Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users will soon be able to enjoy a new feature called Double Tap. According to popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, this feature will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1. The news was shared in a video where Brownlee also provided his impressions of the new Apple Watch models.
The first beta of watchOS 10.1 is expected to be released next week, with the official software update following in the coming month. This update will bring the much-anticipated Double Tap gesture to the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models.
So, what exactly does Double Tap do? This feature allows users to perform common actions on their Apple Watch by tapping their watch hand’s index finger and thumb together twice. Examples of actions that can be performed include stopping a timer, playing and pausing music, snoozing an alarm, answering and ending a phone call, opening the Smart Stack, and more. The best part is that all of this can be done without touching the screen.
Apple has attributed the functionality of Double Tap to the faster Neural Engine in the S9 chip. The company claims to have developed an algorithm that can detect the “unique signature” of wrist movements and changes in blood flow when the index finger and thumb are tapped together. This means that the Double Tap feature will only be available on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models.
It is worth noting that a similar but more limited accessibility feature called AssistiveTouch is already available on the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer models. However, Double Tap promises to offer a wider range of actions and greater convenience.
Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 are set to launch this Friday. However, users will have to wait for the release of watchOS 10.1 to take advantage of the Double Tap feature. The current version of watchOS is 10.0.1, which was released today.
In other news, Apple recently announced iOS 17, which comes with a host of new features and changes for the iPhone. The software update will be released on September 18 for the iPhone XS and newer models. Some of the key features in iOS 17 include improvements to FaceTime, redesigned notifications, enhanced privacy controls, and more.
Additionally, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models boast a new battery health setting that prevents the devices from charging beyond 80%. This setting, separate from the Optimized Battery Charging feature, aims to prolong the lifespan of the batteries.
With the release of iOS 17 and watchOS 10, many popular apps have also received updates to take advantage of the new features. Some notable examples include Flighty, a flight tracking app, and various apps that have adopted the new design language of watchOS 10.
As the release of watchOS 10.1 draws closer, Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users can look forward to the convenience and ease of use offered by the Double Tap feature. And with the updates to iOS 17 and watchOS 10, iPhone and Apple Watch users have plenty to be excited about in terms of new features and improvements to their devices.