Tell time on Apple Watch

You can see the time on the watch face, feel the time as taps on your wrist, and hear the time spoken aloud. You can also ask Siri or see 24-hour time.

See the time

Raise your wrist. The time appears on the watch face and in the top-right corner of most apps.

To glance at the watch face and time without having to raise your wrist, use Always On.

Ask Siri

If you turned on Raise to Speak, simply raise your wrist and say “What time is it?”

Feel the time as taps on your wrist

Taptic Time lets you discreetly check the time through haptics on your wrist. When you touch and hold two fingers on the watch face, Apple Watch taps out the current time using haptic patterns.

To set up Taptic Time, do the following:

Go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Tap Clock, scroll down, then tap Taptic Time.
Note: If you can’t activate Taptic Time, make sure you’ve selected Control With Silent Mode (below Speak Time).
Turn on Taptic Time, then choose one of the following methods:
- Digits: The most precise option. First, the hours are conveyed as a long tap for every 10 hours and a short tap for each remaining hour. Next, the minutes are conveyed as a long tap for every 10 minutes and a short tap for each remaining minute.
  For example, 21:34 (9:34 p.m.) is conveyed as two long taps + one short tap (21 hours), then three long taps and four short taps (34 minutes).
- Terse: Less precise but uses fewer taps; tells you the time within a 15-minute range. First, the hours are conveyed as a long tap for every 5 hours and a short tap for each remaining hour. Next, the minutes are conveyed as a long tap for every 15 minutes.
  For example, a time between 21:30 and 21:44 (9:30 and 9:44 p.m.) is conveyed as four long taps + one short tap (21 hours), then two long taps (30 minutes).
- Morse Code: Each digit of the time is tapped in Morse Code—ideal if you’re familiar with Morse.

You can also set up Taptic Time on your iPhone—go to the Apple Watch app , tap My Watch, tap Clock, then tap Taptic Time.

Hear the time

Go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Tap Clock, then turn on Speak Time.
Hold two fingers on the watch face to hear the time.

Apple Watch can also play chimes on the hour. In the Settings app on Apple Watch, tap Clock, then turn on Chimes. Tap Sounds to choose Bells or Birds.

See 24-hour time

Go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap My Watch, tap Clock, then turn on 24-Hour Time.

Helpful?

Apple Watch User Guide