app for the Apple Watch, you can earn decent money. On the other hand, this is a very narrow specific area that may be difficult to fit into. The main priority in this business is the ability to comply with user requests and operating system specifications.

User Interface Design (UI)

Due to the very compact screen, the UI design needs to be minimalistic, enabling easy access to all the app’s features. At the same time, it should also pack something special or something that is easier and more convenient to work with via a watch than a smartphone.

If you develop an Apple Watch app correctly without vertical scrolling, interactive switches, sliders, and menus, users will have convenient access to all the necessary info, no matter what type of app you have.

Seamless navigation

As a rule, watches are used with only one hand, so this function is extremely important. To be truly effective, you will need gesture and voice controls backed by intuitive, prompt notifications of every user action. Try to create Apple Watch apps in such a way that even a child can navigate them without any effort, and you will surely bring a lot of new users, especially those that find mobile apps too complicated.

Huge Apple audience

According to last year’s statistics, there were 200,000 more offers in the App Store, and when you install most of them on the iPhone, an Apple Watch version is always offered! At the same time, the number of market-shaping Apple Watch app developers in the world remains relatively small — there are only about 20,000 of them. Why miss out on a juicy piece of the market yourself?

Steps to Develop Your Own App for Apple Watch 

Generally speaking, three types of apps exist — Glance Interface, Notifications, and Watch App. The first type lets users create their own custom glances (quick info summary), while the second works with notifications — shows them to users and allows them to add a few action buttons. However, the third one provides the best and most diverse functionality. But now, let’s dive into how to create an Apple Watch app.

Categorize your app idea

Pick a themed niche where you can get the most bang for your buck by introducing a specialized app. Do your research and decide on the category of the app you’ll be creating. It could be fitness, healthcare, trackers and planners, navigation, games, weather, streaming services, etc. It is essential to offer something really relevant and useful for the end user.

Hire an app development company

Creating an Apple Watch app can seem pretty complicated and costly, especially if there is not enough expertise and knowledge of new technologies in hand. In this case, the easiest way is to go for outsourcing or hire a professional dedicated team.

Create UX/UI

App users need the ability to perform simple and timely tasks on the move in real time. At the same time, it is important for them to receive valuable information in any conditions. All interactions must be a breeze. To make an Apple Watch app as intuitive as possible, use native interface elements and extensions to display relevant data and graphics on the watch’s face.

Place all common codes in the framework. Don’t paste the logo everywhere. Colors should be bright and contrasting, and buttons and animations are better left standard.

Texts should be well readable on the go, on the run, and in any light. It’s better to keep the same content and graphics package for both versions of the screens (watch and smartphone). Make the buttons full-width so that the text is visible in its entirety, and never put more than three buttons on one line.

Work-around features

You must know the requirements of your user. Include the most important features they seek and try to offer something new, unique, or extraordinary. Don’t forget about real-time push notifications and Siri. Minimize traffic while leaving the hard work to the main application on the iPhone.

Testing

The final product is shaped by the quality of the testing process. You must be fully confident that the application meets Apple’s review guidelines, works properly, and is ready to be published.

Release your app

Upload a finished product to the App Store Connect and make a test run on the Apple Watch with the help of the TestFlight app. 

Post-release support

The next major steps to develop an Apple Watch app include getting valuable feedback through beta testing and fixing bugs immediately. Keep in mind that this must be done throughout the application’s lifecycle.

Surely, you may need professional specialists to handle all of that. The range of wearable app development services we provide can help you achieve a simple and affordable app creation process that will certainly pay off!

What You Need to Know about the Programming Language Used by Apple Watch 

Here, we are talking about a powerful and intuitive language — Swift. Writing code on it is interactive and safe, and its syntax is concise yet expressive enough. On top of that, it provides advanced features for developers to create high-performance software.

Weelorum has a separate team of programmers specializing in Swift. Just pick the best-fitting collaboration option, and we are ready to implement any Apple Watch app ideas you may have.

What Type of App For the Apple Watch is Most Popular?

From over ten app categories, our experience tells us to focus on the following three for long-term efficient Apple Watch app development:

Audio recording

It often happens that you urgently need to record something, but you don’t have a voice recorder or a smartphone at hand. This is where a smartwatch with the appropriate app on board fits perfectly. The Apple Market offers tons of free voice recording solutions without artificial restrictions and advertising.

They are especially popular with children, students, reporters, and bloggers, so the demand for them does not cease.

Workout app

Training apps will always be in demand. The most popular are those that clearly demonstrate the results achieved with a range of operational indicators and a detailed map with the places where they were achieved and at what time. Users appreciate the highly customizable interface and the ability to analyze daily activities and share results via other applications.

Real-time weather forecasting

Weather apps are also kind of bestsellers, especially in regions with unstable weather or frequent manifestations of natural hazards. Typically, apps provide hourly and daily forecasts and real-time alerts. Some even report earthquakes and other natural disasters. Such applications are sometimes indispensable and save lives, so they have a great future.

These are the products that potential users will notice first, and you are more likely to get the desired return on investment.

Contact Weelorum for Expert App Development for the Apple Watch

Now, as we’ve explained how to develop an Apple Watch app, let us present how we can help you do it. We help to create high-quality software products for new and existing projects. Our custom iOS application development solutions take your business to the next level while we maintain all the underlying tech aspects. On top of that, we have vast experience in mobile applications’ promotion across more than ten niches, including wearables.

Our cases include successful projects that have received high praise from industry experts. For example, our Apple Watch app development company introduced the unique Swim-Wise app, which tracks swimmers’ results, speed, distance, swimming style, laps, and heart rate in real time.

The client required special attention to performance and usability. To really hit the spot, we used the entire arsenal of innovative technologies and automated tools currently available, including artificial intelligence (AI). The specialized software required six months of work.

As a result, we managed to create an Apple Watch application with versatile features, minimalistic and informative design, and optimized GPS and LTE functions. Today, we can be proud of it, thanks to the highest level of uninterrupted operation, the accuracy of work, and relatively low final cost. All client’s key performance indicators have been successfully achieved.

Weelorum — Your Apple Watch Developer of Choice

Are you looking to achieve similar results? Contact us and describe your requirements so that our experts can better understand how you want your new application to look. Use our professional capacities to develop an application for Apple Watch that will be unparalleled in the market!

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