Apple has added its much-anticipated Double Tap feature in its watchOS 10.1 Beta 2 released today for developers. Double Tap is an exclusive feature only for the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, as spotted by developer Steve Moser.
The feature allows users to control their Apple Watch using a double tap gesture, eliminating the need to touch the display.
The Double Tap gesture activates the primary button within an app, offering functionalities such as answering phone calls, stopping timers, and playing or pausing music. Additionally, the feature can be used to snooze alarms, end phone calls, and even operate the Camera Remote on the Apple Watch. A double tap will also open the Smart Stack on the watch face, and another double tap will scroll through widgets in the stack.
The new double tap gesture is enabled by the faster Neural Engine in Apple Watch Series 9, which processes data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor with a new machine learning algorithm, says Apple. The machine learning algorithm is designed to detect the unique signature of small wrist movements and changes in blood flow when the index finger and thumb perform a double tap.
Apple said back in September Double Tap would arrive via a software update in October, and now we’re seeing it in watchOS 10.1 beta for the first time.
Are you excited to use Double Tap for your Series 9 or Ultra 2 Apple Watch? Or is this a gimmick that is part of a year of light updates for the Apple Watch lineup?
