With watchOS 10.1 now released to the public, Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models have gained a new Double Tap gesture. Here's everything Double Tap can do, and how you can get it working on your watch.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912
Double Tap is a new gesture-based feature for the latest Apple Watch models that lets you control watch functions by tapping your thumb and index finger together twice. The feature aims to make it easier to navigate the Apple Watch when you have only one hand free, like when you're walking a dog, carrying groceries, or holding a cup of coffee.

The new Double Tap gesture is exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and is enabled by updating an Apple Watch to watchOS 10.1, which requires that it is paired to an iPhone running iOS 17.1.

What Double Tap Can Do

Double Tap's functionality is pretty simple. You raise your watch to wake, and then you double tap your thumb and index finger together to control what's happening on the screen of your watch.

By default, Double Tap selects the primary button in whatever app you're in. So for example, if you get a call, you can double tap to answer, and use it to hang up when you're done. Likewise, if you're watching/listening to media, you can pause it and resume it (or skip).

Some other use cases: If you've set a timer, double-tapping will pause it. Performing the gesture again will resume the countdown, and when the timer goes off, a double-tap will stop it. Similarly, you can use it to do other everyday things like snooze alarms, trigger the Camera Remote app's shutter button, and dismiss notifications.

apple watch ultra double tap

Double Tap activation is indicated by a blue icon at the top of the screen

As you might expect, the gesture is also set up to assume your other hand is preoccupied. If you receive a text, for instance, a double tap lets you reply with a voice message, while another double tap sends the message.

In addition, Double Tap can be used to invoke the Smart Stack from the watch face and advance through your widgets, offering you a one-handed glance of your most regularly viewed information.

How to Set Up Double Tap

Double Tap is disabled by default, so you will need to enable it manually for it to work. This can be done from your wrist or in the Watch app on iPhone, and both menus include options to customize Media Playback and Smart Stack functionality.

Note that to enable Double Tap, setup involves giving watchOS permission to disable some Accessibility options, including Assistive Touch, Zoom with Hand Gestures, VoiceOver with Hand Gestures, and Quick Actions.

On Apple Watch:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Gestures.
  3. Tap Double Tap, then toggle on the switch next to Double Tap on the next screen.
  4. If prompted, tap Turn off Accessibility Features at the bottom of the on-screen alert.
  5. Choose your preferred setting for "Playback" (Play/Pause or Skip) and "Smart Stack" (Advance or Select).

settings

On iPhone:

  1. Open the Watch app.
  2. With the "My Watch" tab selected, tap Gestures.
  3. Tap Double Tap, then toggle on the switch next to Double Tap on the next screen.
  4. If prompted, tap Turn off Accessibility Features in the on-screen alert.
  5. Choose your preferred setting for "Playback" (Play/Pause or Skip) and "Smart Stack" (Advance or Select).

settings

Apple says Double Tap is enabled by the S9 chip's faster Neural Engine, which is why the feature is only available on the Series 9 and Ultra 2. Apple said it developed an algorithm that detects the "unique signature" of tiny wrist movements and changes in blood flow when the index finger and thumb are tapped together.

If you own an earlier Apple Watch model that doesn't support Double Tap, you can always try a similar but more limited accessibility feature called AssistiveTouch, which is available on the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer.

Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...
cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
iphone 17 lineup cad render majin bu

Revealed: Entire iPhone 17 Lineup's Striking New Camera Designs

Monday February 24, 2025 2:49 am PST by
A new CAD render of all the devices in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup has been shared online by leaker Majin Bu, specifically showing the allegedly different rear camera system designs of the standard iPhone 17, all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. The leaker Majin Bu has had some hits in the past, but some of his information has been wrong,...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...