How to use the Hidden Safari browser in Apple Watch | au Web Portal economy and IT News

Life hacker [Japanese version] reprinted the article published on February 5, 2022

The crown does not display Safari according to the number of Apple Watch.

Using the wizard to be introduced, you can open a web page in watchOS using a secret Safari browser actually built into Apple Watch.

How do I use Safari to browse Web in Apple Watch?

Apple Watch does not have a visible browser, but when you receive a link through a message or email, you can click on the open link and browse Web using watchOS's version of Safari.

How to open a web page in Apple Watch is as follows:

(1) use a message or email on iPhone or Apple Watch to send a target URL to yourself or to people around you.

(2) Open the message or Mail application in Apple Watch.

(3) in the message or Mail application, go to the session or message you just sent.

Click URL to open it in the hidden Safari browser.

Tips: to send yourself a URL, open the iPhone messages app, click the create button, and enter the phone number or email associated with iMessage in the recipient bar. Enter or paste the desired URL, and then press send.

You can also enter URL directly in the message conversation using the full QWERTY keyboard in Apple Watch Series 7. In other models, use dictation to say "apple.com".

In addition, if you use the Happiness function to enter the address of the site, the "o" of "com" will be recognized as "0" (zero).

Therefore, when sending URL, use Apple Watch keyboard, dictation, iPhone, and so on.

Notes when browsing the web on Apple Watch

Browsing on Apple Watch is not as feature-rich as iPhone, so it is recommended that you take full advantage of the following:

To scroll up and down the page, use a finger or rotate the digital crown.

In Apple Watch, like iPhone, clicking on the top of the screen usually moves to the top of the current page, but nothing happens to do the same with the page open.

Click on the links on the page, and you can keep opening new links.

If you have a search box on your page, such as Wikipedia, you can click on it and enter a search query using Apple Watch's keyboard, graffiti and dictation features.

You cannot tap the address bar of URL and enter a new address. You need to use the link of the page itself.

To return to or forward the page, slide right or left from the edge of the Apple Watch screen.

You can't pinch and zoom in on a web page with two fingers.

However, you can zoom in / out by double-clicking. After zooming in on the web page, drag it with one finger.

Click the address bar at the top, and then click "Reload Page". This screen also displays the option to move to the previous page.

Tap the address bar at the top, and then select Leader View or Web View. Not all websites offer these options.

You can click on the Digital Crown to use other applications.

The web page will remain open unless the message or Mail application in Apple Watch is closed.

To end web browsing via Apple Watch, click "close" in the upper left corner of the screen.

In Apple Watch's hidden Web browser, some images may not be displayed or may take a long time to load.

In addition, clicking on the image may not open it in full view.

Similarly, many custom fonts may not be rendered or displayed in Safari in watchOS.

In this case, you will use the standard font. Therefore, in Apple Watch, familiar Web sites may be different from iPhone and Mac.

How do I delete browsing history in Apple Watch?

In order to synchronize screenshots taken in Apple Watch and recorded voice notes, you need to pair the iPhone. However, the browsing history of Apple Watch is not synchronized and integrated with the Safari history of the paired iPhone.

Here is how to remove Apple Watch Cookie, credentials, and other browsing data from the Apple Watch principal.

(1) Open the Settings application in Apple Watch.

(2) Click "General".

(3) scroll down and click "site data".

(4) Click "Delete website data" and click "Delete data" to confirm.

Why doesn't Apple Watch have a normal Web browser?

Apple does not display the Safari icon in Apple Watch. The main reason is its small screen and battery.

Compared with the smallest popular smartphone, the largest Apple Watch Series 7 screen is very small, making it difficult to enter URL or display web pages.

In addition, due to other watchOS limitations, watchOS browsers cannot enter forms, upload files, and other online interactions.

In addition, Apple Watch's battery is so small that it is difficult to last a day if you often use existing applications and features.

When you add a regular Web browser, rendering-rich websites can increase battery consumption.

In addition, if watchOS wants to reduce the content of heavy battery-consuming web pages, the user experience will get worse.

Third-party Apple Watch browser

Major developers are neither interested nor willing to create browsers for Apple Watch's small screens.

However, if Apple Watch requires a Web browser, you can view the μ Browser for $0.99. If you don't want to pay, try Parrity as a Web browser for free Apple Watch.

Will Safari's full browser be added to watchOS in the future?

It's a difficult question to answer.

Now you can't even listen to music on Apple Watch's built-in speakers. To play music added to Apple Watch, you need to connect to an AirPods or other Bluetooth headset.

This is to make the battery last for a long time and try to last for a day. Therefore, it is highly unlikely to add a complete Web browser that can access sites such as YouTube.

However, if the battery technology is advanced and can fit large capacity into small form factor, the Apple Watch may be equipped with Safari.

Source: App Store (1Pol 2)