Table of Contents
Introduction:
Apple Watch Double Tap Feature: With the release of watchOS 10.1, owners of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 can now enjoy the most exciting feature of these smartwatches: Double Tap.
This feature introduces gesture-based interactions by tapping one’s index finger and thumb together twice, offering a convenient way to interact with the watch when one hand is occupied. It was the standout feature in an otherwise modest update to the Apple Watch lineup.
During my testing of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 with a beta version of Double Tap, I found that it works as advertised. I had to make a slight adjustment because I tend to wear my watch higher up on my wrist, but after that, it worked perfectly. Initially, the feature was available to beta testers and is now accessible to anyone with compatible hardware.
Apple Watch Double Tap Feature
Double Tap is based on AssistiveTouch, an accessibility feature that has been available to Apple Watch users for some time. The new version, made possible by updates to the S9 chip’s neural engine, has various applications. It can be used for tasks such as scrolling through notifications in Smart Stack, answering and ending phone calls, viewing messages, pausing and resuming timers and stopwatches, snoozing alarms, controlling music playback, and activating the flashlight.
Apple Watch Double-Tap Features:
Here’s a comprehensive list of actions supported by Double Tap:
- Opening the Smart Stack from any watch face and scrolling through widgets.
- Answering and ending phone calls.
- Viewing and interacting with notifications, including dictation and messaging.
- Managing timers and stopwatches.
- Snoozing alarms.
- Controlling audio playback for music, podcasts, and audiobooks.
- Accessing the Elevation view in the Compass app.
- Using the Camera Remote feature in the Camera app to take iPhone photos.
- Managing Workout reminders.
- Performing primary actions in notifications, such as replying to messages and snoozing reminders, even for third-party apps.
The feature intelligently prioritizes actions based on the user’s interaction with the device. For example, incoming calls take precedence. However, it’s important to note that there is currently no API for third-party apps, limiting the functionality of Double Tap in this context.
