In Summary
- Apple introduced the new Apple Watch Series 9 along with its new iPhones at the Wonderlust event.
- One of the most talked about features of the Apple Watch Series 9 is the double tap, which lets users execute commands and navigate the watch by just pinching their fingers and not touching the watch.
- Although this feature has been promoted in the new Apple Watch, a version of it is available on older Apple Watches, too. Here’s how you can use it.
Apple recently held its annual September event in Cupertino, where it launched its latest line of iPhones. While the iPhone 15 series was the star, Apple also introduced the new Apple Watches at this event. The brand introduced the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and the new Apple Watch SE.
During the Apple Watch presentation, Apple highlighted a number of functions and features of the new smartwatch. One feature that particularly gave a lot of attention on both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 was actually a gesture called Double Tap.
This is a feature that allows you to carry out certain actions in case you cannot use your other hand to carry them out for you. All you have to do is double-tap your index finger and thumb together, like a tiny clap that is exclusive to these two fingers (and no other finger is allowed in this clap club). You can take calls, play/pause music, and open notifications, amongst other things, with this double-tap gesture.
Sounds cool, right? Well, the feature truly is, and that is exactly what we pointed out last year in our article. Yes, a year before Apple highlighted the feature on the new Apple Watches. This feature had actually existed before Apple decided to highlight it in its new range of Apple Watches at the Wonderlust event.
And not just double tap, but many other gesture controls have existed on Apple Watches for a while now. Along with a double tap, you can also use a single tap, clench your fist, or double-clench it to carry out certain actions. And all these gestures can be used on Apple Watches as old as Series 4 and Apple Watch SE.
How to Enable Double Tap Gesture on Older Apple Watch
So, if you also wish to get into the tiny clap club, here is how you can activate it:
- Step 1: Go to Settings on your Apple Watch and tap on Accessibility
Press the crown on the side of your Apple Watch to get to all the apps on the smartwatch. In this list of apps, look for the Settings app. In the app, scroll down to find the Accessibility option.
- Step 2: Touch Assistive Touch
We do not mean to sound creepy; it is just what you are supposed to do. In the long list of Accessibility features, scroll down on that tiny display of your Apple Watch and find the Assistive Touch option and, well, touch it. You will get a notification that turning this feature on “allows you to navigate Apple Watch using one-handed gestures.” Agree with that because, duh, that’s what we are seeking, right?
- Step 3: Turn on Assistive Touch and Hand Gestures
After getting to the Assistive Touch option, tap on the toggle next to it to activate the feature. You will find the Hand Gestures option just below Assistive Touch. Tap on the toggle next to it too, and turn it green to activate it.
- Step 4: Double Pinch to do whatever you wish:
Once you have activated the Hand Gestures feature, you will get a list of gestures you can use to carry out certain actions. Double Pinch is one of them. Tap on the option, and you will see a long list of actions that can be carried out using this hand gesture. You can go forward and backward, Tap, get to the Action Menu, get to the Notification Centre, access the Control Centre, press crown, press side button, and much more. Just assign the action and pinch away.
- Step 5: More than just Double Pinch
While Apple only highlighted the Double Pinch feature in its presentation, there are actually four hand gestures that you can customize and carry out commands with. Pinch, Double Pinch, Clench, and Double Clench are the options you get in this list, and you can choose which commands these execute in the Assistive Touch menu.
Double Tap and Double Pinch: More siblings than twins
While the Double Tap and Double Pinch might seem very similar, they are more siblings than twins. The Double Tap feature that Apple showcased for the new Apple Watches is not an Accessibility feature per se (but can be used as one).
What’s more, the Double Tap feature on the new Apple Watches can carry out different commands, whereas the Double Pinch feature comes under the Accessibility umbrella and can only carry out the command that one has specifically customized it to carry out. The gesture, in general, remains the same. So, if you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or later and feel left out of the Double Tap feature, just head to Assistive Touch and sign up for the two-finger clap club!