Following yesterday’s release of iOS 8.2 beta 4 and the reference to an official Apple Watch app, details on that companion app and its functionality have leaked out.
According to 9to5Mac, this app is currently being referred to as the “Companion” app for Apple Watch. Included in the app are a number of settings to control how the Apple Watch alerts you; when it comes to activities, you can have the Apple Watch tell you when to take a break from sitting, let you know how far along you are on reaching your goals, and alerts for when you reach your goals or achievements.
Moving on to the home screen, the Apple Watch app will let you organize the apps that you’ve got on your watch’s home screen using a virtual view on your phone’s screen. You can also control whether or not you get push alerts for things like Timers and Alarms as well as if you want a little red dot on your Apple Watch’s clock face when you get new alerts on your phone.
When it comes to messaging, the Apple Watch will let you respond to texts using your voice, set up default canned text message responses, enable or disable read receipts, and fine tune which senders you’d like to have show up on your Apple Watch.
Some other Apple Watch Companion app goodies include a vibration when Maps wants you to turn, VoiceOver for reading the text on the Apple Watch’s screen, setting up a four-number passcode (required for Apple Pay), and showing an About Screen to display info about your Apple Watch and its contents.
Overall there’s nothing shocking that’s been revealed by this Companion app leak, as many of its features are ones that we’ve come to expect from a modern smartwatch. Still, it’s nice to get a better idea of the Apple Watch’s functionality and how its Companion app will work. With the Apple Watch rumored to be launching in March, expect more leaks like this one to pop up in the coming weeks.