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Yes, you can delete Apple Watch apps. Here’s how

We’ll break down everything you’ve ever wondered about Apple Watch apps: how they work, what they do and, most importantly, how to delete them.

The Apple Watch just turned six years old, and has come a long way from its debut, becoming a must-have iPhone and fitness accessory for many Apple fans, with a collection of more than 20,000 apps you can download.

Whether you’ve had an Apple Watch from the beginningor are looking to buy one soon, we’ve got everything you need to know about the apps that make the watch worthwhile — including how to install and delete them.

Here’s what you need to know about Apple Watch apps.

Read more: WatchOS 7.4: Best new Apple Watch features to try

Apple Watch third-party apps: What they are and how they work

App developers are constantly releasing Apple Watch apps. Often, these are updated iPhone apps that include an Apple Watch app inside. Apple Watch apps are designed to give you the information you need on the smaller screen at a glance. Some show quick news headlines, while others act as remotes for streaming music or your Apple TV, and others are second screens for your iPhone apps. They’re essentially tiny widgets that help you use your iPhone to access features.

How to download apps on Apple Watch

Downloading apps to your Apple Watch is easy in practice, but you can do it a few different ways.

Here’s how to download apps from the App Store on your watch:

1. Press the digital crown on your Apple Watch to bring up the home screen.

2. Tap App Store.

3. Tap Search to explore the apps.

4. Tap an app to learn more about it (just like you’d do in the App Store on Mac or iPhone).

5. Once you find an app you want, tap Get.

6. The Apple Watch will prompt you to double-click the digital crown to download and install.

Read more: Apple Watch: 7 settings you should change right away

You can also get Apple Watch apps via your iPhone. Here’s how:

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.

2. Tap the My Watch tab.

3. You can add apps under the section Available Apps. Once you find one you want, tap the app.

4. Tap install.

How to delete Apple Watch apps

Just as with downloading an Apple Watch app, there are two ways to get rid of the app.

Delete an app with your Apple Watch

1. Press the digital crown on your Apple Watch to bring up the home screen. Once your home screen appears, note whether your apps are in grid view or list view.

2. Grid View: If the apps are in grid view, find the app you want to delete, and touch and hold until the app icons jiggle. Tap the X button to delete an app.

3. List View: Swipe left on the app you want to get rid of and tap delete.

4. Press the digital crown to confirm and finish.

Delete an app with your iPhone

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.

2. Tap the My Watch tab.

3. Under the Installed on Apple Watch section, choose the app you want to delete.

4. Tap the app you want to delete.

5. Turn off Show App on Apple Watch.

Can you delete preinstalled Apple Watch apps?

You’ve likely noticed a few built-in apps on your Watch (as well as your iPhone) like Music, Voice Memos and Contacts. But you don’t have to keep them on your watch if you don’t want them. Again, you can delete these native apps from your Watch or iPhone.

1. Touch and hold the app you want to get rid of until it jiggles.

2. Tap the X button to delete.

3. Press the home button (or the digital crown if you’re doing it on your watch) to complete.

Read more: 15 tips and tricks to master your Apple Watch

What if I change my mind and want to reinstall an Apple Watch app?

Didn’t mean to delete that app? No problem. Here’s how to get it back:

1. Go to the App Store on your device.

2. Search the app.

3. Once you find the app, you should see a cloud icon with a little arrow inside it next to the app. Tap the cloud.

4. The app should be restored, and you can find it on your iPhone home screen or the Watch screen.

What are the best Apple Watch apps?

While you’ll find thousands of third-party Apple Watch apps from companies like Amazon and TripAdvisor in the App Store to download, some of the most useful ones are those that are already built into the wearable, like News, Camera, Mindfulness and the ECG monitor. But the best ones for you, of course, depend on what you use the Watch for primarily. Check out our list of the best Apple Watch fitness apps here.

Technologies

iPhone 16E vs. Pixel 9A: I Tested the Cameras and Was Surprised by the Results

Here’s how Apple and Google’s most affordable phones compare against each other in terms of photography.

Most phones these days take decent photos for posting to Instagram or sharing with friends and family on a message thread. But the best cameras are found on smartphones that typically cost $1,000 or more. Fortunately, Google has proved with the Pixel 9A that you can still take good-looking snaps and pay less than $500. Images from the phone look terrific and capture a lot of detail and texture. And Google’s algorithm secret sauce for capturing beautiful and natural complexions in portraits is on full display here.

But something curious happened this year. Apple replaced its cheapest phone with the iPhone 16E. In doing so, it tried to pull some of the affordable photographic attention away from the Pixel. The iPhone 16E takes lovely photos, even with one fewer camera than the Pixel. Apple is well-known for pushing the limits of phone photography with the iPhone, but that is usually tied to its iPhone Pro line, which starts at a grand. And while $599 is the lowest price that Apple sells a new phone for, the iPhone 16E misses that $500 sweet spot of the Pixel 9A.

So that raises the question: Does a pricier phone take better photos?

