10 Best Pebble Apps 2015

Best Pebble Apps: 1-5

Having recently sold its millionth smartwatch, original Kickstarter darling Pebble is doing all it can to battle off the Android Wear invasion and hopefully sway those on the fence about the Apple Watch.

But, to take pride of place on our wrists it needs to impress in the app department. Now, we're not talking about games or overly intricate apps here, the Pebble only has a small monochromatic display, what we want is useful tools and add-ons that extend app functionality from our phones.

Whether it's tracking our steps and ditching the fitness band or changing tracks in Spotify, all these apps do just that, and they have become part of our daily routine.

Misfit

Our wrists simply aren't big enough for both a smartwatch and a fitness band, but thanks to Misfit's Pebble App we no-longer have to decide whether it's our steps or the time that we track. Due to the built-in sensors on the watch and phone, the accuracy here is pretty impressive – definitely on-par with Misfit's dedicated Shine wearable – and there's sleep tracking too, so you can keep an eye on your slumber. You can scroll through your stats for the week, or beam the data back to the app for more in-depth perusal. It currently only supports iOS, but we're told Android compatibility is on the horizon.

iOS | Free | Misfit app for Pebble

Cards for Pebble

One of the major annoyances we have with the current Pebble hardware is that it can only store eight apps at once, leaving us with the unenviable task of choosing which one to delete when we download something new. Cards for Pebble is worth it, then, because it bundles in several different functions. Alongside an information-laden watch face, you can use it to view your synced calendars, check on the weather and even delve into the latest stock prices. We especially like the travel time updates, which gives you an overview of how long it'll take you to get to your next appointment.

iOS and Android | Free | Cards app for Pebble

Pebble Nav

Navigating around busy streets with just a tiny monochromatic display for support when our 5-inch smartphone is sitting in our pocket may seem like a borderline stupid idea on the face of it, but there's something about Pebble Nav that sees us constantly fire it up. It only shows your next action, turn left in 30-yards for example, so the screen isn't bogged down with information and the maps have all been specially built for the black and white display. You don't even need to keep an eye on the watch, as it'll buzz your wrist just before you need to turn - handy. It's especially useful when you're on a bike. Just strap your Pebble to the handlebars and it'll make sure you're on the right route.

iOS | £1.49 | Pebble Nav

PayPal

If you've been dreaming about paying for your dinner just by having the waiter scan your watch for as long as we have, you'll need to download PayPal's new app. Striking a blow at the Apple Watch and Apple Pay, before they've even launched, the Pebble and PayPal combo doesn't even need a smartphone connection, as it dives directly into your account. Anywhere you can pay with PayPal – GBK or Pizza Express for example both accept it – you can use this app. It generates a QR code which, when scanned, deducts the money from your PayPal account. The app will also search for local spots where this payment method is accepted.

iOS and Android | Free | PayPal app for Pebble

Music Boss

We've been disappointed with the way the Pebble handles music track switching. Basically, you can only set one app that the watch will recognise, so if you use a combination of Spotify and PocketCasts you need to manually change it in the settings app before you can use the remote function. But fear not, forMusic Boss corrects this, automatically switching to the app it can see you're using. You have a full set of media controls, the ability to rate songs on the go, if that's your bag, and it works great as a Chromecast remote, too.

Android | £1.21 | Music Boss

Best Pebble Apps: 6-10

Huebble

Our homes are all getting a bit smarter, but there are still barriers from stopping this whole 'Internet of Things' movement becoming truly a thing. Take the Philips Hue lights for example - yep, it's great having a rainbow of colours options at our fingertips, but always having to have your phone to hand to turn them on and off is far from ideal. That's where Huebble comes in, packing all the best features of the Hue mobile app into Pebble form. letting you switch on/off your bulbs, quickly jumping to your favourite presets and cycling through all the available colours and brightness options.

iOS and Android | Free | Huebble app for Pebble

Kronos

We've stuck with the Pebble on our wrists for over a year now, and that's down to apps like this. It might not be the prettiest – Pebble apps in general are quite challenged, aesthetically – but it's functional and useful. Our music comes pretty much solely from a Sonos system and Kronos acts as a remote. You can change tracks, alter the volume and queue up the next tune, while there's access to your all your available zones. The only downside we can find is that you have to switch over to the Kronos mobile app too, it is available for both iOS and Android, as this is what starts the connection between your watch and the system.

iOS and Android | £2.29 | Kronos app for Pebble

Aerotracker Pro

We did mention Misfit's app earlier on in this round-up as a way of doing all sorts of fitness-band-type activity tracking on your Pebble, but it's not our only go-to app when we hit the gym. AeroTracker uses the GPS on your phone to accurately track run time, distance and speed, amongst others, while unlike Misfit, it's not restricted to a single app for beaming back data. So whether you use Strava, RunKeeper or Dailymite, all your data will be backed up. There's also support for Android, a feature Misfit is lacking, and a mode that turns the Pebble into a heart rate monitor, though the accuracy is nowhere near that of a dedicated unit.

Android | £1.19 | Aerotracker Pro for Pebble

PebbleAuth

Two-Step authentication is becoming more and more popular, especially with growing fears about privacy and just how secure our accounts actually are. But, it does that add an extra bit of time to log-in to your email account or cloud service. Pebble Auth cuts the time down, creating a two-factor authentication code right on the watch, ditching the need to pull out your smartphone. It works with multiple services and we had success using it for all the confirmed ones, including Google, Facebook, Dropbox and Amazon.

iOS and Android | Free | PebbleAuth for Pebble

Dashboard

Easily one of the most useful apps installed on our Pebble, Dashboard is a bit like the quick settings panel on Android devices, giving you direct access to functions like WiFi, Bluetooth and volume. We use it to quickly mute our phone in a meeting or glance at the remaining battery life, without taking it out of our pocket. A particularly handy feature for the clumsy folk amongst us is the 'Find Phone' sound, which pings your device with shrill beep when you're not sure where you left it. Some of the deeper features do require you to root your Android device, but the simpler ones are open to all.

Android | Free | Dashboard

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