How To Set Up Top-Of-The-Hour Taptic Chimes On Your Apple Watch

Although it's a watch, telling time isn't the first thing that comes to mind when most of us think of the Apple Watch. Who could blame us? After all, the Apple Watch does so much, everything from tracking our oxygen levels to helping us out in the kitchen, that its time-telling function is almost an afterthought. It doesn't matter that a clock is on prominent display on many of the most popular watch faces. When it comes to strapping on the Apple Watch, our focus is typically on how it can make our lives easier, not necessarily the time of day.

Even still, many of us could use a little extra help staying on top of our schedules, and hourly reminders of the time are a convenient way to do that, especially if we're engrossed in a project or activity that keeps us from paying much attention to the what time it is. That's where the top-of-the-hour Taptic Chimes come in, allowing users to set alerts for their watch to silently vibrate every 15, 30, or 60 minutes to help them keep track of the time. There's also an option for a tweeting bird or ringing bell for those who prefer an audio reminder of each passing hour.

The Apple Watch has many little-known features that are worth checking out, with the top-of-the-hour Taptic Chimes being one of the most useful. This feature comes in especially handy in situations where looking at your watch may be a no-no or inconvenient, like during a staff meeting or while you're out biking and can't let go of the handlebars. Whatever the case may be, Taptic Chimes provide a discreet yet effective way to keep track of time without interrupting your activities.

Follow these steps to activate Taptic Chimes from your Apple Watch:

1. Press the digital crown to go to the home screen.
2. Open the Settings app.
3. Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
4. Under Accessibility, tap Chimes.
5. Turn on the toggle next to Chimes.
6. Tap Schedule and select Hourly, 30 minutes, or 15 minutes.
7. Go back, tap Sounds, and select Bells or Birds.

Follow these steps to activate Taptic Chimes from your iPhone:

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Accessibility and scroll down to Chimes.
3. Toggle on Chimes and set your preferences.

When your watch is in silent mode, it'll vibrate gently on the hour or every 15 or 30 minutes, depending on your settings. If the chime is too subtle or strong, you can adjust the Taptic intensity in the Sounds & Haptics menu of your watch settings.