With the <https://9to5mac.com/guides/coronavirus/> coronavirus outbreak
becoming more serious in the US and around the world, you've likely heard
many times about the important steps to stay healthy and curb the spread of
the virus, like washing your hands often (
<https://interestingengineering.com/experiment-shows-massive-bacteria-after-
hand-washing-heres-what-you-should-do-instead> and well) and not touching
your face. However, those can be tough habits to change. Let's look at how
to set up hourly reminders to wash your hands and stop touching your face on
iPhone and Apple Watch.
iPhone and Apple Watch can be great tools to help stay healthy and flatten
the curve of the coronavirus outbreak. Just like the hourly stand reminder
Apple Watch users get, we'll look at a couple of options including Apple's
Reminders app and
<https://apps.apple.com/us/app/due-reminders-timers/id390017969> third-party
app Due that can really make sure you stay on top of washing your hands
regularly and change your habit of touching your face by creating a new
feedback loop.
Research shows that it <https://jamesclear.com/new-habit> often takes up to
two months to make a new habit stick (not touching your face is probably
more difficult to change than adjusting your handwashing routine), but
constant reminders on your iPhone or Apple Watch could significantly shorten
that timeframe.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially recommends
washing your hands with soap thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, while other
resources recommend 30 seconds (check out the
<https://interestingengineering.com/experiment-shows-massive-bacteria-after-
hand-washing-heres-what-you-should-do-instead> difference time makes in
killing germs with this neat image here).
For a fun way to remember how long 30 seconds is,
<https://washyourlyrics.com/> check out this tool to create handwashing
lyrics out of your favorite songs (via
<https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/3/9/21171586/wash-your-lyrics-coronaviru
s-hand-washing-advice-generator-suggestions> The Verge).
You might also want to check out our guide on
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/06/how-to-clean-sanitize-iphone/> cleaning and
sanitizing your iPhone, particularly after Apple changed its recommendations
earlier this week.
How to set up hourly reminders to wash your hands on iPhone and Apple Watch
Option 1
1. Open the Reminders app on iPhone and create a new reminder
2. Tap the "i" to the right of your reminder
3. Tap the toggle next to Remind me on a day
4. Tap the toggle next to Remind me at a time
5. Choose Repeat and choose Hourly (or choose Custom)
6. Tap Done in the top right corner
Pro tip: Skip the manual set up and use a Siri command to set up hourly
reminders. Something like "Remind me to wash hands every hour starting at 3
o'clock."
You're all set to get regular reminders on iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and
Mac. Here's how these steps look on iPhone:
You can choose hourly or set a custom reminder interval. You can also pick a
time for the repeating reminder to end, or leave it set at the default,
"Never."
Option 2 - third-party apps
If you'd like to use more persistent reminders than what Apple's built-in
app offers,
<https://apps.apple.com/us/app/due-reminders-timers/id390017969> Due is a
great choice. It's a paid app but offers power-user features like:
* Auto Snooze repeatedly* notifies you of missed reminders until
marked done or rescheduled. Choose between intervals of every 1, 5, 10, 15,
30, and 60 minutes.
* Fast to Set, Fast to Postpone: A time picker with 12 preset and
fully customizable times lets you set due dates and postpone reminders in
record time.
* Countdown Timers: Precise to the second, perfect for making the
perfect soft-boiled eggs, brewing your coffee, and more. Set them up once
and reuse them forever
Due is a <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/due-reminders-timers/id390017969>
$6.99 download from the App Store with lots of positive reviews from users.
If you like the idea of dedicated software for handwashing, there's the free
<https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wash-your-hands/id1501795400> Wash Your
Hands! app. You can set custom intervals and there's also a built-in timer
to make sure you're washing long enough.
Read more 9to5Mac tutorials:
* <https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/06/how-to-clean-sanitize-iphone/> How
to clean and sanitize your iPhone
* <https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/03/automate-homepod-volume/> HomePod
volume blasting you away? Try this volume automation
*
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/02/13/apple-watch-see-heart-rate-recovery-what-it-
is-more/> Apple Watch: How to see heart rate recovery and what does it mean?
*
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/04/reduce-stress-relax-with-apple-watch/> Four
ways to reduce stress and relax with Apple Watch
*
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/02/03/mac-how-to-clear-cache-history-cookies-safar
i/> Mac: How to clear the cache, history, and cookies in Safari
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