App Development for Wearables: Designing Apps for Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers

February 16, 2024

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App development for wearables is something that is in high demand in today’s 21st-century era. The rise and evolution of wearable technology has opened up a whole new chapter for the development of wearable apps.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are no longer just gadgets for tech enthusiasts, but they are becoming mainstream devices that are used by everyone to stay healthy and productive.

If you are a developer seeking for an opportunity to create apps that can make a real difference in the lives of people, then this is the great path for you. You should keep in mind that building apps for wearables and for smartphones are totally different things.

There are a number of factors that you need to consider in this aspect, including small screen size, limited battery life, and the need for intuitive touch controls. Let’s discuss some key points that you need to focus on when designing apps for smartwatches and fitness trackers.

What is App Development for Wearables?

Before learning about app designing for wearables, let’s first understand what exactly is wearable app development. Well, app development for wearables are devices that users wear as part of their accessories.

These are the gadgets that normally connect with a smartphone in order to exchange data and information between certain networks and devices. Wearable apps have access to the hardware and operating system of the device.

These sensors gather information and transfer them to the application program to get the desired results. We all know that today’s market for wearables is full of different solutions.

Smartwatches, fitness bands, activity trackers, and others have taken a crucial place in everyone’s lives. Just because of this, their popularity is projected to grow immensely in the upcoming years.

Distinction Between Wearable and Mobile Apps

Most people think that wearable apps are just like mobile apps. However, this is not completely true. While app development for wearables may seem similar to mobile app development, still some distinctions set them apart.

Wearable apps have limited functionality when compared with mobile apps.
User interaction is less in wearable apps as compared to mobile apps.
Multiple processes happen in the background of the app.
Wearable apps are not cross-platform as they use APIs that are device-specific.

Wearable Apps For Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers

We all should know that smartwatches and fitness trackers are among one of the best and most preferred platforms required for wearable apps. These apps act as a software magic that is able to unlock the full potential of smartwatches and fitness trackers.

Not only these apps can help you in telling time or counting steps but also they can become extensions of your health, productivity, and lifestyle. Let’s understand these two most popular types of wearable apps today.

Smartwatch

One of the most notable and popular devices in the world are smartwatches. These watches are able to eliminate the requirement of keeping a smartphone around you.

These watches are able to undertake multiple tasks at the same time just like your smartphone. These tasks include sending and reading messages, setting up alarms, showing notifications, tracking physical activity, and so on.

Fitness Trackers

There are some devices that are used to monitor physical activity. For instance, tracking the number of steps taken, heart rate, calories burned, sleep, and so much more.

In today’s era, apps for fitness trackers offer a part of the features that are supported by smartphones, including displaying notifications.

7 Easy Steps for Wearable App Development

Being an intrepid developer, you need to hone your skills and knowledge about app development for wearables. For this, our 7 easy steps for wearable app designing will help you a lot.

Make sure to read all the steps carefully and precisely in order to design your app in the perfect way. Let’s begin!

Step 1: Keep a Simple UI/UX

You must be sure to keep your app simple and easy to use as per the needs and requirements of your targeted users. You need to keep the UI/UX of the wearable app simple and easy-to-use so that your users can perform their actions proficiently.

In addition to this, if the app is regarding workout streaming, then you should target the activities and campaigns of your users around the paramount features, video classes.

Step 2: Choose a Platform As Per Your Needs

Apart from a smartphone, users want their applications to perform expectedly on tablet, TV, or smartwatch. These are some of the platforms that augment the sports ventures of your users. Hence, make sure to choose a platform as per your needs and requirements.

Here, you can use sensors and hardware for each and every platform in order to collect and combine the performance data of your users. Not only this, but you can also use the App Watch app as a remote control so that your users can start or stop their training session.

Step 3: Add Social Interactivity and Gamification

When you develop your wearable app for fitness, you can consider adding some socializing options and gamification into your app in order to make your targeted users stay on the app for a longer period of time.

