Apple has announced that it is ending support for Force Touch on Apple Watch with watchOS 7.
During the WWDC, Apple outlined features coming to watchOS 7. The wearable’s next operating system is getting new faces with more customizable complications, a sleep app, improved fitness app, and a lot more.
Perhaps what is more interesting than what’s coming to the new Apple Watch software is what is going away. In a new version of the Apple Human Interface Guidelines, the company is telling developers to relocate items previously accessed by Force Touch:
Firm press and long press. In versions of watchOS before watchOS 7, people could press firmly on the display to do things like change the watch face or reveal a hidden menu called a Force Touch menu. In watchOS 7 and later, system apps make previously hidden menu items accessible in a related screen or a settings screen. If you formerly supported a long-press gesture to open a hidden menu, consider relocating the menu items elsewhere.
If watchOS 7 looks set to drop Force Touch, and the Apple Watch 6 is set to come with the software pre-installed, it looks very likely that the Apple Watch 6 won’t have the Force Touch feature.
In fact, the Apple Watch 6 may not have the hardware required for the feature at all, likely saving more space inside the device for other kinds of tech. Perhaps Apple dropped Force Touch specifically so it could add a different tech into the upcoming smartwatch.
The change also affects older Apple Watches that will be updated to the latest operating system for the wearable. This means all models compatible with watchOS 7, namely the Series 3, Series 4 and Series 5 models, will lose Force Touch support when updated.
Those who are used to using Force Touch on their Apple Watches will need to get used to doing things another way, such as accessing common menu items in Settings or via the respective apps where they belong.
