# Designing for watchOS

Source: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-watchos
Skill: hig-platforms
Snapshot: 2025-02-02

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<!-- hig-doctor:attribution -->
> **Source**: Apple Inc. Canonical content at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-watchos.
> This file is a structured index of that content, snapshot 2025-02-02.
> Apple HIG text and imagery are © Apple Inc.; this repository provides organization and cross-referencing for AI agent consumption only.

# Designing for watchOS

**Display.**

**Ergonomics.**

**Inputs.**

**App interactions.**

**System features.**

  * [Complications](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/complications)

  * [Notifications](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/notifications)

  * [Always On](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/always-on)

  * [Watch faces](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/watch-faces)

## Best practices

  * Support quick, glanceable, single-screen interactions that deliver critical information succinctly and help people perform targeted actions with a simple gesture or two.

  * Minimize the depth of hierarchy in your app’s navigation, and use the [Digital Crown](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/digital-crown) to provide vertical navigation for scrolling or switching between screens.

  * Personalize the experience by proactively anticipating people’s needs and using on-device data to provide actionable content that’s relevant in the moment or very soon.

  * Use [complications](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/complications) to provide relevant, potentially dynamic data and graphics right on the watch face where people can view them on every wrist raise and tap them to dive straight into your app.

  * Use [notifications](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/notifications) to deliver timely, high-value information and let people perform important actions without opening your app.

  * Use background content such as [color](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/color) to convey useful supporting information, and use [materials](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/materials) to illustrate hierarchy and a sense of place.

  * Design your app to function independently, complementing your notifications and complications by providing additional details and functionality.

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For the complete guidance, including worked examples and illustrations, see the canonical page: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-watchos