How to Make Apple Watch Speak Time Like a Pro? 

Every Apple Watch user has that one embarrassing moment when their Apple Watch spoke time unexpectedly. If you haven’t had a moment like this, you are very lucky. Alternatively, many users actually want their Apple Watch to speak the time. I think this feature is super useful for people with visual impairments and disabilities. 

Simply pressing the screen with two fingers can make your Apple Watch speak time. However, this way, it can accidentally speak at any moment. If that’s not what you’d prefer, I have a bunch of ways here to help you make your Apple Watch speak time. 

Also, if you want to shut this feature off, you will also be able to do so by the time you finish reading the article. So stick around. 

How to Make Apple Watch Speak Time from iPhone & Apple Watch?

From iPhone

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. 
2. Click on My Watch at the bottom left. 
3. Hit the Clock and turn on the Speak Time option. (Or turn it off)

Here you have two options. Either make your watch speak time all the time, or only make it speak time when the silent mode is off on your iPhone. I think the second option makes more sense to me, and generally. 

From Apple Watch

If you don’t want to set the Speak Time settings from your iPhone, you can do it from your watch as well. 

1. On your Apple Watch, open the Settings app. 
2. Click on “Clock” and turn on the “Speak Time” option. (Or turn it off)

The same two options, “Control With Silent Mode”  and “Always Speak,” are in the watch as well. 

How to Hear Mickey or Minnie Speak the Time?

You have the choice to make your Apple Watch speak time in the voice of Mickey or Minnie. I am personally not a fan, but if this sounds like you, here’s how you change the speak time voices-

Before starting the steps, I’ll assume that you have turned on your Speak Time option as mentioned above-

From iPhone

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and go to Face Gallery. 
2. Select Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse and click on Add.
3. Wait for a few seconds to let it sync with the watch. And then press the screen on your current watch face. 

1. Switch to the new Mickey or Minnie watch face. 

From Apple Watch

1. Long-press the current watch face on your Apple Watch. 
2. Scroll right and select New. 
3. Now, click Add on the Mickey Mouse. If you want to select Minnie, turn your Digital Crown and press it once to select Minnie. 
4. Exit the settings to save changes. 

Now, when you want to hear Mickey or Minnie speak, simply tap on them. When your phone is on Always On Display and the screen is dimmed, the feature will still work, only you’d have to tap twice. 

How to Make the Watch Vibrate the Time?

There’s another option in the Apple Watch. Instead of hearing the time, you can feel it. It is called Taptic Time, and it only works in Silent Mode. 

So, the only way you can leverage Taptic Time is if you have selected Control with Silent Mode under Speak Time enabling settings.

On iPhone

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. 
2. Click on My Watch at the bottom left and select Clock.
3. Hit “Taptic Time”, select “Digits”, “Terse”, or “Morse Code”.

You can know more about these three options here.

Now, when you want to feel the time, hold two fingers on your watch face. 

Note: If you have the Military time (24-hour) Clock enabled, the Taptic Time vibrations will mimic that only. 

Make Siri Tell the Time

Or if you don’t want any hassle, simply ask good old Siri, “What’s the time?” and it will simply answer. The idea behind making the watch speak the time is that the wearer doesn’t have to look at the watch. However, when you ask Siri, you might look at the display from muscle memory. 

How to Hear Chimes on Apple Watch?

Now, not everyone wants to hear the time repeatedly; some of us might simply keep a reminder of every hour or at times in the day. In this case, you don’t have to hear the watch speak the time repeatedly. You can make the watch ring a bell or other sounds instead. 

On iPhone

1. Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. 
2. Select “Clock” and then switch on “Chimes”.
3. Click on “Sounds” and select Bells or Birds. 

Choose when you want the Chime to ring, always, or not during the silent mode. 

On Apple Watch

1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
2. Click on “Clock” and switch on “Chimes”.
3. Click on “Sounds” and select Bells or Birds. 

Now, if you want the Chimes to ring at times other than hourly intervals, you can change the settings from Accessibility. It can ring hourly, half-hourly, and every 15 minutes. You can do it both from your Apple Watch and iPhone. 

(Accessibility>Chimes>Schedule)

Wrap Up

I shared three ways to make your Apple Watch speak the time and other ways to feel the time. I find the Siri way best, but I also understand that this feature can be super helpful for those who really need it. 

If there’s any doubt or query, do reach out to me. Comment below, and I will be happy to respond.

Frequently Asked Questions