Why Apple Watch Reminds You To Breathe & How To Turn The Reminders Off

For Apple Watch users, the Breathe app provides a momentary break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As the name suggests, it invites users to participate in breathing exercises to help them relax. However, though Apple intends for the app to provide relaxation benefits, some users are more distracted by the app’s persistent notifications throughout the day.

Introduced back in 2016 as a new feature in watchOS 3, the Breathe app has since become a staple part of the Apple Watch’s health-related features. Users can easily tap into the app to run through a breathing session lasting for a few minutes. They can also set how slowly or rapidly they should breathe per minute and how long each session lasts. While in a session, the app provides an inflating flower graphic to guide users about how they should breathe for an exercise. Finally, for anyone who actively uses the app, Breathe users can check their consistency throughout the day or week.

Besides allowing users to begin a session manually, the app periodically reminds users to do an exercise. The app doesn’t remind users while they are exercising or moving but does when they are more stationary, such as when they are sat working at a desk. These reminders can become an irritation for those who are not interested in using the app or if they are too frequent. Fortunately, Apple explains how users can adjust the reminder settings to regulate how often they appear.

Apple Watch Breathe App: Adjusting Reminders

To adjust how often the app sends reminders, users need to access the app’s settings from their iPhone. Under the Apple Watch app, selecting Breathe will open up a setting called ‘Breathe Reminders,’ wherein users can set how many reminders are provided in a single day. Users can set it to zero to ensure that the app remains entirely quiet. They can also toggle weekly summaries off.

Alternatively, users can customize which apps will push notifications to their watches using the Apple Watch app. Doing so forcibly blocks the Breathe app from sending reminders regardless of the app’s Breathe Reminders settings. This can also be done for other apps that periodically send updates to users. Finally, of course, users can uninstall the Breathe app if they don’t use it at all.

Of course, though the daily notifications can get distracting at times, having the Breathe app can be useful especially after a rough day. Besides helping with meditation, Breathe can help Apple users refocus their mindsets after a stressful situation or cool their bodies down after a workout tracked by their Watch. While muting notifications or uninstalling the app are both easy fixes, adjusting the app’s reminders might be more beneficial in the long run.

Source: Apple