The Disappearing App
If you use an Apple Watch to reference a shopping list, follow a recipe, or read a long text message, you have likely encountered a frustrating behavior: if you lower your wrist for more than a few seconds and then raise it again, the app you were just looking at is completely gone. The watch has automatically minimized the app and returned you to the default clock face. Apple designed this behavior to ensure the watch always acts like a watch first. However, if you are actively using an application to accomplish a task over several minutes, this aggressive auto-closing is incredibly annoying. You must adjust the “Return to Clock” timer.
How to Change the Return to Clock Setting
You can force the watch to keep your last used application open for significantly longer via the general settings.
- Open the Settings app directly on your Apple Watch (the grey gear icon).
- Scroll down the main list and tap on General.
- Scroll down and tap on Return to Clock.
- Under the “Return to Clock” section, you will see three options:
- Change the setting from the default (Always) to After 1 hour.
The Persistent App
The change takes effect immediately. Now, if you open the Reminders app to look at your grocery list, you can safely drop your arm by your side as you walk down the aisle. The screen will turn off to save battery, but when you raise your wrist again, the Reminders app will still be sitting right there, exactly where you left it. The watch will only forcefully return to the clock face if you haven’t touched the device for a full 60 minutes.