Apple Watch watchOS 10.1 introduces double tap gesture

Apple Watch compatibility with watchOS 10.1

Introducing a quick and easy new method to engage with Apple Watch, the double tap gesture is now available with watchOS 10.1 for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Users of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 can now effortlessly operate the devices with only one hand and without touching the screen thanks to the new double tap gesture. Many of the most popular actions can be swiftly completed by users by tapping the thumb and index finger of their watch hand twice. This new function enhances the already-available tap, swipe, raise to wake, and cover to mute actions on the Apple Watch, which contribute to its user-friendly interface.

A Practical, Enjoyable Experience

When one hand is occupied for example, when cooking, walking the dog, or carrying a cup of coffee the double tap gesture comes in handy.

In a multitude of watchOS apps and notifications, double tapping enables users to choose the primary action. These actions include opening the Smart Stack from any watch face and navigating through the widgets within the stack.

• Returning and initiating calls.
• Message sending, dictation answering, swiping through lengthy alerts with a second double tap, and viewing messages from notifications.
• Starting, stopping, and restarting a timer.
• Putting a stopwatch to sleep and back on.
• Setting a false alert.
• Audiobooks, podcasts, and music can all be played and stopped.
• Using the Compass app and switching to the new Elevation view.
• Using the Camera Remote in the Camera app to snap an image with an iPhone.
• Activating or deactivating the workout alerts automatically.
• Responding to messages received through messaging apps and ignoring reminders, even those from outside sources, are examples of the main actions that can be taken in response to notifications.

S9 SiP-powered

The S9 SiP, which is 25% more power efficient than the previous generation, and the new 4-core Neural Engine, which can complete machine learning tasks twice as quickly, power the double tap gesture that is available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

The accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor data are processed by the Neural Engine using a novel machine learning technique. When the thumb and index finger double tap, the computer recognizes the distinct characteristic of minute wrist motions and variations in blood flow.

The double tap gesture is available all day long and operates whenever the display is awake, with little to no effect on the Apple Watch Series 9’s or the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s 18- or 36-hour battery lives.

Customized Double Tap Gesture

Most apps and notifications are set to choose the principal action automatically when you double tap. The user has the option to select an alternative function in two cases: either moving through the widgets in the Smart Stack or choosing the first widget that becomes available; or playing, stopping, or skipping to the next track when a media session is in progress.

Availability

• Starting today, Apple Watch Series 4 and later can get watchOS 10.1; iPhone XS or later running iOS 17 is required.
• With watchOS 10.1, the double tap gesture is on by default on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. No further setup is needed. It is deactivable in the settings.
• The following applications and experiences do not support this feature: Walkie-Talkie, Mindfulness (during an active session), Mind Maps (during navigation), Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen, Sleep Focus, ECG, SOS features (Emergency SOS, Fall Detection, Crash Detection), and Workout (during an active session).

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