Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Gaining New 'Double Tap' Gesture Control Feature

Following the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple today detailed a new feature coming to the smartwatch next month. Called "Double Tap," the new gesture feature lets you control the Series 9 by tapping your thumb and index finger together twice.

f d193cf242e634347eaeea2044e050dd811cef19c
Users will be able to answer calls, stop alarms, open Smart Stack, play and pause Music, and more by using Double Tap. Apple said the new feature should make it easier to navigate the Apple Watch when you're one-handed, like walking your dog or holding a cup of coffee.

Double Tap will also be available on the new Apple Watch Ultra 2. The feature will be available in a software update next month for the Series 9 and Ultra 2.

Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.0.1 With Touch Screen Bug Fix and More

Thursday October 3, 2024 2:22 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 come two weeks after the launch of iOS 18. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, the...
macOS Sequoia Night Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 With Bug Fixes

Thursday October 3, 2024 2:27 pm PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.0.1, the first update for the macOS Sequoia operating system. The 15.0.1 update comes a week after Apple first released macOS Sequoia 15. Mac users can download the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. According to Apple's release notes, macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 fixes a bug that could cause the Messages app...
maxresdefault

Two Weeks With the iPhone 16 Pro Max

Friday October 4, 2024 12:04 pm PDT by
Now that it's been two weeks since the iPhone 16 models were released, we've been able to spend enough time with the new devices to share a more in-depth review on their performance, battery life, feature set, and more. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've been testing the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, but the gap between the Pro models and the standard iPhone 16...
Prime Big Deal Days Hero 3

The Best Early Prime Day Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Friday October 4, 2024 10:43 am PDT by
Amazon is hosting another Prime Day event this year, called Amazon Prime Big Deal Days and offering shoppers the first chance to save on holiday shopping from a major retailer. Similar to the first Prime Day, it will last for two days (October 8-9) and you can already find a large selection of early deals across Amazon's storefront, covering savings on tech, clothing, video games, groceries, and...
top stories 5oct2024

Top Stories: iOS 18.1 Coming Soon, October Apple Event Rumors, and More

Saturday October 5, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
It's hard to believe we're already into October with the iPhone 16 launch behind us, but there's lots more still to come from Apple this year on both the hardware and software fronts. We're still expecting a number of Mac and perhaps some iPad updates in the very near future, while Apple Intelligence features are set to begin rolling out with iOS 18.1 and related operating system updates....
15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.1

Friday September 27, 2024 6:14 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.1 in October, bringing the first set of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update marks a significant step forward in Apple's AI integration, offering a new Siri contextually-aware experience and a range of additional capabilities powered by on-device machine learning and large language models. There are a couple of handy new...
ipad mini 2021 youtube

New Report Reveals When to Expect the iPad Mini 7

Tuesday October 1, 2024 2:09 pm PDT by
Apple is working on a new iPad mini that will "potentially" be released "by the end of 2024," according to a report today from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Last month, Gurman reported that Apple had "new iPads in the works," including an upgraded version of the iPad mini. At the time, he said the device was "on deck for Apple's October event" alongside the first M4 Macs. The wording in his...
M4 Real Feature Red

Gurman: Apple to Launch New M4 Macs and iPad Mini 7 on November 1

Sunday October 6, 2024 6:40 am PDT by
Apple will announce several new M4 Mac models around the end of October, with the company planning to launch at least some of them as soon as Friday, November 1, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple will launch a new M4 version of its low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, as well as higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models...

Top Rated Comments

Stephen13 Avatar
14 months ago
The finger tap thing isn't new. Perhaps the trigger of some specific functions are new, but in the current WatchOS you can use Assistive Touch to customize many different gestures using a finger tap(s) or even a fist clench.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
14 months ago
It almost seemed like Apple was about to make an entire event out of this one feature. ?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ApplesAreSweet&Sour Avatar
14 months ago
This "new" feature has been available since watchOS 8.3. Apple even did a video on it themselves, explaining what it does and how to set it up.

So Apple will be removing gesture controls for Series 8 and older if you upgrade to watchOS 10?


Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
14 months ago
Don't be fooled - this is already on your watch under Accessibility.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Antes Avatar
14 months ago
The thing is most apple watches can already do this as an accessibility feature. It was almost comical this got such a long segment in the keynote.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Johnny907 Avatar
14 months ago
It didn't gain Jack. This has been available under Accessibility since WatchOS 8.
Accessibility -> Assistive Touch -> Hand Gestures and then scroll down to Customize Gestures. Set Double Pinch to Tap and you can do everything shown in that promo right now. Or you can really get fancy and customize all the options like clenching your fist to go forward and back in menus.
I've been using these settings to control my watch during workouts for a couple years now, which is evidently how long it took Apple to figure out it had a useful feature it should promote, especially if it helps them sell a yawn of a new product that 100% isn't required to use it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)