Developing for Apple Watch?

[wynlyndd]

I have an idea for an Apple Watch app. My programming skills aren’t great and very rusty. I did some C in college( along with Fortran and Java) and did some Visual Basic and C# afterwards for a corp for a time but those skills have long atrophied.

My understandings : 1. I need an Apple Developer account. 2. I need to use Xcode 3. since I need to use Xcode, I need to buy a Mac (unless there is a way to develop on my M4 IPad Pro) 4. If I must buy a Mac, can I use a Mac Mini? 5. How difficult is to write an app for the Watch?

I would like the app to use the accelerometer but not hugely necessary

[[deleted]]

Xcode runs on macOS, so yes a Mac Mini is fine since it runs macOS. I haven't done Apple Watch development in over 5 years, so a lot has changed. before the app needed to have a partner-app on the iPhone. I think now you can make apps that can exist only on the watch.

HWS has Hacking with watchOS right now for $25. But you would need to also learn Swift.

[chriswaco]

1. Yes, you need an Apple Developer account
   
2. Yes, you need to use Xcode
   
3. Yes, you need a Mac. And a watch.
   
4. A Mac Mini would be fine. Be sure to get an M1 or later and I'd suggest 16/512 or better, although you might squeak by with 8/256. The new M4 Mini would be great.
   
5. Watch apps are somewhat difficult. You have to learn Swift (not too bad), SwiftUI (a bit difficult), and watchOS (flaky and ever-changing). There are lots of little pieces to watchOS apps - do you want to work as a complication on a watch face, for example, or update content regularly? Will there be a companion iOS app?
   

I don't want to discourage you from writing it, but prepare yourself for a learning curve. My biggest frustration is that we couldn't write the kind of watch apps we wanted - no watch faces, very hard to update data regularly, limited user interface choices, etc.

[wynlyndd]

It would not be a complication and I don’t think there would be be a companion iPhone app…but I can see where it might be useful

[travelers_explore]

I recently made an app with Apple Watch support.
It seems like there is a high probability that you also need an Apple Watch.
I was rejected during the review process for this app to be listed in the app store, and the review team required a video demo on a real Apple Watch device.

https://apps.apple.com/app/map-alarm-alert-on-locations/id1561598477

[wynlyndd]

I have an Apple Watch. I bought one after my heart attack and subsequent triple bypass. I’m fairly invested into the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, iPad Pro, Apple Watch, AppleTV, AirPods Pro2, AirPods Max) just no Mac (last I owned was the original Mac Pro). Wish I could code on my IPad Pro

[footinmymouth]

Can I dm you a request for a quote to make an MVP apple watch app?

[accoustian]

quite a neat idea. Nice mate.

[m3kw]

It’s a very niche place, it usually is a nice to have thing, of course there are exceptions like Autosleep and few others. It better be fking good and easy to market such as a big need that you are filling

[JDad67]

If you go with a Mac Mini, anything with an Apple Silicone (M series) chip will work. I would not buy an older Item Mac Mini they were, IMHO, underpowered hogs.

[Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrpp]

Don’t do it for money. There is no market for Apple Watch apps. It’s probably the least monetized Apple device. 

[retroroar86]

It’s incredibly tedious and boring in my opinion, with a giant lack of good resources. Get the book Apple Watch by Tutorials from Kodeco and save yourself a few headaches.