Goard ,spotify, google messages, google assistant More on reddit.com

I look at it to get the time of day; sometimes the date too! 😄 More on reddit.com

It's happening!

More on reddit.com

There are actually are lots of great apps. As someone who really enjoys leaving my phone at home while working out, running/walking or running errands, I especially appreciate the apps that are fully functioning on the watch with an LTE connection. In contrast, when I tried the LG Watch Sport two years ago, I was shocked at how few truly standalone apps Wear OS has. But then again, it seems Google has given up on developing for, supporting or selling, cellular-connected watches altogether. But I have not looked since. Maybe it's better now. Here are my current favorites, some of which I have been using since I got Samsung's first connected watch, the Gear S back in 1/15 (followed by the Gear S2 3g, Gear S3 LTE, and now 46mm GW LTE). Just my personal opinion, of course, but hope folks find some of this helpful: Poddy - finally a true podcast app for Galaxy Watch devices (Das Podcast also works, but is bit more limited in functions/options). G-Maps Pro - full Google Maps navigation (walk, drive, bicycle, and public transit routing. It is easier on battery than the others I also have: Here We Go, Navigator - Voice Navigation. Talk to Alexa/Voice In a Can - Alexa access/voice control. Both work well without requiring the phone ( GAssist.net requires a BT-connected phone). Very useful for smart home device options, and basic queries. iGear Radio Pro - traditional and online-only radio streaming, lots of stations to choose. Watch Translator - actually works in conversation mode - but you need a strong LTE connection for it to work quickly enough to be useful. G-Keyboard Pro - best voice-to-text keyboard that uses Google's VTT API. Miles better than Bixby. Not even close. Some people have had battery issues. I have not, so far. Wrist Flashlight - best for automatically setting the display to its brightest when launched. Samsung Internet for Galaxy Watch - yes, the screen is too small generally, but in a pinch, the browser really works. You can even play YouTube videos through it. Xenozu - YouTube player that is easier on battery than SIGW or Player4YouTube. Timer and Stopwatch - Both work well and should be installed by default. Weird that they are not. My Notes in Gear - terrific note/checklist list app that synchronizes between watch and phone and has great time and location reminder functionality. As long as we don't have a Google Keep client, this app is the way to go. What's That Song? - Shazam functionality. Works great, though the app face, font and colors are very '70s looking. Voice Memo - works well and automatically transcribes memos and backs them up to the phone (if you want). Secret Recorder - does as its name suggests and works well without killing battery. GPS Weather Radar - My favorite of the radar weather apps. Spotify - works very well if you have a premium account and want to download playlists, songs or albums to the watch. That being said, battery drain is heavy and continues even after I stop listening and close the app. I now reboot the watch when done listening. That solves the issue for me. Surprised Spotify hasn't fixed this as it has updated the app a number of times since release. Places - way better and more useful than the Yelp app. Uses Google's review data for ratings. Uber for Gear - Once properly set up (kind of a pain), it works well, even if you don't have the phone with you. My Converter Unit Converter - easy conversion of pretty much any kind of measurement. Client for Google Authenticator - Does exactly as its name suggests. (And yes, you can set up more than one device/app with authentication if you do them at the same time). It's great not to have to worry about having my phone or a FIDO USB key to log in securely. Can be used for other accounts besides Google. The developer now has an integrated phone and watch app that let you set it up on both the phone and watch at the same time with a QR code, and you can still use it on the watch alone without a BT connection. It is now called "Client for Google Authenticator with Companion". Phone Camera Remote Circle - full control of phone camera from watch for stills and video. Quick GPS Position Pro - great for when you are off-road or want detailed GPS info. Hope this is useful. Enjoy. More on reddit.com