As someone who has been a digital entrepreneur all my adult life, emails are the lifeblood of my work. The ability to get, read, and respond to mails is so core to my work that I am constantly looking for ways to manage my emails more effectively. Which is why, you can imagine, that being able to read emails on a smartwatch is important to me.
I get lots of useless mails, though, and so would like to be able to see exactly what a mail is about before I pick up my phone or grab my laptop. That way, I can save myself some time and trouble. I am not particular about being able to reply to emails from a smartwatch, because that tiny screen is just a pain for such activity. I am aware that replies can be done via voice, but that is a conversation for another day.
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Can you read emails on a smartwatch?
While it is not a popular functionality on smartwatches yet, there are some models that provide the ability to read your e-mails without picking up your smartphone. Most current wearable devices allow you to only see email notifications. You cannot read or reply to your mails on them.
I have owned the Oraimo Tempo C Waterproof Smart Fitband, as well as the Oraimo Tempo-S, and both of them only allow the user to see email notifications. The notifications do not even display the subject line of the mails, which would have been adequate for me. If the notifications included the subject line, I would be able to figure out whether a mail was important or not. Alas, they do not. It is such a limiting thing.
Below, I highlight a few smartwatch models that let you read your emails without picking up your phone or laptop.
Smartwatches you can read email on
If you want the functionality to read emails on a smartwatch, these are the brands and models you should be looking at: Samsung, Amazfit, Apple. Some of the models that already allow you to read and even reply to your mails include:
- Amazfit Bip
- Amazfit GTR
- Samsung Gear S
- Samsung Gear S3
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2
- Apple Watch
With any of these smartwatches, you can reply to, delete, or access emails conveniently from your wrist.
Note that for Samsung watches, this full email functionality is only available if your watch is connected to a Samsung smartphone. It works via the Galaxy Wearable app. It works for Gmail, as well as Microsoft Outlook.
At the time of typing this, as already alluded to earlier, Oraimo smartwatches do not have the functionality to read emails. You can get email notifications, and that’s it.
How to setup email for supported Samsung watches
- On your smartphone, tap the Galaxy Wearable app .
- Tap Apps
. - Tap the Email Settings icon
then do one of the following:
- If no email account has been linked, tap Email accounts.
- If an email account has previously been linked, tap Add account.
- If prompted, tap Allow for applicable permissions.
- Complete all remaining steps to add the account (e.g., enter the email address, password, etc.) then tap Sign in (lower-right).
You will now be able to read emails on your Samsung watch.
How to read your email on your Samsung Watch
- From the Watch screen, press the Home button to go to the Apps screen.
- Tap Email.
- Tap an email to open the email screen.
- Tap the More options icon for additional options: Reply: Compose a reply email from your Gear. Star: Mark the email as a Favorite. Show on phone: View the email on your smartphone.
Can you read emails on your Apple Watch?
You can also read and reply emails on your Apple Watch. This feature has been available since WatchOS 2. Of course, it is only available when your Apple Watch is paired with an iPhone. When you receive an email notification, tap on it to open the mail to read it.
Over time, more wearable manufacturers will add the ability to read emails on their smartwatches and fit bands. It is a convenient tool that makes life easier for users.