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Recording on Apple Watch

Record voice memos and conversations directly from your wrist

Updated over a week ago

Wave for Apple Watch lets you record directly from your wrist — no phone needed. Your recordings sync automatically to your iPhone and appear in Wave like any other session.

Requirements

  • Apple Watch Series 4 or newer

  • watchOS 10 or later

  • Wave app installed on your iPhone

  • Signed in to Wave on your iPhone

Getting Started

  1. Install Wave on your Apple Watch — When you install Wave on your iPhone, the Watch app installs automatically if you have an Apple Watch paired. If you can't find it on your Apple Watch, check the Watch app on your iPhone, it may need to be installed explicitly:

  2. Sign in on your iPhone — The Watch app requires you to be signed in on the Wave iPhone app. Your authentication syncs automatically.

  3. Open Wave on your Watch — Find the Wave app in your app grid or use the complication.

Recording on Apple Watch

Recording is simple:

  1. Tap the record button — The large red button in the center starts recording

  2. See your audio levels — A visual indicator shows audio is being captured

  3. Tap stop when done — Your recording is saved and queued for transfer

Haptic feedback confirms when recording starts, stops, or if there's an issue.

How Recordings Sync

Recordings transfer from your Watch to your iPhone automatically:

  • Syncing happens when your Watch and iPhone are connected

  • If your iPhone isn't nearby, recordings queue until it's available

  • Once transferred, recordings appear in Wave and are processed like any other session

Pending transfers are shown on the Watch screen. Tap the pending indicator to retry syncing.

Background Recording

Wave uses Apple's extended runtime sessions to keep recording even when:

  • Your watch screen turns off

  • You lower your wrist

  • You switch to another app briefly

The recording continues in the background. A red indicator appears at the top of your watch face while recording.

Battery & Storage

Wave monitors your Watch battery during recording:

  • 15% battery — You'll see a low battery warning

  • 10% battery — Recording automatically stops and saves to prevent data loss

Wave also checks for available storage before starting a recording. If space is low, you'll be prompted to free up space.

Troubleshooting

"Sign in Required" message

This means your Watch isn't connected to your signed-in iPhone.

  1. Open Wave on your iPhone and make sure you're signed in

  2. Keep your iPhone nearby

  3. Tap Retry on the Watch

"iPhone not reachable"

Your Watch can't connect to your iPhone. Make sure:

  • Your iPhone is nearby and turned on

  • Bluetooth is enabled on both devices

  • You're signed in to the same iCloud account on both

"Recording in progress on another device"

You can only record on one device at a time. Finish or stop the recording on your other device first.

Recordings stuck as "pending"

  1. Make sure your iPhone is nearby and Wave is installed

  2. Open Wave on your iPhone (this can trigger transfers)

  3. Tap the pending indicator on your Watch to retry

Tips for Best Results

  • Keep your wrist steady — The microphone is on your Watch, so minimize movement noise

  • Position near the speaker — For meetings or conversations, position your Watch closer to who's talking

  • Check battery first — For longer recordings, make sure you have enough battery

  • Use the complication — Adding Wave to your watch face makes starting recordings faster

Need help? Use the Contact Us option from Quick Actions in the Wave iPhone app.

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