How to Make Your Apple Watch App Development Successfully?

In the absence of an iPhone, Apple Watch users have come to expect that the watch’s apps will function as expected. Create a watch iOS app that doesn’t require an iOS companion to ensure the best experience for all Apple Watch users. According to mobile app development services, Xcode has two ways to organize a watchOS project:

Watch Apps.

Select this option to create an experience that can only be accessed via the Apple Watch rather than through an iOS app.

Apple Watch App Development for iOS.

App developers who already have an iOS app but want to extend their reach with a watchOS app can do so by leveraging this feature.

When you create the watchOS target, be sure to specify what kind of watchOS project you want to build. It is necessary to specify how the watchOS app interacts with the iOS companion if you bundle it with an iOS app:

Independent apps.

An iOS companion app is not required for the proper operation of independent apps. It is possible for users to install both the iOS and the watchOS app.

Dependent apps.

All watchOS apps prior to watchOS 5 are dependent apps. The iOS companion is required for the operation of dependent apps. The companion app should only be used when the watchOS app requires it. The watchOS app and its iOS counterpart must be purchased and installed separately by users.

WatchOS apps can now be purchased directly from the Apple Watch App Store in watchOS 6 and later versions. In watchOS 6.2 and later, Apple Watch users can also make in-app purchases. In-app purchases are available on both your watchOS and iOS apps. The content is available on both watchOS and iOS after a single purchase.

Regardless of whether an app is independent or dependent, the system automatically installs the watchOS version needed to run it. However, until the iOS app has finished installing, the user cannot launch the watchOS app from a dependent app.

How to Make Your Apple Watch App Development Successfully?

For Apple watch app development, open Xcode, choose the Apple to watch app template, and then click Next.

Your Apple watch app development interface, life cycle, and language can all be customized during the creation process. A notification scene template or unit and user interface tests can be included by checking the appropriate boxes before moving on to the next step.

Xcode’s Project navigator displays your project’s folders and files in the content area of the main window. The app’s assets are stored in the WatchKit App folder. In the WatchKit Extensions folder, you will find your app’s source code. The AppTests and AppUITests folders contain unit tests and user interface tests. The binary file for your app is located in the Products folder after you’ve completed the development process.

It also creates three targets for your app and two targets for the tests, which you can see in the project editor. Your project can be submitted to the App Store using the root target, which is a stub. The other two targets represent the WatchKit app and the WatchKit extension.

How to Convert a Dependent App into an Independent App?

You can convert your watchOS app into a standalone app by following these steps:

1. The project editor for your watchOS project can be accessed by selecting it in Xcode.
2. Select the WatchKit Extension target in the General pane.
3. Select the Supports Running Without iOS App Installation option in the Deployment Info section.

When creating a new watchOS target in Xcode 11 and later, it is enabled by default.

Ensure that the App Runs Independently.

Apps that don’t require a companion iOS app can perform tasks such as downloading data, setting up a user account, and configuring the app. Using a watchOS app, you can:

• Users will be able to log in to their new accounts. See Authenticating Users on Apple Watch for more information.
• So that a user’s iPhone never needs to be authorized for an app again, request permission for any system services the app needs. On the Apple Watch, frameworks that support independent watchOS apps show their authorization form directly.
• Connect your watch directly to your computer to download data. The Watch Connectivity framework can’t rely on independent apps to transfer data or files from an iOS companion application. If you need to sync data between devices, CloudKit or a server on your own network might be a good option. See Keeping Your watchOS Content Up to Date for more information.
• Push notifications, including complication pushes, can be delivered directly to the wearable device. See registerForRemoteNotifications for more information ().

When the iOS device is available, an independent app can use Watch Connectivity to transfer its companion app. On the other hand, independent apps cannot rely on Watch Connectivity as their primary data source and must be able to access data on their own.