The 15 best Android Wear apps in 2015 to help you navigate every day

Congratulations! You remembered to charge your Android Wear smartwatch last night, and now you’re ready to rule the day with an iron wrist (or whatever material your smartwatch is made out of). That is, if you have the right suite of apps to turn your fashion accessory into a productivity machine.

Below are fifteen of the best Android Wear apps destined to help you get the most out of your day. From fitness tracking, to to-do list conquering, to financial consulting, to dating and everything in between, the following pieces of software will remind you why your several-hundred dollar smartwatch is far more valuable than any Rolex or that $775,000 timepiece Rafael Nadal wore at this year’s French Open.

Whether your Android Wear watch is a circle or a square, a Moto 360 or LG Watch Urbane, make sure it contains these time-saving, cool Android apps.

A day spent with the 15 best Android Wear apps

IFTTT

Rating*: 4.1 of 5
(*Ratings are based on Google Play’s aggregate scores)

The best part of waking up is IFTTT on your watch. (Sorry, Folgers.) With the IFTTT Android Wear app, you can turn on your lights, adjust your thermostat, and even start your coffee pot — all from your wrist. All it takes are a few connected devices and several of the millions of pre-made “recipes” (ex: “If the weather says 50% chance of rain, send me alert to remember my umbrella.”) in the IFTTT archives.

Aeris Wear Weather

Rating: 4.0 of 5

Once you open eyes and your foggy vision clears each morning, you’re going to want to know what the weather is like in your area. The free version of Aeris Wear Weather provides you with local temperatures and weather conditions. And for $0.99, you can amp up your app experience with notifications and live radar feeds.

Wunderlist

Rating: 4.4 of 5

Aside from weather, one of the first things people want to know when they wake up is what they have to do that day. One of the best Android Wear apps for teeing up your to-do list is Wunderlist. It allows users to check off tasks, make notes, and receive notifications without lifting their phone.

Runtastic

Rating: 4.5 of 5

If “Go running” pops up on your daily Wunderlist, you’re going to need an app to record that workout. Fitness fanatics, pay attention: Runtastic is one of the top Android Wear apps for training. In addition to counting your steps, you can start runs via voice command, pause and stop sessions by tapping the screen, and view post-run summaries on your wrist.

Find My Phone

Rating: 4.2 of 5

Say you come home from that run, toss your phone towards your bed, and get ready for work. As you’re rushing out the door, you realize you don’t remember where you put your phone. Instead of tearing your place apart, you can open the Find My Phone app on your watch, launch the alarm, and follow the alert to your phone buried in the ruffled comforter.

Talon for Twitter

Rating: 4.6 of 5

If you utilize public transit to and from the office, you know there’s no better time to browse social media than on the bus or train. Among the best apps for Android to assist you in wasting time? Talon for Twitter. It lets you keep one hand around a pole while skimming your Twitter feed with a few swipes of your finger, no fumbling around with your phone required.

Wear Audio Recorder

Rating: 4.3 of 5

For those times when you’re physically in a meeting but your mind is far, far away, Wear Audio Recorder can discretely capture everything your boss says through your smartwatch’s microphone. Once recorded, the app sends the material to Dropbox or Google Drive. It also follows Android’s Material Design guidelines, making it very attractive.

Shazam

Rating: 4.5 of 5

It’s lunchtime, and you’ve decided to spend your hard-earned hour at a nearby cafe. A catchy song breaks through the hum of open-mouth chewers and you have to know what it is. Fire up Shazam for Android Wear, and your watch will identify the track, add it to your taglist, and even show you the lyrics.

Tinder

Rating: 4.0 of 5

As you finish up your lunch, you see a loving couple enjoying each other’s company near the door. Cupid prompts you to pull up Tinder, irrefutably the best Android app for singles, and find your own future dining companion. After a few minutes of swiping right on your wrist, you manage line up dinner plans before leaving the office.

CityMapper

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Your date claims to live in an amazing food district, so you agree to meet him/her at their place. With CityMapper’s Android Wear app, you can find out which busses and trains lead to their neighborhood and how long it will take without constantly reaching for your phone.

Foursquare

Rating: 4.0 of 5

The good news is, your date is real. The bad news is, they want you to decide where to eat. No worries. Just launch Foursquare for Android Wear, one of the top apps to use if seeking a well-regarded dining establishment (or any other well-regarded location) within your vicinity. Once you’ve made a decision, you can check in from your wrist.

Level Money

Rating: 3.7 of 5

You sit down at your table and the waiter hands you a menu. You open it to find that everything is way more expensive than expected. With the Level Money Android Wear app, you can subtly glance at your bank account and spending limits while pretending you were simply checking the time.

PixtoCam

Critics’ Rating: 4.3 of 5

With bellies full, you and your date walk back to his/her place. You pass some cool graffiti, and your date suggests taking a picture in front of it. No one is around to play photographer, so you prop your phone up on a post and use the PixtoCam watch app to take a selfie by tapping your watch screen.

Uber

Rating: 4.2 of 5

You reach your date’s doorstep and they invite you in for a nightcap. You end up talking and laughing so long, the busses and trains have stopped running. With Uber’s Android Wear app, simply say, “Okay Google, call me a car,” and your driver will be there by the time you plan a second date. (Nice work!)

Wear Battery Stats

Rating: 4.2 of 5

As you walk through your door, the Wear Battery Stats app warns you your smartwatch is about to die. It also gives you a timeline of your battery usage, letting your know which of your cool Android apps drained the most juice. You take note, plug in your watch, hop into bed, and prepare for another wonderful day with your smartwatch.

Did we gloss over what you consider to be the best app? Our bad. Tell us how you use Android Wear apps to navigate your day in the comments below.