Apple Inc.’s AAPL latest watchOS 10.1 release has finally brought the much-anticipated Double Tap feature to Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2. Now, it’s time to break down what this feature entails and how it can enhance users’ experience.
What Happened: The Double Tap feature can be used when users’ hands are occupied – think walking the dog, holding a cup of coffee, or cooking.
With a simple double-tap of your watch hand’s index finger and thumb, this feature lets users perform a wide range of actions without needing to touch the watch’s display.
From answering and ending phone calls, managing messages and notifications, controlling timers and stopwatches to snoozing alarms, and operating the Camera Remote in the app, Cupertino intends to make users’ experience “simple and intuitive.”
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However, at this point, the tech giant doesn’t allow users to make many customizations with this feature, except for two: Playback and Smart Stack.
Simply put, the company allows users to choose the primary action for music playback and the Smart Stack widget.
Users can pause, play, or skip tracks within Apple’s Music and Podcast apps. Similarly, within the Smart Stack, users can either scroll through all widgets or select the first one.
It’s important to note that this customization currently only works within Apple’s native apps. Third-party media apps like Spotify or Pocket Casts can use the Double Tap feature solely for notifications, according to The Verge.
Compatibility And Setup: The Double Tap feature is enabled by default on Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 with watchOS 10.1, requiring no additional setup.
However, it’s not supported in some apps and experiences, including ECG, Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen, Sleep Focus, and certain SOS features.
Why It’s Important: For users with older Apple Watch models, including the Series 4, there’s a nifty feature called Assistive Touch hidden in accessibility settings.
It allows users to customize gestures like pinching and clenching to perform various actions, even though it might not be as sleek as the new Double Tap feature on the Watch 9 and Ultra 2.
If you want to read more about this hidden feature, click here.
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