How to review Chinese words with widgets and Apple Watch
Native app and Apple Watch
A short review can start from the words you already study. Laowai’s widgets, word-reminder Live Activity and Apple Watch companion provide quick recall prompts alongside the full app.
Choose vocabulary you want to revisit
Start with a saved list or another available learning source in the iPhone app. Add a few words from a recent reading or lesson so the prompts connect to something you have studied.
Open Reminders and widgets from the app’s learning or profile controls. Select the source you want to review and inspect the preview. If a surface has no useful words, first check the selected list and its saved vocabulary in the main app.
Try a short set containing the words you missed yesterday. Check them again in the main app after a few quick reviews.
Add a widget and answer honestly
Add a Laowai widget using the iPhone or iPad’s widget controls. Available presentations depend on the device and system. Open the main app when you need definitions, examples or a full practice session.
Use the prompt to retrieve the meaning or pronunciation before revealing the help. If you immediately read the translation, you have checked the answer but have not tested recall.
Remember and Forgot feedback adjusts the next review timing. It does not change checked accuracy from answered practice questions. This keeps a quick self-report separate from a scored exercise.
Use the word-reminder Live Activity
In Reminders and widgets, choose the vocabulary source and the available timing controls. Check the start, end and interval settings, then use the app’s action to apply or start the reminder.
Live Activities depend on the device, system settings and permissions. If one does not appear, check the app’s setup and the system’s Live Activity settings before assuming the schedule has started.
Use the Lock Screen prompt for a brief recall check. For a word you keep forgetting, open its entry, read an example and practise it in the main app rather than relying only on repeated exposure.
Review from Apple Watch and follow up
The Apple Watch companion receives vocabulary from the paired iPhone and offers quick review feedback. Open Laowai on the iPhone and check the pairing and selected vocabulary if the watch does not show the expected words.
The companion uses a transferred snapshot. Connection and transfer state can affect when a change appears, so confirm important progress in the main app after the devices reconnect.
Free native access includes monthly limits for widget reviews and Live Activity time; Pro provides unlimited access to those features. See the current access comparison for the exact limits.
Use these surfaces to keep known material active between longer sessions. Continue with the full practice task when you want to check writing, listening or sentence use.