Apple Watch is now live with Double Tap — here's how to customize the gesture on watchOS 10.1

Double Tap gestures are now live on the Apple Watch after Apple released updates to iOS 17 and watchOS 10 this week.

Double Tap is possibly the most impactful attribute found in the recently introduced Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. This gesture serves as Apple's ingenious solution to the predicament of operating a smartwatch while holding items such as groceries, a dog leash, a flashlight, or any other object with your other hand. Moreover, it offers a remarkable accessibility function for individuals with disabilities that may restrict their arm or hand movement. Although the company provides only limited options for customizing this feature upon its release, users have the ability to adjust a few settings to precisely tailor Double Tap to their preferences. Update to watchOS 10.1 Before using Double Tap, please ensure that your Apple Watch is up-to-date. It is essential to have at least watchOS 10.1, which Apple released to customers on October 25. To begin, update your paired iPhone to iOS 17.1 or a later version, which was made available on the same day. You can accomplish this by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update on your phone. Once you have updated your phone's firmware, access the Apple Watch app on your paired iPhone and go to General > Software Update. Tap on "Install" and patiently wait for the update to finish. During the installation process, your watch should be connected to its charger and have a minimum charge of 50 percent. How to customize Double Tap on your Apple Watch Although Apple may provide additional customization options in future software updates, the current functionality of Double Tap is limited to modifying audio playback behavior and the Smart Stack feature. The Smart Stack feature, which was introduced in watchOS 10, refers to a collection of widgets that can be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen or scrolling up with the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch. To customize these categories, start by opening the Apple Watch app on your paired iPhone. From there, navigate to Gestures, then select Double Tap. Within this menu, you can choose from the available options: 1. Playback: This option allows you to select the desired action when interacting with the Double Tap gesture while listening to music or podcasts. The default setting involves pinching your fingers to play/pause, but you also have the option to skip to the next track. 2. Smart Stack: This setting determines how Double Tap interacts with the stack of widgets. The default behavior is set to "Advance," meaning that each tap will move to the next widget. Alternatively, you can choose the "Select" option, which will select the first widget with a subsequent tap. Ensure the Apple Watch app on your paired iPhone is utilized to modify these settings accordingly. Everything you can do with Double Tap on Apple Watch After activating the Double Tap function, you have a range of options to explore. These include: - Audio playback: Pause, resume, or skip to the next track (after adjusting the relevant setting). - Phone calls: Answer or end a call. - Notifications: Initiate the primary action from any alert, such as replying to a message or snoozing a reminder. This feature also extends to third-party applications. - Smart Stack: Scroll through widgets from any watch face effortlessly. - View messages: When a new text message is received, you can read the full content. - Reply to messages: Employ voice dictation to provide a response as you reach the end of a message. After speaking, another Double Tap will confirm and send the response. - Read longer notifications: If confronted with an alert that cannot be fully displayed on the screen, simply double-tap to scroll through the remaining content. Repeat this action until you reach the end. - Alarm: Activate the snooze function for an alarm. - Stopwatch: Pause or resume a stopwatch. - Timers: While viewing a timer, pause it if running, resume it if paused, or end the timer altogether. - Remote shutter: Capture a photo on your iPhone by utilizing the Apple Watch's Camera Remote feature. - Workout: Initiate or halt automatic workout reminders if the watch detects that you are engaged in physical activity without manually starting a workout. Upon using the Double Tap function, a blue hand icon will prominently appear at the top of your watch's screen. However, please note that if you attempt to double-tap on an item that is not compatible with this feature, the icon will appear and shake as if indicating "No."