Apple Watch users have a lot of options when it comes to web browsing. You can use the built-in browser, or you can use the Safari app on your iPhone. But what if you don’t have an iPhone? What if you’re not comfortable using Safari on your phone? If you’re like most people, you probably use Apple’s own Web browser, Safari. But what if there was a better way to use Safari on your Apple Watch? There is! And that better way is to use the hidden web browser that’s built into Safari. This hidden web browser is called “WebKit,” and it’s really great for using Safari on your Apple Watch. Why Use WebKit? WebKit is really great because it’s fast and easy to use. It doesn’t require any extra software or drivers, and it works great with both iOS and Android devices. Plus, WebKit is open source, so you can always check out how it works and improve it if you want to.
Three Ways to Access the Apple Watch Browser
To access the Apple Watch browser, you’ll need to tap a link. There are three surefire ways of getting a link using stock apps within watchOS. There may be more if you use third-party apps, which you can install using the Watch app on your iPhone or on the Watch directly.
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1. Use Siri
The easiest way of launching the browser is to ask Siri to do it. To do this, press and hold the Digital Crown button to trigger Siri, then say “search for howtogeek.com” or whichever website you’d like to launch.
You may also be able to use “Hey, Siri” or simply raise your wrist to speak if you have these options enabled in your Apple Watch settings.
From here, Siri will perform a web search and offer you a list of websites. Tap “Open Page” to open a website in a browser overlay.
Search engines like Google, DuckDuckGo, and Bing allow you to undertake more in-depth browsing sessions, but often, searching for what you need directly is the easiest way to get where you want to go.
2. Use Messages
While Siri is the most convenient method of launching the watchOS browser, you can also use Messages. All you need is a link to tap in a Messages conversation. If someone sends you a link, you can tap on it to launch the browser and take a look.
To access a web page of your choice using this method, you’ll need to send yourself the link. This isn’t so bad if you have an Apple Watch Series 7 or later with a full wrist keyboard. Third-party messaging apps may also support this feature.
3. Use Mail
Finally, you can also tap on links within email messages. Just like the Messages method, this requires the presence of a link in an incoming email.
You can type (or dictate) and send a link via email. Once received, you can then tap the link to open the web page.
Why You Should Avoid Browsing From Your Wrist
We found launching the browser via the Apple Watch imprecise and a bit inconvenient. And there are a few reasons why.
The Browser Is Impractical
To start, we experienced issues with rendering on our Series 4 Apple Watch. As you can see in the screenshot below of the How-To Geek homepage, the images haven’t appeared, and the alignment of some elements is off.
While performing web searches using Siri is the best method to use, it still requires patience and some thoughtful search cues. For example, telling Siri to “search for wikipedia.com” opens an App Store link rather than Wikipedia.
Since Siri includes information from Wikipedia, saying “search for iPhone Wikipedia” doesn’t provide you with a link but a summary of the topic.
You must remember to say “search the web” for these queries, and even then you need to hope that Bing (which Siri uses) gets the right results.
The other methods have even less utility since you must use precise web addresses. If you’re using an Apple Watch without a keyboard, you’ll have to use Apple’s “scribble” text input method, which frequently confuses the letter “o” with the numeral “0.” This can cause many “.com” links to fail.
The Mail and Messages methods can be made a little more practical by sending messages to yourself, but it’s still not the most pleasant way of browsing the web. Dictating a web address is fine, but if you’re using your voice, you’re better off using Siri.
Performing more precise queries requires using a search engine as a jumping-off point, such as Google, DuckDuckGo, or Bing.
Sometimes pages will open in Reader view by default, which makes for a more useful reading experience at the cost of web page functionality. If this happens, tap the address bar to change to “Web View” instead.
Using a Browser on Your Wrist Is Uncomfortable
Using a browser on your wrist isn’t the most comfortable option. No watch was designed to be used for an extended length of time. You may experience physical discomfort from holding your wrist in an extended position. While short browsing sessions are doable, longer sessions may not be possible.
Third-Party watchOS Browser Apps Do Exist
If you’re serious about browsing the web on your Apple Watch, a third-party browser might be worth it to overcome some of the hurdles we discussed above.
Of the free Apple Watch browsers we tried, Parrity is the only option we would recommend. The browser renders a page separately, then sends a snapshot to your Apple Watch, so you don’t have as many issues with rendering as you do using the above methods.
The app functions as you’d expect, allowing you to perform searches and enter web addresses just like in Safari.
The interface even makes a few accommodations, like providing shortcuts for common web address prefixes and suffixes like “www.” and “.com” to make things a little easier.
It’s still a bit tedious to use on an Apple Watch model before the Series 7 because of the lack of a physical keyboard.
The “scribble” input method doesn’t work great for precise web addresses, and dictating URLs aloud isn’t going to suit everyone’s tastes.
There are other paid Apple Watch browsers to choose from, including µBrowser and Squint Browser, but we wouldn’t recommend spending your money on these tools.
Leave the Browsing to Your Other Devices
Your other devices, such as your iPhone or iPad, are much better suited for browsing. Yet, there are still plenty of reasons to use an Apple Watch, whether you’re into outdoor pursuits like hiking, looking for motivation on your fitness journey, or want potentially life-saving features like heart health notifications or fall detection.
