Apple Shares List of Must-Have Apps as Apple Watch App Store Goes Live Today

Ahead of the Apple Watch launch tomorrow, Apple has shared a selection of apps that it believes all new Apple Watch owners should download. Provided to Buzzfeed, the list covers a wide range of apps, from those that provide news coverage to those that help people share photos or travel around town.

Today marks the debut of the Apple Watch App Store, which should go live in just a few hours, letting people browse through available apps and download content before getting their watches tomorrow. The Apple Watch App Store will be accessible through the pre-installed Apple Watch app on the iPhone, available to all iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3 users.

applewatchappstore

Image courtesy of Buzzfeed

For sharing on social media, Apple recommended both Twitter and Instagram, noting that the latter includes support for emoji comments on the Apple Watch. The New York Times was recommended for news, and Mint was recommended for tracking finances.

Yelp got a mention, as did Target's app, which includes a useful shopping list feature, and Dark Sky was highlighted as the must-have weather app. Citymapper was mentioned as a useful transit app, showing the fastest public transit routes, and Pacemaker's music mixing app was the only music app on the list. Elevate's brain training app was Apple's most unusual pick.

Given the Apple Watch's position as a health and fitness device, Apple also shared several notable fitness and nutrition apps, including Fitstar Yoga for yoga, Strava for runners, and Golfshot for golfers. Apple recommended Lifesum for tracking calories and Centered for meditation.

Several of these apps have been previously highlighted by Apple either during one of its Apple Watch events or on its Apple Watch app website, but several of the above apps are new picks that Apple has not previously shared.

When Apple Watches reach the hands of customers tomorrow, there will be more than 2,000 Apple Watch apps available for the device.

Update 10:35 AM: The Apple Watch App Store on iPhone is now live. The regular App Store is also now showing Apple Watch screenshots and indicators for apps that include Apple Watch support.

Apple Watch App Store

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Here's When Tesla is Expected to Add Support for Apple CarPlay

Sunday November 16, 2025 6:49 am PST by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Tesla plans to add Apple CarPlay support to its vehicles "in the coming months." This is easily the biggest news for the regular version of CarPlay in years, should Tesla actually follow through with offering the system in its vehicles. As noted by Gurman, this would be a stunning reversal for Tesla and its CEO Elon ...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
Apple Sports App Preview Feature

Apple Sports App on iPhone Now Available in More European Countries

Monday November 17, 2025 6:27 am PST by
The free Apple Sports app on the iPhone was released in additional European countries today, including Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, Hungary, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Ukraine, and others. The app was already available in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Austria, France, Germany,...

Top Rated Comments

Four oF NINE Avatar
138 months ago
Looking forward to the day when this watch is old news.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dontwalkhand Avatar
138 months ago
Target bothers me in that they do have Apple Pay in the app, and now a Watch app that is featured by Apple- But don't accept Apple Pay in the store - despite getting hacked!!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrgraff Avatar
138 months ago
How about giving me my watch first ?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macs4nw Avatar
138 months ago
How about giving me my watch first ?

Then you'll be complaining that the AppleWatch app store isn't up yet.....
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SpectatorHere Avatar
138 months ago
Finally some news about the apple watch. I've been waiting and waiting but no posts about this amazing product. ;)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wingsabr Avatar
138 months ago
How about the must have watch...oh, wait, still processing :/
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)