WristTale User Guide: Android Watches, Apple Watch and Garmin
WristTale officially supports Android watches, Apple Watch, and Garmin watches. Import and organize TXT or Markdown on your phone, send selected chapters, then read offline after the watch confirms they are saved. This guide covers the shared workflow and each platform's setup.
Choose your phone and watch
| Watch platform | Phone requirements | Installation and reading requirements | Tested devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android watches | Android 12 or later; iPhone with a compatible app version that supports Android watches | Installation requires Android 11+ on the watch and system wireless debugging | Xiaomi Watch 5 |
| Apple Watch | The iPhone paired with your watch | watchOS 10+ for basic reading; watchOS 11+ for auto-scroll | Apple Watch Series 7 |
| Garmin | Android phone or iPhone | Compatible Connect IQ watch and Garmin Connect Mobile on the phone | Forerunner 970 |
The listed devices have been tested. For other models, check their system capabilities and app compatibility requirements. Apple Watch requires its paired iPhone; an Android phone cannot send books to it.
Android watch: start with the Android watch reader and installation guide.
Apple Watch: see the Apple Watch reader, or follow the illustrated sending guide.
Garmin: see the Garmin TXT reader.
Install the phone app: get the iPhone app from the App Store or the Android phone app from Google Play. For the mainland China Android APK and platform installation links, use the Chinese download page.
HarmonyOS phone + Garmin: see the WristTale for HarmonyOS guide. This version uses its matching watch app and account-based cloud transfers.
Start reading in four steps
- Install the phone and watch apps: choose your platform above, then complete its installation and connection steps.
- Import on your phone: tap + (Import) in the library and select a
.txtor.mdfile. Plain TXT can be imported directly; YAML metadata is not required. - Preview and send chapters: check the text and chapter titles, choose your watch, then select the chapters to send. Keep WristTale open on both devices until the watch confirms they are saved.
- Open the watch library: find the saved book and choose a chapter. Saved content is available offline. Each watch stores its own reading position.
Install and send by platform
Android watches: install from your phone, then send locally
WristTale has been tested on Xiaomi Watch 5. For the first installation, follow the phone app's instructions:
- Connect your phone and watch to the same trusted Wi-Fi network. Enable developer options and system wireless debugging on the watch.
- In the phone app, choose Android watch installation and enter the six-digit system wireless ADB pairing code shown by the watch.
- The phone app downloads the matching watch APK from the network and installs it through wireless ADB. You do not need a computer or a separate manual APK installation on the watch.
- Open WristTale on the watch, then pair it for receiving books in the phone app. This uses the reader's four-digit receiving code, which is separate from the six-digit system installation code.
- Choose a book and chapters on your phone, then send locally over Bluetooth or same-network Wi-Fi. Keep both apps in the foreground until the watch confirms the book is saved.
After installation, you can turn off wireless debugging and developer options. Everyday book transfers do not require debugging. The watch reader provides chapters, font sizes, themes, automatic page turning, and a saved local reading position. See the Android watch page for the full workflow and screenshots.
Apple Watch: send from its paired iPhone
Install WristTale on iPhone and make sure it is also installed and opened once on the paired Apple Watch. If the watch app is missing, check available app installations in the Watch app on iPhone.
In the phone book screen, choose Apple Watch, select chapters, and send. Keep the devices nearby and wait for confirmation that the watch has saved the book before opening it in the watch library. Apple Watch uses its own paired connection and does not require Garmin Connect. Basic reading works on watchOS 10 or later; auto-scroll requires watchOS 11 or later.
Follow the illustrated Apple Watch sending guide, or check features and compatibility on the Apple Watch reader page. For the library, chapters, bookmarks, text size, brightness, and auto-scroll screens, see the full Apple Watch walkthrough.
Garmin: install through Connect IQ and send from your phone
Install the WristTale watch app from Garmin Connect IQ, then keep Garmin Connect Mobile connected to your watch. Import a book on the phone, preview its chapters, choose Garmin, and send.
Garmin transfers use Bluetooth by default, with an optional network relay: selected chapters are uploaded temporarily, then downloaded by the watch. A relay transfer becomes inaccessible one hour after creation, and stored content is subsequently deleted. Keep WristTale open on both devices during transfer and avoid manually locking the phone. Send large books in smaller chapter batches; for Bluetooth, try 20–50 chapters at a time.
