Apple’s watchOS 10.1 is officially in beta for developers. The update is set to bring an innovative new Double Tap gesture to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Upon the initial unveiling of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple announced that this feature would become available in a future watchOS 10 update, towards the end of the year.
[Update; October 26, 2023: With the public release of watchOS 10.1, Double Tap is officially available for Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. Aside from Double Tap, watchOS 10.1 includes NameDrop support for easy contact sharing and My Card for convenient NameDrop access. The update also addresses various bugs, including one affecting the Home app’s climate section, and improves compatibility between iPhone and watch for weather updates.]
watchOS 10.1 currently in beta, public release expected in October
The Double Tap gesture is set to revolutionize how users navigate their Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. By simply tapping their thumb and index finger together twice, users can initiate various actions. Tasks like dismissing notifications, snoozing alarms, and answering calls will become more seamless than ever.
Apple attributes the success of this feature to the enhanced algorithms integrated into the new S9 chip found in the latest Apple Watch models. These algorithms are designed to recognize the subtle wrist movements and variations in blood flow that occur when the thumb and index finger perform the Double Tap.
The wait is set to be over soon with the upcoming release of watchOS 10.1. As of right now, the update is in beta but it does promise to bring the long-anticipated Double Tap gesture to Series 9 and Ultra 2 users.
While the beta version is out, it’s worth noting that there’s still no toggle to activate the feature in beta 1. Users may need to exercise a bit more patience, as Apple is set to release this functionality alongside the stable version of watchOS 10.1 to the public sometime in October.
Double Tap on older Apple Watch models
In related news, many Apple Watch owners were unaware of the fact that they do not need the latest Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 to experience the Double Tap gesture. This feature was initially introduced as an accessibility option back in 2021. To enable it, navigate to your Apple Watch’s Accessibility settings > Quick Actions. Activating this option will grant you the ability to use the Double Tap gesture to interact with your device.
While this method mirrors the functionality found on the new Apple Watch models, there may be some slight disparities due to the lack of optimization for older chipsets.
