Apple Watch: Resuming to Your Last-Used App

This Apple Watch trick is as simple as can be, but I’ve been finding it incredibly useful. There’s an option you can configure that’ll make your device resume to whatever app you used last rather than the clock face when you raise your wrist. Access this feature within the Apple Watch iPhone app (My Watch > General > Activate on Wrist Raise) or on the Watch itself (under Settings > General > Activate on Wrist Raise).

Now, I personally wouldn’t use this all of the time—I mean, part of the awesomeness of having a Watch is having the face look like, well, a Watch instead of whatever you happened to be looking at last—but when I’m doing something specific, I’ve found it to be handy to turn on temporarily. For example, I’ll often go out for a hike while I’m listening to music, and it’s frustrating to have to either swipe to the “Now Playing” Glance or open the music app if I want to switch songs. With that setting I mentioned on, though, the Watch will resume to my music when I raise my wrist if I keep that app as the last active one. 

One more thing: Have you noticed that using the Workout app to start an activity means that raising your wrist brings you to a summary of what you’ve done in the workout until you end it? Turns out that the “Last Used App” setting overrides that as well, so it’ll still take you to your music (or whatever) while your workout is being tracked. 

Neat! I gotta keep from having to fiddle with my Watch while I’m working up a sweat, don’t you know. And yes, I work out to Weird Al. Doesn’t everyone?