There’s no need to wait for Nightstand Mode to arrive on Apple Watch this fall – we’ve provided a simplistic how-to guide for a more flexible bedside alarm right here. If you’re already using your Apple Watch as an alarm via a vertically-oriented stand, there’s plenty more functionality to tap into.
While Nightstand Mode provides clear benefits to those saddled with the burden of having to rise at a particular time (rough, right?), we’ve discovered a handful of apps that work beautifully while your Watch is perched on a stand. If you’re like us, you don’t actually hit the hay as soon as you remove your Watch for the evening. Perhaps you throw on an episode of House of Cards, queue up a soft jazz playlist to wind down, or tune into a podcast.
For all of those activities, your Watch is an excellent controller. Though, if it’s relegated to being just an alarm, you’re missing out on a critical piece of ownership. Instead, we’ve turned to our Watch to control the usual pre-bedtime activities, proving that it’s still useful even after you’ve removed it from your arm.
Here’s a look at our six favorite nightstand apps, which are perfectly suited for interaction while resting on a charging stand.
Arguably the most refined, feature-rich podcast manager in the App Store, this app is complemented with a powerful Watch controller. At a glance, it provides a look at how far along you are into a podcast, which two are queued up next, a giant title of the podcast that’s currently playing, an unmissable Play/Pause button, and shortcuts to rewind 15 seconds or fast-forward for 30 seconds.
Remote
Jonesing for a bit of Netflix streaming prior to shut-eye? Feeling a bit too lazy to get up and find its remote? The inbuilt Remote app on Apple Watch is the ideal Apple TV controller, and if it’s planted upright on your bedside, it’s in the ideal location for nighttime use.
Long, hard days deserve a glimpse at happiness before bed. The Instagram Watch app is remarkably simple — you just swipe to scroll through your feed. There’s just something about laying in bed, head firmly planted in pillow, swiping through a few hilarious/enviable/silly photos before dozing off.
We’ve all been there. The teeth are brushed, the kids are (finally) asleep, and your weary body has found its place for the night. And then, you realize that it’s either freezing cold or blisteringly hot. The mere thought of getting back up to adjust the thermostat is enough to conjure tears. Or, if you’ve a Honeywell Lyric installed, you just roll over, tap your Apple Watch, and make the adjustment then and there.
Avid Instapaper users for iPhone may wonder why you’d tap into such an app on your bedside. As it turns out, the Watch app can actually read aloud articles that you’ve saved throughout the day, enabling you to stay informed and keep current without having to pick your phone back up.
Already one of our favorite weather apps for iPhone, the Watch app allows you to grab a detailed look at what the sky is going to be doing on the day ahead. We all live busy lives, and it’s not uncommon to give little thought to tomorrow’s weather until we’re already in bed. If it’s there on your beside, voilà!
Know of any other apps tailor-made for bedside use? Get at us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
