Apple Watch can’t show a date without their calendar app installed.

I’ve got an Apple Watch that just upgraded to WatchOS 7, and this morning when going to check the date on something, I noticed my watch face was missing the date. Go to re-add it to the face thinking it was just upgrade woe, and nope. The “Date Complication” is not available anywhere. After digging around, I figured out it was gone because that complication is tied to Apple’s own Calendar app. I’d uninstalled it, as I use Google Calendar’s native app and didn’t care for links opening up an app I didn’t use. Reinstalling it added back in my watch’s ability to show a date on the screen.

For F***’s Sake Apple.

I get that I’m probably an edge case. Who uninstalls the default calendar app?

Do you know what’s not an edge case? F***ing expecting your watch to show a date along side the time. Tying this functionality to your phone apps is dumb and bad.

I enjoy my iPhone, I enjoy my watch, and my work has me on a MacBook. Fair to say I enjoy their products, but I want to call out bulls*** when I see it. Just adds to their contempt of third parties and wanting and even taller walled garden, and just some bad UI/UX.