The Do’s and Don’ts of Apple Watch Etiquette

When is it OK to use the Apple Watch? We went to etiquette experts to find out the new rules of Apple Watch etiquette that you need to know when you strap an Apple Watch to your wrist.

For the most part we know when to leave the iPhone in a pocket and focus on the conversation or top ic taking place in front of us, but when you place notifications, glances and a cool new gadget on someone’s wrist it is easier to become distracted and to find ways to bring up the fact that you have the Apple Watch on your wrist.

These are rules of using the Apple Watch in public according to etiquette experts who know how to help you get a second date, get ahead at work and not annoy everyone around you. Etiquette is about more than which fork to use at dinner, it’s about presenting the best version of yourself in public.

This list of do’s and don’ts will showcase how you can use the Apple Watch in public without looking like a fool.

Basic Apple Watch Etiquette

If this is your first smartwatch this quick guide to Apple Watch etiquette can help you quickly learn when and where you should use your Apple Watch.

For most users good Apple Watch etiquette isn’t a mystery. Maryanne Parker of Manor of Manners says, “We all know what we should do and what we shouldn’t do, but still get carried away.”

Here are the basic Apple Watch etiquette rules everyone needs to know.

Hopefully this collection of Apple Watch etiquette will help you become more self aware of how you use the Apple Watch. Here are the five essential Apple etiquette rules from Jacqueline Whitmore, an internationally-recognized etiquette expert and founder of National Cell Phone Courtesy Month.

1. Avoid constantly glancing at your watch when having dinner with friends, co-workers or clients. Put people first, technology second.
2. Unless you are expecting an important call or message, keep your watch turned off or on silent.
3. If you have to text or take a call, excuse yourself from the table or meeting and find a more secluded place to carry on your conversation. P.S. A restroom is not a private place.
4. Don’t be a show-off. The only time it’s permissable to pull out your watch is for showing pictures of your vacation, a cute baby or pet.
5. Keep your eyes on the road. Don’t let your watch become a distraction.

If you need more advice, you can keep reading to learn about using the Apple Watch on a date and using the Apple Watch in the office.

Apple Watch Rules for Work

When is it OK to use the Apple Watch at work? According to early Apple Watch users the device delivers the right mix of features that they can stop using the iPhone for most of the day. This could be a step forward in the office, but there are still do’s and don’ts of using the Apple Watch at work.

Be aware of how you use the Apple Watch at work, especially in meetings or in an open floor plan office.

After using a smartwatch in the office Sean Higgins, co-founder of ilos Videos offers advice on how to use the Apple Watch effectively at work.

Do: Use voice commands to quickly get to the app you want open.

Don’t: Use voice commands when you’re surrounded by other people. Remember seeing how those bluetooth guys sitting by themselves talking in a restaurant look? This is the same effect.

Do: Use your watch to send texts and quick messages.

Don’t: Use your watch to send emails. Even if the voice to text recognition makes major improvements you’ll send off more emails like this Hi Jim, I like your pizza proposal than like this: Hi Jim, I like your project proposal.

Higgins’ number one rule for using the Apple Watch at work is that you shouldn’t, “forget to stay in the moment. Remember to focus on the people you’re with. I know you get push notifications and it’s okay to glance, but when we see others looking at their watch constantly it signals that they aren’t terribly interested in what we’re saying.”

Learn the right way to use the Apple Watch at work.

The last thing you need when trying to climb the corporate ladder or get a raise is to be the employee that everyone thinks is always somewhere else. it’s obvious when you look at your phone and even if it is less of a reach to look at your watch many people identify a watch glance with the desire to get out of a meeting and on to something else.

Maryanne Parker adds to the rules on how you should use your Apple Watch at work, specifically in a meeting.

• “Do’s – could be very useful if we can use it to contribute to the meeting, sending business e-mails and texts messages and receiving immediate information from business partners from all over the world. We can collaborate right away. Just be present.
• Don’ts – do not send personal e-mail, personal  text messages, do not update your FB status, or check information on LinkedIn during the meeting.”

Simply put, you need to be aware of how you use the Apple Watch at work, just like you did when smartphones first arrived and offered a bigger gateway to distractions and fast access to important information.

Apple Watch Etiquette on a Date

When you go on a date with your Apple Watch on your arm, you may be able to leave your iPhone tucked into a pocket for longer, but that doesn’t mean you should play with your Apple Watch all night.

Learn how to use the Apple Watch on a date, and what you need to avoid.

“If you ever desire to see that lovely lass or lad sitting across the table from you again, you will suppress all beeping, buzzing and lights emitting from your Apple Watch. These are wondrous at breaking up the flow of an intimate and agreeable tête-à-tête, and have the added irksomeness of being ambiance-disruptors.”, warns Constance Dunn of Practical Glamour.

She also adds, “And no one, including that beautiful creature who’s agreed to go on a date with you, will think you’re particularly cool or rich or with it because you’ve got the newest tech device strapped to your wrist. Do enjoy your helpful new device, but show the wisdom and discernment to put first things, as they say, first.”

“At a nice restaurant, or on a date, it’s bad etiquette to keep your phone on the table, so it’s best to remove the watch,” according to Maggie Oldham a modern etiquette coach. This works out particularly well because the Apple Watch stops notifications when it detects that it is not on your wrist.

If you cannot take the Apple Watch off, Oldham suggests, “If you don’t have anywhere to put it, you can keep it on your wrist, but keep it totally silent with no vibrations or lighting up (put it in Do Not Disturb mode). It’s distracting, and also sends the message to your dinner guests that they’re not the priority.”

Here are a few things you can do with the Apple Watch on a date.

So how can you use your Apple Watch on a date without irritating your companion? Parker offers advice on how you can use the Apple Watch without alienating your date.

“You can check together which movie you can watch or to choose the music you might both enjoy. At the same time you will be able to order pizza or any other fast food and use your “watch” as a debit card. You don’t need to worry that you did leave your wallet at  home.  You can browse and search for topics interesting to both of you,” Parker tells Gotta Be Mobile, adding, “But still do not forget to have a conversation.”

Here are 25 things you can do with the Apple Watch, so you can figure out which are acceptable on a date or at work.

Answer Calls on the Apple Watch

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You can answer a call on your Apple Watch using it as a small Bluetooth speakerphone. You only want to use this for shorter calls because the audio quality isn't as good as when you are talking on speakerphone on your iPhone.  The Apple Watch only allows you to answer your calls on Speakerphone, so you won't want to use this all the time. It is very handy when you are working on a project or busy with your hands. Definitely be conscious of where you are taking calls. If you wouldn't talk on speakerphone, you shouldn't talk on your Apple Watch. If you buy the new Apple Watch with LTE, you can even make calls on the Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby. This requires adding the watch to your plan for $10 a month. You cannot answer a FaceTime video call on the Apple Watch.

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