The Storage Drain
The Apple Watch is tightly integrated with the iPhone ecosystem. By default, watchOS utilizes a feature called “Automatic App Install.” Whenever you download a new application from the App Store onto your iPhone (such as a weather app, a calculator, or a game), the system immediately checks if an Apple Watch version of that app exists. If it does, the iPhone will automatically and silently push the companion app directly to your watch over Bluetooth. If you download a lot of apps on your phone, this feature will rapidly fill up your Apple Watch’s limited storage and clutter its honeycomb home screen with useless icons. You must take manual control over your installations.
How to Turn Off Automatic App Installs
You can permanently stop the automatic Bluetooth transfers via the General settings.
- Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone.
- Ensure you are on the My Watch tab at the bottom left of the screen.
- Scroll down the main list and tap on General.
- Locate the toggle switch labeled Automatic App Install at the very top of the page.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the green background will disappear).
Manual Control
The change is instantaneous. The iPhone will completely sever the automatic push mechanism. When you download a new app on your phone, it will remain exclusively on your phone. If you eventually decide you actually want the watch version of that specific app, you must now scroll down to the “Available Apps” section in the iPhone Watch app and explicitly tap the “Install” button next to its name.