Apple Watchβs Double Tap Feature Now Available Through watchOS 10.1
Apple Watchβs Double Tap Feature Now Available Through watchOS 10.1
During the keynote last month, Apple has showcased the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2βs new capabilities: double tap with a pinching gesture to initiate an action, such as answering or ending calls. The feature is now officially making its way into these two models through the latest watchOS 10.1 update.
Itβs not just that β Apple has said that thereβs quite a few actions you can do with this gesture, depending on which app youβre using. These include:
- Opening theΒ Smart StackΒ from any watch face and scrolling through widgets in the stack.
- Answering and endingΒ phone calls.
- Viewing aΒ messageΒ from a notification, scrolling through longer notifications with an additional double tap, replying using dictation, and sending a message.
- Pausing, resuming, and ending aΒ timer.
- Stopping and resuming aΒ stopwatch.
- Snoozing anΒ alarm.
- Playing and pausingΒ music,Β podcasts,Β andΒ audiobooks.
- Switching to the new Elevation view in theΒ CompassΒ app.
- Taking an iPhone photo with the Camera Remote in theΒ CameraΒ app.
- Starting or stoppingΒ automatic Workout reminders.
- Performing the primary action fromΒ notifications, such as replying to an incoming message from a messaging app and snoozing reminders β including from third parties.
How does this feature work then? Apple says the new S9 SiP (System in Package) comes with the new 4-core neural engine that enables the chip to recognize the tiny movements and changes in the blood flow in the wrist to recognize the gesture being performed. The company noted that such feature has βminimal impactβ on both devicesβ battery life (18 hours for Series 9, 36 hours for Ultra 2).
In certain apps, you can customize the behavior of double tap through the connected iPhone device β though that is limited to Smart Stack and music playback for now. In this case, Smart Stack allows you to either advance to the next widget or select the highlighted widget; whereas in music playback that options becomes either play/pause or skip to a new track instead.
The watchOS 10.1 is now available for Apple Watch Series 4 and newer models (iPhone Xs and newer with iOS 17 required).
Pokdepinion: If thereβs SDK for this I think thereβs great potential for this feature.Β


