Do you know what all the icons in the Apple Watch Control Center mean? Do you know what functions they activate or deactivate? We explain one by one what these basic buttons are used for to get to know how the Apple Smartwatch works.
Control center
The control center of Apple Watch is equivalent to that of iPhone. From there we can activate and deactivate the functions of our watch such as Wifi, data connection, mute sounds and many other functions. How to deploy the control center?
- From the main Apple Watch screen perform the swipe gesture from the bottom edge screen up.
- If we are in an application, we have to press and hold on the bottom edge of the screen a few seconds, then swipe up.
For close the control center you have to perform the reverse gesture (slide up and down) or press the crown.
Control center icons
In the control center we have several icons, each one meaning something different and performing different functions. Some of them are pretty obvious, but others are not that clear, so we’ll go into detail one by one what they do.
This icon activates or deactivates the mobile connection (LTE) of your Apple Watch. It is only available on models with LTE connection, those who use eSIM to have their own connectivity. Apple Watch only uses the data connection when a Wi-Fi network is not available and iPhone is not nearby. This way you save battery by using the data connection only when it is essential.
This button allows you to disconnect from the WiFi network. Apple Watch connects to known Wi-Fi networks (the same as the iPhone) when the iPhone to which it is linked is not close, because if it is in Bluetooth range, it always prioritizes this connection with the iPhone. If you tap on it, it will disconnect from the WiFi network and therefore use the LTE connection to access the internet (if it is an LTE model). If you hold it down, you will access the WiFi settings.
East the disconnection of the WiFi network is temporary, so if you move from where you were when you turned it off, and after a while you come back to that location, it will reconnect to the WiFi network it knows.
Activate class mode. This mode is only available on managed Apple Watch, that is, it carries a minor and depends on an adult. This way Set a schedule when Apple Watch functions are restricted to avoid classroom distractions.
This is the function most used by some members of my household: Have you lost your iPhone? Good by pressing this button, the phone will start beeping loud enough for a few seconds to help you locate it. A real lifeline for many.
This button gives you information without having to press it, always showing the percentage of battery remaining on your Apple Watch. What a lot of people don’t know is that if you tap on it, you can set battery saving mode on Apple Watch, and you can check the remaining battery of other connected accessories, such as AirPods.
This button turns off the sounds of the Apple Watch, maintaining the vibration. This mode will remain on until you press the button again to turn it off. Remember that even if Quiet mode is active, if the clock is charging, alarms and timers will continue to ring. There is another quick way to turn on silent mode, and that is if you get a notification and cover the screen with the palm of your hand for 3 seconds, it will automatically turn on and notify you with a vibration.
This button only appears if you have disabled automatic locking, which is how it is configured by default. In case you go for manual locking, when you want your Apple Watch to lock and therefore requires the use of the unlock code, you have to press this button.
This button activates Cinema Mode, which Apple Watch will not turn on the screen when you lift your wrist and make sounds. The walkie-talkie is also disabled. You will continue to receive vibration notifications, and in order to see the screen, you will need to tap it or press one of its buttons.
Activate your availability for the walkie-talkie. This mode of communication allows you to use your Apple Watch like conventional walkie-talkies.. You press a button to talk, release it to receive the answer. You need an internet connection, via iPhone, Wi-Fi, or mobile data, and that also requires the recipient to have accepted your invitation. When you don’t want anyone to bother with this feature, turn it off with this button, and turn it back on when you are available.
It allows you to choose between one of the concentration modes that you have configured. The moon is in Do Not Disturb mode, during which all notifications and calls are turned off, which will reach your device but you will not be notified. The bed appears when the sleep mode is on and off, the rocket for the game mode, the person for the free time mode and the ID card for the work mode.
Activate the flashlight on your Apple Watch. When activated, your Apple Watch screen will light up and allow you to light up the house lock in the dark or go to the bathroom without tripping over objects in the hallway. You can change the flashlight mode by swiping to the left: white light, flashing white light and red light. To turn it off, press either of the two clock buttons or swipe down on the screen.
Turn on airplane mode, which turns off the Wi-Fi connection (and data on LTE models) and leaves Bluetooth on. This behavior can be configured from the clock settings, in the General tab> Airplane mode. This menu you can also duplicate airplane mode on your iPhone and watch, so that when you activate it in one, it is activated in the other.
Activate the water mode. This mode locks the screen, which you can continue to see but will not respond to your contacts. This is designed so that water does not cause intentional contact on the screen while swimming or showering. To deactivate it you must turn the crown, by turning you will hear a sound emitted by the speaker of the watch to expel the water who was able to enter through its opening.
Press this button to choose audio output from your Apple Watch. You can decide if you want the sound to come out of a bluetooth speaker or headset connected to your watch, such as AirPods.
Check the headphone volume warning you if the sound is too loud and it can damage your hearing
Activate or deactivate “Announce notifications”. When you’ve connected compatible AirPods or Beats and notifications arrive on your iPhone, you can listen to them with headphones, even answer them. You can choose which apps you want to announce notifications and which don’t from iPhone settings, in the Notifications menu.
Reorganize the control center
You can change the order of all of these buttons, or even make them not appear in Control Center if you don’t use them. For it display the Control Center, go to the bottom and click on the Edit button. You can rearrange or hide them the same way you would with apps on your iPhone.