You should keep in mind that most people attend classes at their place, hence their sense of socializing and community instills. You should allow your users to rate, review, and share their classes via social media platforms.

Make sure that the names of your users are accessible to the trainers. Besides, you can provide your users with a list of basic interaction options, such as a high-five option, and more. Apart from this, you can craft badges for the users and show their performance stats.

Step 4: Make Sure to Use In-Built Sensors

You can incorporate hardware in your health tracker apps that will show the users about the progress of their workout by using their collected workout data. For this, you can use below-mentioned hardware:

Accelerometer: This hardware will help you immensely in order to track the body movements of your users when connected with a gyroscope.

GPS: This hardware will help your users see their tracks on a map, and the compass will let your users navigate the path when they will be running.

Motion Processors: You should know that motion processors are the best when it comes to counting steps.

Altimeters and Barometers: They deliver credible and accurate data regarding latitude, longitude, and altitude.

Step 5: Connect Your Healthcare Tracker App to Software and Gadgets

If your in-built sensors fail to meet the needs and standards of your app, then you are able to connect your application to certain health and fitness trackers, like Galaxy Fit or Fitbit.

With this operation, you will be able to get the best possible results when you want to connect your application to trackers that can track the activities of your targeted users.

When you connect your healthcare tracker app to software and gadgets, then you are able to mark your users’ preferred activities, inform them to take a break, and so on.

Step 6: Permit Them to Train With Beats

At the time of workout, you should know that enthusiasts normally prefer listening to music. When you allow your users to train themselves with beats, they are able to perform perfectly.

For this, you need to make sure to integrate music streaming apps into your application. This way, you will be able to make your app grow at a roaring rate, achieve success, and stay in front of the queue of competition.

Step 7: Make Sure to Consider the Backend

When it comes to building a fitness tracker app, one of the greatest hindrances that you can face is streaming video classes, their availability time, and several others.

Well, you should know that the backend is the one that can make your app run, stream workouts, software, and host the server. Hence, it is important for you to consider the backend of the wearable app.

Rise and Evolution of Wearable Apps in 2024

Wearable technology has evolved rapidly in 2024 and has continued to see an ultimate growth in the upcoming years. This technology is on the surge by amalgamating hardware innovation with intelligent software applications.

For a long time, wearable apps have come a long way due to the emergence of wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers. These wearable devices have become progressively sophisticated as they offer a wide variety of functionalities.

These devices gather and analyze data and information, provide real-time notifications, monitor health parameters, and facilitate seamless interactions with other smart devices.

Future of App Development For Wearables Beyond 2024

After reading all this, you would be wondering about What does wearable technology’s future hold, isn’t it? So, let’s move forward and get the answer to this question precisely.

Source: Grand View Research

It has been expected that, from 2024 to 2030, the wearable device industry is projected to develop at a 14.6% compound annual growth rate, i.e., CAGR.

This prediction is self-explanatory, i.e., wearable technology is here to stay, and companies of all sizes must adapt accordingly.

It’s time to release a wearable app so you can take advantage of fresh approaches to user interaction.

A Quick Review

A wearable smartwatch app or a fitness tracker app is an important aspect for any company of all sizes that are operating in the fitness and sports industry.

These apps can help the athletes and fitness enthusiasts a lot as per their needs and requirements. When you develop a fitness tracker app, it is of no doubt that you will face serious challenges.

If you are determined to develop a wearable app but are stuck somewhere and need help, then you should seek help from a professional wearable app development company who can help you bountifully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is wearable app development?

Ans. Wearable app development is those apps that receive data and information from wearable devices. These types of apps have access to the hardware and operating system of the device and their sensors gather data and transfer them to the app programmed for desired results.

Q. What are the 5 wearable technologies today?

Ans. Today’s modern wearable technology falls under a wide spectrum of usability which includes smartwatches and fitness trackers like Fitbit Charge, VR headsets, web-enabled glasses, Bluetooth headsets, and smart jewelry.