apple watch what are third party complications? What are they

[lotust]

Exactly what are they? I searched on google and don't get why I have 4 in that section. Are they apps that have incompatibility and do they show up in glances ? Or where you customize your watch faces?


Thanks

 

[lotust]

Anyone?

 

[ControlD]

I think it is the word "complication" that is confusing. In the context of the Apple watch, this is what a complication is:

Complications are small visual elements that appear directly on the watch face and convey important information to the user. Complications are automatically visible whenever the user looks at Apple Watch to check the time. Most watch faces support at least two or three complications, and the user can customize which complications are displayed. Apps may use a complication to display app-specific data.

(from Apple's developer guide for the Apple Watch)

So, you must have four extras installed that are showing you something when you glance at the watch. Maybe they have always been there so you don't actually recognize what they are? Try removing them and see what changes. I know my Pebble also supports complications, but depending on the watch face they may or may not actually show up. You could also try switching to a watch face that supports (a certain number of) complications.

 

[lotust]

I think it is the word "complication" that is confusing. In the context of the Apple watch, this is what a complication is:



(from Apple's developer guide for the Apple Watch)

So, you must have four extras installed that are showing you something when you glance at the watch. Maybe they have always been there so you don't actually recognize what they are? Try removing them and see what changes. I know my Pebble also supports complications, but depending on the watch face they may or may not actually show up. You could also try switching to a watch face that supports (a certain number of) complications.

Thank very much for that reply. That's makes sense . I was scratching my head about this for days. I use an app to track my sleep called sleep++ and it's in the complication section.

 

[ControlD]

Maybe I should have known this already, but this explains where the term comes from. Makes sense. I had the same confusion at first when I started to see the word "complications" used when browsing Pebble watch faces.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complication_(horology)

 

[Blackjack200]

Complications. Bad in surgery. Good on watches.

 

[slugg]

Seems like most Apple Watch wearers (notice how I didn't say "users") forget that it's a watch. Well, it's supposed to be a watch. I'll stick with my Swiss watch with one complication.

 

[Commodus]

Hey, I actually like using the Apple Watch for tracking time! With that said, you don't get a smartwatch primarily for timekeeping... a $20 quartz watch would do that. It's a way of triaging your notifications, and speeding up tasks that would otherwise force you to pull out your phone.