watchOS 10.1 enables the new double tap gesture exclusively on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, offering time-saving shortcuts for everyday actions.
This version of the double tap gesture is unavailable on older models because it relies on the much faster Neural Engine in Apple’s latest S9 chip.
The new Neural Engine runs Apple’s machine learning algorithm which analyzes the unique signature of tiny wrist movements and changes in blood flow when you tap your index finger and thumb together.
How to set up the double tap gesture on your Apple Watch
You can configure the double tap functionality within the Gestures section of the Settings app on your Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2. Alternatively, use the companion Watch app on your paired iPhone to set up this feature.
Apple Watch instructions:
- Open the Settings app on your watch.
- Choose Gestures from the main list.
- Select Double Tap and switch on the Double Tap setting on the next screen.
If you see a message about the gesture potentially clashing with assistive features, touch the Turn off Accessibility Features option at the bottom of the prompt.
iPhone instructions:
- Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone.
- Select the My Watch tab at the bottom.
- Choose Gestures from the main list.
- Select Double Tap, then switch on the Double Tap option at the top.
You may be prompted to turn off accessibility features for the double tap gesture to work. watchOS indicates that your Apple Watch has recognized a double tap by briefly displaying an icon at the top of the screen.
Configuring media playback and Smart Stack navigation
When you set up the double tap gesture, you can choose how it will work with media playback and the Smart Stack on your watch face:
Playback:
- Play/Pause: Tap your index finger and thumb together twice to play or pause your music.
- Skip: Skip a track by performing the double tap gesture.
Smart Stack:
- Advance: Double tap opens your Smart Stack from the watch face, but you can set another double tap to scroll through widgets in the stack.
- Select: Set a second double tap to select a widget in the Smart Stack.
Hands-free operation
Disabled by default, the gesture activates the primary button in an app. Enabling this functionality in an app requires no additional work by developers.
You can use the double tap gesture to perform specific actions hands-free without interacting with the Apple Watch display.
Apple’s examples for the double tap gesture include stopping timers, playing and pausing music, snoozing alarms, answering and ending phone calls, opening notifications, checking your Smart Stack, replying to messages, taking photos with the Camera Remote app, and so forth.
On older Apple Watch models like Series 4 and newer, you can set up a less-developed version of the double tap gesture (and other air gestures like pinching) via the AssistiveTouch accessibility feature.