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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Apple Watch timer boosts productivity but annoys partners.
- Silent mode mutes alerts while preserving wrist haptics.
- Haptics keep reminders private, and household peace intact.
I love me some timers. One of the secrets to how I manage my day is that I set timers for everything.
I set them for appointments, sure. But I also set them to remind me when to get started on a phase of work. I set them to remind me when to eat a meal. I set them to remind me when to take my medicine. I set them to wake me up from naps. I even set them to limit how much time I dig around on Facebook or doom scroll on the Drudge Report as a break from work.
Sometimes I use Alexa to set alarms on one of my Amazon devices, but those can (and do) disturb my wife. So instead of using Alexa, I’ve taken to using the Timers and Alarms apps on my Apple Watch.
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These have the benefit of going off on my wrist. Don’t underestimate that value. Setting alarms or timers on Alexa tends to limit the notification to the room in which the Alexa device resides. But alarms and timers on the Apple Watch follow me everywhere, even into that room.
But here’s the thing that took me a little while to fully grok. Even though the alarm is on my wrist, my wife could still hear it if she was in the same room. It got particularly annoying when we were both in our office/family room and she was on a Zoom call, and I had a timer going off every 10 minutes to help me push through some work speed run or another.
Yes, I do things like set my timer for 15 minutes and try to write five paragraphs in that time. I set the timer for 10 minutes and answer as many emails as I can in 10 minutes. I set the timer for 20 minutes and see how many to-do items I can knock off in that time.
My wife is a saint.
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But even the astonishing patience and tolerance that she exhibits to me has limits. My tenacious timer tactic can get tedious for my timeless teammate.
Silent mode
Fortunately, there’s a setting for that. Just press the side button on your watch (the long one, not the digital crown). Then tap the bell icon and make sure it has a line through it.
This mutes all alerts, notifications, and sound effects. Whenever you’re concerned about bothering your partner, turn on Silent mode.
There is an important caveat to this. Basically, your watch won’t be silent if it’s charging. Alarms and timers will sound when charging, even if you have your watch set to Silent mode.
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But the real trick is to turn on haptics. Haptics (the little tap-tap, buzz-buzz on your wrist) will still trigger when the watch is on your wrist, even if you’re in Silent mode.
Turn on your haptics
To do this, go to Settings on your Watch and scroll down to Sounds & Haptics. Tap it.
Tap the Haptics button.
You can get by with Haptics set on Default. That works well, but I like it set on Prominent because it’s a little bit more noticeable when it taps on my wrist.
As long as you don’t set Haptics to Off, this tactic works.
My approach
I leave Silent mode on all the time. When I take my watch off, I always put it on the charger, so I can hear any alerts and notifications. And when it’s on my wrist, I get taps that get my attention without disturbing my spouse.
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Domestic tranquility. Silencing all those timers does indeed provide for a more perfect union.
What about you? Do you rely on timers and alarms throughout the day? Have you tried using your Apple Watch (or another wearable) instead of devices like Alexa or your phone? Do you prefer haptics or sound when it comes to alerts? And most importantly, how do you balance your need for reminders with keeping peace at home? Let us know in the comments below.
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