The watchOS 8.3 release candidate has expanded AssistiveTouch, allowing users to control their Apple Watch using only hand gestures, to older Apple Watch models after the feature was previously exclusive to only newer Apple Watches.
Apple first previewed the feature in May as part of its continued commitment to making its products accessible to as many people as possible. AssistiveTouch uses a combination of data from onboard Apple Watch sensors to notice subtle changes in muscle movements and tendon activity. Using gestures like a clinch or pinch, users can control their Apple Watch without touching the screen.
AssistiveTouch for watchOS enables people with upper-body limb differences to use Apple Watch without ever having to touch the display or controls. Using built-in motion sensors and on-device learning, Apple Watch detects subtle differences in muscle movements and tendon activity, letting you control the display through hand gestures like a pinch or a clench. This feature also works with VoiceOver so you can navigate Apple Watch with one hand while using a cane or leading a service animal. Answer incoming calls, control an onscreen motion pointer, and access Notification Center, Control Center, and more.
The feature was previously exclusive to newer Apple Watch models, such as the Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE. Now, with the last several watchOS 8.3 betas and the release candidate released this week, Apple has expanded the feature to include older Apple Watch models such as the Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5. The expansion was first noted on Twitter and later picked up on Reddit.
It's great that they're rolling this out to more models.
I have a physical disability that makes it hard (although not impossible) to use my Apple Watch while standing.
However, I've tried this feature quite a bit on my Series 7 and found it to be unreliable and frustrating to use (similar to the "back tap" feature on iPhones).
I guess if it was absolutely impossible for me to use my watch then I'd just get used to it and adapt, but I hope they keep working to improve this feature. It feels like it would benefit from some dedicated hardware, like an accessory of some kind.
I was wondering how well this works, it seems more like an experiment than a finished feature.
Apple today published a new support document indicating that iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.5 allow an Apple Watch to be restored with a nearby iPhone.
The support document states that if an Apple Watch running watchOS 8.5 or later displays an animation showing an Apple Watch and iPhone being brought close together, customers can follow the steps below to initiate the restore process:1. Make sure...
Monday February 28, 2022 3:45 am PST by Tim Hardwick
This year's Apple Watch Series 8 will include major updates in the area of activity tracking and a faster chip that will power all of Apple's smartwatch models in a new-look lineup, according to well-connected Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman.
Apple is believed to be bringing three new Apple Watch models to customers in 2022, including the Apple Watch Series 8, an updated Apple Watch SE, and ...
Saturday January 1, 2022 4:15 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared a new ad titled "911" that emphasizes the Apple Watch's life-saving potential during emergencies.
The suspenseful ad revolves around three individuals named Amanda, Jason, and Jim who were each able to get help by dialing 911 using the Apple Watch, with the ad highlighting excerpts from their frantic phone calls with dispatchers. Amanda, for example, said that her car had...
Tuesday February 1, 2022 1:16 am PST by Sami Fathi
In celebration of Heart Month, Apple is offering all customers who trade in an Apple Watch $25 extra in credit to encourage owners of older Apple Watch models to upgrade to one of the newer models.
Heart Month is celebrated during February, and Apple this week shared some of the ways it's celebrating across its services. The $25 Apple Watch trade-in credit is valid until February 28 in...
Tuesday February 1, 2022 1:18 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released watchOS 8.4.1, a minor update to the watchOS 8 operating system that launched in September. watchOS 8.4.1 comes a week after the release of watchOS 8.4, an update that added a fix for an ongoing charging issue.
watchOS 8.4.1 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the new...
Thursday January 20, 2022 4:01 pm PST by Juli Clover
The watchOS 8.4 release candidate that was seeded to developers and beta testers this morning addresses an ongoing bug that could cause some Apple Watch chargers not to work properly with the Apple Watch.
Back in December, we reported on a growing number of charging issues that Apple Watch Series 7 owners were facing. Since watchOS 8.3, there have been a number of complaints about...
Respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has today thrown his weight behind rumors that Apple is planning to launch three new Apple Watch models in 2022.
In a note to investors seen by MacRumors, Kuo said that the 2022 Apple Watch lineup will include the Apple Watch Series 8, the second-generation Apple Watch SE, and a new "extreme sports" version:The new Apple Watch in 2H22 includes Apple Watch 8,...
Apple's plans for an "Apple Watch Pro" recently emerged, indicating that the company was considering a "Pro" moniker for a high-end smartwatch.
According to files on an Apple Watch demonstration unit used in retail stores from 2015, Apple considered using the brand name "Apple Watch Pro" for some smartwatch models around the time of the Apple Watch's launch. The information was shared by...
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared ostensibly accurate renders of the iPhone 14 Pro, providing the most accurate look yet at what the device could look like when it launches later this year.
In the latest video on YouTube channel Front Page Tech, Prosser revealed renders of the iPhone 14 Pro made by Apple concept graphic designer Ian Zelbo, highlighting a range of specific design changes...
Last year's iPhone 13 Pro models were the first of Apple's smartphones to come with 120Hz ProMotion displays, and while the two iPhone 14 Pro models will continue to feature the technology, their screens could well boast expanded refresh rate variability this time round.
To bring ProMotion displays to the iPhone 13 Pro models, Apple adopted LTPO panel technology with variable refresh...
Amazon is marking down a wide variety of 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models this week, with prices starting as low as $749.00 for the 11-inch tablet. You'll find the full list of sales below, all of which can be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep...
Apple appears to have recently updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID.
If you receive an App Store or Apple Store gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that was previously visible in the App Store and Apple Store apps. As of today, the Apple Account balance can also be added to...
Apple in February unveiled a new "Tap to Pay on iPhone" feature that will allow compatible iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, with no additional hardware required.
Apple began testing the feature at its Apple Park Visitor Center earlier this month, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has tweeted that the feature will begin...
Apple today confirmed that the keynote event for the Worldwide Developers Conference will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 6, the first day of WWDC. The keynote will be an online-only event, though a select number of developers have been invited to the Apple Park campus for a viewing event.
In addition to confirming the keynote date and time, Apple has shared the full WWDC 2022...
Apple on May 16 released iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5, bringing improvements for Podcasts and Apple Cash, the ability to see Wi-Fi signal of HomePods, dozens of security fixes, and more.
Top Rated Comments
Can continue with my good old series 5 for a couple of years more now.
I also find back tap too unreliable to use.