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watchos skill

/plugins/swift-apple-expert/skills/watchos

This skill assists in building watchOS apps by guiding complications, workouts, HealthKit integration, and iPhone-Watch connectivity with best practices.

npx playbooks add skill fusengine/agents --skill watchos

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (4)
SKILL.md
2.2 KB
---
name: watchos
description: watchOS platform-specific development with complications, workouts, HealthKit, and Watch Connectivity. Use when building Apple Watch apps, health features, or iPhone-Watch communication.
versions:
  watchos: 26
user-invocable: false
references: references/complications.md, references/workouts.md, references/watch-connectivity.md
related-skills: swift-core, swiftui-core, ios, mcp-tools
---

# watchOS Platform

watchOS-specific development for Apple Watch experiences.

## Agent Workflow (MANDATORY)

Before ANY implementation, use `TeamCreate` to spawn 3 agents:

1. **fuse-ai-pilot:explore-codebase** - Analyze existing watchOS patterns
2. **fuse-ai-pilot:research-expert** - Verify latest watchOS 26 docs via Context7/Exa
3. **mcp__apple-docs__search_apple_docs** - Check watchOS patterns

After implementation, run **fuse-ai-pilot:sniper** for validation.

---

## Overview

### When to Use

- Building Apple Watch apps
- Creating watch face complications
- Workout and fitness tracking
- Health data access (HealthKit)
- iPhone-Watch communication

### Why watchOS Skill

| Feature | Benefit |
|---------|---------|
| Complications | Glanceable data on watch face |
| Workouts | Fitness and health tracking |
| HealthKit | Access health metrics |
| Connectivity | Sync with iPhone |

---

## Reference Guide

| Need | Reference |
|------|-----------|
| Watch face complications | [complications.md](references/complications.md) |
| Workout sessions, HealthKit | [workouts.md](references/workouts.md) |
| iPhone ↔ Watch sync | [watch-connectivity.md](references/watch-connectivity.md) |

---

## Design Considerations

### Screen Size
- Small display, large touch targets
- Glanceable information
- Minimal text, clear icons

### Interactions
- Digital Crown for scrolling/input
- Force Touch (older watches)
- Gestures: swipe, tap

### Battery
- Minimize background work
- Use complications for updates
- Efficient data transfer

---

## Best Practices

1. **Glanceable** - Quick information access
2. **Large targets** - Easy tapping
3. **Minimal input** - Reduce typing
4. **Complications** - Update watch face data
5. **Background refresh** - Efficient updates
6. **Test on device** - Simulator differs from hardware

Overview

This skill provides watchOS platform-specific development support for Apple Watch apps, focusing on complications, workouts, HealthKit, and Watch Connectivity. It guides development decisions, enforces an agent workflow for research and validation, and helps build reliable iPhone–Watch integrations. Use it to speed up implementation and ensure runtime and UX best practices are followed.

How this skill works

Before any implementation, the workflow spawns three specialized agents via TeamCreate to analyze the codebase, verify current watchOS 26 documentation, and check platform patterns. The skill guides implementation of complications, workout sessions, HealthKit access, and Watch Connectivity APIs, then runs a validation agent (sniper) after changes. It inspects UI patterns for glanceability, interaction models for the Digital Crown and gestures, and background/battery implications for data sync.

When to use it

  • Building native Apple Watch apps from scratch or extending iPhone apps to the Watch
  • Implementing watch face complications or complication data providers
  • Adding workout recording, fitness tracking, or HealthKit data integration
  • Enabling robust iPhone–Watch sync with Watch Connectivity
  • Optimizing UI and power usage for small-screen, glanceable experiences

Best practices

  • Design for glanceable content and minimal text on each screen
  • Use large touch targets and simple gestures; prefer crown input over typing
  • Offload heavy work to the phone and minimize background processing on the watch
  • Use complications for timely updates and efficient background refresh
  • Test frequently on physical devices; the simulator does not replicate hardware sensors and battery behavior

Example use cases

  • Create a complication that surfaces current heart rate and activity ring progress
  • Implement a guided workout session with real-time metrics and lap tracking
  • Sync workout summaries and health privacy-consented data between Watch and iPhone
  • Build a low-power glance screen using snapshots and background complication updates
  • Validate new watchOS 26 API usage and platform patterns before release using the agent workflow

FAQ

What agents run before I start coding?

Spawn three agents with TeamCreate: one to explore the codebase, one to verify watchOS 26 docs, and one to check watchOS patterns in official docs.

When should I rely on the simulator vs a device?

Use the simulator for initial UI layout, but always test on device for sensors, performance, battery, and real-world interactions.

How do I minimize battery impact on Watch?

Favor complications and background refresh for updates, limit sensor sampling frequency, and offload heavy tasks to the paired iPhone.