See the Garmin TXT reader for the Garmin installation and transfer workflow.
Import, chapters, and file formats
Import plain TXT directly
WristTale supports standard .txt text files and .md Markdown files. It does not import EPUB or PDF directly. Export readable TXT or Markdown text before importing content from those formats.
Before sending a book:
- Use UTF-8 encoding.
- Put chapter titles on their own lines, such as “Chapter 1”.
- Check the text and detected chapters in the phone preview.
TXT chapter detection uses common heading patterns. If headings such as “One” or “Two” are missed, edit the chapters in the phone app or use explicit Markdown headings.
Use Markdown headings to define chapters
A Markdown # heading explicitly marks a chapter. YAML metadata can store the title and author when organizing or exporting a file; it is not required for importing plain TXT.
---
title: My Reading Notes
author: Me
---
# Chapter 1
The text of this chapter.
# Chapter 2
The next chapter.
Download the Markdown sample to inspect the file structure. You can edit it in a text editor, Obsidian, Typora, or VS Code.
Edit and export
Tap a book to preview it, then choose a chapter to edit its text or title. You can also long-press the cover to open the book menu. Check your edits in the preview before sending.
The book menu's Export action creates a Markdown file that preserves chapter edits and metadata. On Android, check the system Downloads folder. On iPhone, check “Files → On My iPhone → WristTale”, or the save location selected in the current export flow.
Questions and troubleshooting
What should I do about garbled text?
Check the phone preview first. Older TXT files may use GBK, Big5, Windows-1252, or other encodings. Use the TXT encoding converter locally in your browser to create a UTF-8 version, then import it again. If the encoding is unknown, see the file encoding detection guide.
Why are chapters missing or split incorrectly?
Put chapter titles on separate lines and use a common heading format. You can edit chapter titles in the app or use Markdown # headings. Check the phone chapter preview before sending.
Why is the book missing from my watch?
First make sure the watch app is installed and open. Completion of a phone progress bar does not always mean the watch has saved the book. Wait for confirmation from the watch, then check its library.
- Android watch: check the four-digit reader code and book-transfer pairing, and keep both apps in the foreground. For Wi-Fi transfer, make sure the devices share a network. Use the six-digit system ADB code for installation pairing and the four-digit reader code for everyday book pairing.
- Apple Watch: confirm it is paired with the iPhone and WristTale has been installed and opened once. See the Apple Watch sending guide.
- Garmin: confirm Garmin Connect Mobile can connect to the watch and the Connect IQ app is installed. Reopen WristTale on both devices and try sending a few chapters.
Can I read without my phone nearby?
Yes. Once the watch confirms the content is saved, you can read it offline. Installation, import, and sending use your phone as described for each platform. Each watch saves its own reading position.
Where can I check the trial and pricing?
WristTale includes one free sync attempt shared across watch platforms. Check the phone app's purchase screen for further syncs, Pro features, current prices, and activation options in your version.
Why does Garmin storage use bytes?
Garmin watch storage statistics are shown in bytes. In UTF-8, English letters and digits typically use one byte; common Chinese characters usually use three. Dividing the byte count by three gives a rough estimate for text composed mainly of Chinese characters. This is not a chapter count or a shared storage limit across watch platforms.
Where are books stored on Garmin, and how can I clear them?
Books are stored in the Garmin app’s private storage and are not directly accessible through the USB file system. Use Clear Storage in the watch app menu to remove all books and reading progress.
Does the phone app support dark mode?
Yes. WristTale supports system-wide dark mode on both iPhone and Android phones. The Garmin reading interface uses a black background on AMOLED screens.
What can you read?
Alongside novels, WristTale works for study notes, vocabulary lists, race manuals, aid-station information, and short reference documents. Clear chapters make long text easier to navigate on a watch screen.
For listening while running, see the separate app WristListen. It is designed for Garmin watches with music storage and offline audio playback, and converts supported TXT or EPUB content to chapter audio. See choosing reading or listening for the differences, or the TXT or EPUB to Garmin audiobook workflow to get started with audio.