Companion vs. standalone watch apps
A companion watch app pairs with your iPhone app and shines at glanceable, in-the-moment tasks. A standalone app can install and run without the paired iPhone nearby, which matters for fitness, cellular, and independence.
Most products don't need to reproduce the whole iPhone app on the wrist. The best watch apps do a few things fast: a timer, a check-in, a status, a control.
- Companion: extends an existing iPhone app for quick actions and notifications
- Standalone: installs and functions without the iPhone, good for workouts and cellular models
- Complications: put live data on the watch face for one-tap access
- Notifications: rich, actionable alerts designed for a small screen
- Health and motion: workout sessions, heart rate, and activity where users allow it
What watchOS is actually good for
The watch rewards speed and restraint. Interactions are measured in seconds, so the design job is deciding what to leave out.
Battery, screen size, and connectivity are real constraints, not afterthoughts. We build watch features around them instead of pretending they don't exist.
- Glanceable summaries and single-tap actions over deep navigation
- Digital Crown, haptics, and gesture input designed for the wrist
- Complications and Smart Stack presence to stay one glance away
- Background refresh and workout sessions that respect battery limits
- Handoff and shared data so the watch and iPhone stay in sync
More on ios apps
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a watch app if we already have an iPhone app?
Only if there's a genuine on-the-wrist moment: a quick action, a live status, a workout. If your use case is deep, screen-heavy work, the watch may not add much. We'll tell you honestly whether it's worth it.
Can the watch app work without the phone?
Yes, standalone watchOS apps can run independently, and on cellular models they can use data on their own. That independence adds work, so we scope it based on whether your users truly need it.
Does a watch app need its own App Store listing?
A companion app ships as part of your iPhone app's listing. Independent watch apps can be offered on their own. We'll set up the right structure in App Store Connect for your case.