Reply to Emails on Apple Watch: A Simple Guide

Replying to Emails on Your Apple Watch

Prior to the release of watchOS 2, the “Mail” application on Apple Watch was limited to displaying notifications and incoming email previews. Now, responding to email messages directly from your Apple Watch is possible, mirroring the functionality available for text messages.

There are three distinct methods for composing email replies on your Apple Watch. Users can select from a range of pre-defined responses, dictate their reply using voice input, or utilize emojis to convey their message.

Accessing Email for Reply

When an email notification appears on your watch, simply tap the notification to open the message for review.

Important Note: The Apple Watch’s display capabilities are limited. Messages containing rich-text formatting or complex media may not render correctly; only the plain text content will be visible. For a complete view, refer to the email on your iPhone.

To reply to an email after dismissing the notification, or to access a different message, launch the Mail app. This is achieved by pressing the digital crown until the Home screen is visible, then tapping the “Mail” icon.

Your Inbox will then be displayed. Select the email you wish to respond to by tapping on it.

Initiating a Reply

Tap the “Reply” button, located at the bottom of the email view, to begin composing your response.

Force touching the screen while viewing an email will reveal additional actions available for that specific message.

Reply Options

Upon tapping “Reply”, a selection of pre-written responses will appear. These include options like “Let me get back to you”, “Can I call you later”, and “Got it, thanks”. Browse the list to find a suitable response and tap it to insert it into your reply.

If none of the default responses are appropriate, you can dictate your reply by tapping the microphone icon.

Speak your message clearly into the watch. The device will transcribe your speech into text on the screen, including punctuation as you state it – for instance, “question mark”, “exclamation point”, “comma”, or “period”. Select “Done” once you have finished speaking.

The transcribed message will be displayed in the reply field. Tap “Send” to transmit your response.

A “Sending…” message accompanied by a progress bar will briefly appear at the top of the screen. Once the message is sent, press the digital crown to return to the Home screen and then again to return to the watch face.

Replying with Emojis

Alternatively, you can respond with an emoji. After opening the email and tapping “Reply”, select the emoji button at the bottom of the screen.

Emojis are categorized for easy browsing, including “Frequently Used”, “People”, “Activity”, and “Objects & Symbols”.

Scroll through the emojis by swiping or turning the digital crown. Tap the desired emoji to select it.

The selected emoji will appear in the reply field. Tap “Send” to send your emoji response.

Connectivity Considerations

Important: If your Apple Watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network, it can send replies to existing emails even without a direct connection to your iPhone. However, receiving new emails requires a Bluetooth connection between your watch and your phone.