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Everything You Can Do With the Double Tap Gesture on Apple Watch
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It seems that some people insist that Double Tap is not a new feature because it was already implemented as assistive touch.
And it seems that some people are annoyed that Double Tap is not available on older watches, even though assistive touch was and is supposedly the same thing.
Think of it like "the all-new Toyota Corolla." Does all the same things the old Corolla did, but in a slightly different way.
And it seems that some people are annoyed that Double Tap is not available on older watches, even though assistive touch was and is supposedly the same thing.
Think of it like "the all-new Toyota Corolla." Does all the same things the old Corolla did, but in a slightly different way.
Was anyone else running 10.1 Beta RC whatever and now they can't update to the public release?
Was on iOS 17.1 Beta on my phone, turned off Beta, the public release 17.1 showed up, I selected it to upgrade which it did.
Went to the watch app and did the same and says I am on the latest watch OS 10.1, but I never changed/upgraded from the 10.1 Beta I installed last week.
Very confused.
confirmed, still on the release candidate build of watchOS 10.1 is build number 21S67 release last week.
Was on iOS 17.1 Beta on my phone, turned off Beta, the public release 17.1 showed up, I selected it to upgrade which it did.
Went to the watch app and did the same and says I am on the latest watch OS 10.1, but I never changed/upgraded from the 10.1 Beta I installed last week.
Very confused.
confirmed, still on the release candidate build of watchOS 10.1 is build number 21S67 release last week.
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This may be because the 10.1 RC and 10.1 are the same build number, in which case the public release is identical to what you currently have, therefore it won't be found.
Love this double tapping feature. It is so convenient on my Apple Watch activities. Thanks, Apple!😊
With the watchOS 10.1 update that came out today, Apple has added Double Tap to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 devices. Double Tap was announced when the new models were introduced, but it took some time for Apple to implement it. With Double Tap, you can activate some Apple Watch functions with just one hand.
Using Double Tap requires you to tap your thumb and index finger together twice, and when you do this, you'll see a little icon on the Apple Watch to let you know that the tap was recognized. Double Tap uses the sensors in the Apple Watch to detect minute movements and blood flow when the fingers are positioned in a certain way.
There are a number of things you can do with Double Tap, and Apple has made it work with some of the most common actions that you might need to perform with one hand.
In the Apple Watch app under Gestures, you can opt to change the playback option from play/pause to skip, and the Smart Stack option from Advance (swaps through the widgets) to Select (opens a widget's associated app).
- Open the Smart Stack from the watch face, and then Double Tap again to scroll through widgets.
- Answer phone or FaceTime calls.
- Hang up phone or FaceTime calls.
- When you get an iMessage, Double Tap to view it, and then Double Tap again if you need to scroll.
- Reply to a Message using dictation and then send it with Double Tap.
- Act on notifications - Apple says a Double Tap on an incoming notification will activate the primary action, such as snoozing a reminder or replying to a message.
- Pause, resume, and end a timer.
- Stop and resume the stopwatch.
- Snooze an alarm.
- Play and pause music, podcasts, or audiobooks (or skip a track, depending on settings).
- Change to the Elevation view in the Compass app.
- Start or stop automatic Workout reminders when a workout is detected.
- Take a photo with the Camera Remote.
- Record a voice memo in the Voice Memo app.
- Change Flashlight modes.
While Double Tap can be used with third-party apps through incoming notifications, there is no Double Tap API for third-party apps at the current time. Developers can still customize their apps for Double Tap to an extent by assigning the action that should occur when a Double Tap gesture is used on an incoming notification.
Double Tap is limited to the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 because, as Apple executives said in a recent interview with Tom's Guide, the S9 chip in the new models is the first that is powerful enough for the gesture system.
To use Double Tap, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 owners will need to update their devices to watchOS 10.1 through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone. watchOS 10.1 requires an iPhone running iOS 17 or later.
Note that Double Tap will not work when Low Power Mode, Sleep Focus, Theater Mode, or Water Lock is activated, and you must first raise your wrist to wake the Apple Watch to perform the gesture. Double Tap also does not work on watches that are paired as a Family Setup watch.
Article Link: Everything You Can Do With the Double Tap Gesture on Apple Watch
Yes this, it only works when you raise and wake up the AW. Touching the screen is just as fast as you already have to perform the raise to wake movement.
It is way more reliable now - the detection of the gesture has been improved a lot.
so far 100% reliable, now on to remembering for what it can be used, and not 
Its not the same apparantly. The one in the Accessibilty section is not as smooth or reliable in use. The Double Tap on S9 and Ultra 2 is all done on the hardware, rather than the way it's done in the Accessibility from what I've read.
This would be awesome! Although it might get a bit awkward when people are using it on the tube/underground and start inadvertently 'middle-fingering' fellow passengers 😅
My assumption is they would use a new build number to differentiate between the RC and the Public Release even if they were identical. Seems lazy and surprising to me. Especially when Apple did use different build numbers from the last iOS 17.1 RC to the Public Release of 17.1 today.
Except that if your sleep alarm goes off while in sleep focus, it automatically turns off sleep focus. Making this possible. 😜
I’m surprised it doesn’t work while Sleep Focus is activated—didn’t Apple show this off for snoozing an alarm!?
EDIT: Sleep Focus is indeed turned off briefly when the alarm goes off and the watch asks whether to snooze or turn it off. Remember to raise your wrist to activate the display in order for this to work.
Worked for me today but may need a little training in order to be able to do this while semi-conscious…
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It finally worked today but I may need a little training in order to be able to do this while semi-conscious…
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It's not lazy, it's how it's done. 17.1 RC and 17.1 release having different build numbers means something changed.