To find out, I took the iPhone 16E and Pixel 9A around San Francisco and put them through a camera test. Several hundred photos later, I was surprised by the results, but I ended up with one being my favorite.

iPhone 16E and Pixel 9A camera specs

Camera Resolution Apeture Notes
Pixel 9A wide 48MP f/1.7 OIS
Pixel 9A ultrawide 13MP f/2.2 Takes 12MP photos
Pixel 9A selfie 13MP f/2.2 Fixed focus
iPhone 16E wide 48MP f/1.6 OIS
iPhone 16E selfie 12MP f/1.9 Autofocus

Right off the bat, this isn’t exactly a level playing field. The Pixel 9A has three cameras: a wide, ultrawide and selfie. The iPhone 16E only has two: a wide and selfie. Each phone’s main camera has a 48-megapixel sensor and groups four pixels together to create a «super» pixel that captures more light. That also means photos exhibit less image noise and therefore need less noise reduction, which can otherwise leave your pictures looking like a blurry, soft mess.

Both phones lack a dedicated telephoto camera and use sensor cropping to achieve a 2x magnification that in my testing looks pretty good.

The Pixel 9A has a «macro mode» and can focus on subjects that are close up. Interestingly, it doesn’t use its ultrawide camera for macro shots like many other phones do. Sadly, the iPhone 16E lacks a macro mode unlike the rest of its iPhone 16 brothers and sisters. However, I noticed that the main camera can take close up shots with the subject in-focus (maybe not as dramatically close as a dedicated macro mode allows for).

iPhone 16E vs. Pixel 9A: Photos

Take a look at some of my favorite photos from both phones.

iPhone 16E vs. Pixel 9A: Photo comparisons

In general, I found that the Pixel 9A really pushes the dynamic range in its images. The phone captures more details in the shadows but really aggressively brightens them too, like in the photos below of Maisie the cat. The iPhone 16E’s image of Maisie doesn’t have as much detail and texture in her fur. Somewhere in between the Pixel’s photo and the iPhone’s image is how the cat actually looked in real life.

I also find that the Pixel takes images with a cooler color temperature, while the iPhone’s photos have more contrast, especially outdoors. Take a look at the photos below of a brick building here in the Mission in San Francisco. Notice the bricks in each photo.

In terms of Portrait mode, neither the Pixel nor iPhone have a dedicated telephoto lens. And remember, the iPhone 16E has only a single rear camera, so it relies solely on AI and machine learning to determine the depth of a scene and create that artistic out-of-focus background.

The first thing I notice with the portrait mode photos below of CNET’s Faith Chihil is how differently the iPhone and Pixel handled the textures in the yellow sweater and green chair. The «cutout» (from in focus to out of focus) looks natural, except for the green chair in the iPhone’s photo. And Faith’s complexion looks most true to life in the Pixel 9A image. The iPhone 16E’s photo makes her skin look muddy and muted.

Something else I noticed is that the iPhone 16E’s portrait mode only works on humans; on the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, animals are automatically recognized as portrait subjects. So, if you want dramatic-looking snaps with artistically blurred backgrounds of Fido or Mr. Cupcakes, then the Pixel is the way to go. Sorry for yet another cat photo, but check out the portrait mode snap below of Maise the cat.

Both phones take night mode images (Google calls them Night Sight photos). In the photos below of a space shuttle Lego set taken in a very dim room, neither of the images are great. The iPhone 16E’s photo has the least image noise, but the contrast is heavy. I prefer the Pixel 9A’s photo.

I also snapped images of a residential block at dusk where the street lights really make the iPhone’s night mode photo look orange. The iPhone’s image is brighter. But notice the details in the telephone wires across the top of the images below. The iPhone captures them as continuous lines, whereas the Pixel 9A’s image has them made up of tiny jagged line segments.

iPhone 16E vs. Pixel 9A: Which would I choose?

Overall, both phones have their shortcomings when it comes to photography. I don’t think most people would choose an affordable phone solely based on the camera’s performance. Be assured that if you get either phone, you’ll be able to take decent snaps with some images bordering on looking great.

The iPhone 16E costs more, lacks an ultrawide lens and, while the pictures it takes are decent, I think that the Pixel 9A’s cameras are great for a $500 phone, and would likely opt for it.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, April 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.


Today’s NYT Mini Crossword isn’t too tough. I knew the 1990 Madonna hit (5-Across), but had no idea on the very next question involving tennis (6-Across). You win some, you lose some. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Chef’s creation
Answer: DISH

5A clue: Iconic Madonna hit of 1990
Answer: VOGUE

6A clue: Section of a tennis court used when playing doubles
Answer: ALLEY

7A clue: State of mind
Answer: MOOD

8A clue: Not amateur
Answer: PRO

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Rarely-used word meaning «sadness»
Answer: DOLOR

2D clue: Snow place like home?
Answer: IGLOO

3D clue: Went after in court
Answer: SUED

4D clue: «Yo»
Answer: HEY

5D clue: Fill time on stage
Answer: VAMP

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 28, #217

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 217, for April 28.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.


Connections: Sports Edition must be incredibly difficult to assemble. I’ve noticed numerous categories where the puzzle maker falls back in picking a certain athlete, and then listing that person’s past teams, often including college and national or Olympic teams. Hint: There’s one like that today. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta after making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: I want this one.

Green group hint: Win a medal here.

Blue group hint: Hoopster’s history.

Purple group hint: It’s also a hat.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Choose.

Green group: Last four Summer Olympics hosts.

Blue group: Teams Kevin Durant has played for.

Purple group: ____ Derby.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is choose. The four answers are draft, pick, select and take.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is last four Summer Olympics hosts. The four answers are London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is teams Kevin Durant has played for. The four answers are Texas, Thunder, United States and Warriors.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ derby. The four answers are home run, Kentucky, Manchester and roller.

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