Apple makes the Apple Watch with watchOS 27 even more intuitive with a new tap gesture that lets you select widgets in the Smart Stack. By tapping your index finger and thumb together once, you immediately open the desired widget, without having to touch the screen.
This gesture joins seamlessly alongside existing options such as double tap and flick wrist flick. It makes the Apple Watch more accessible in situations where touching is inconvenient, such as while cooking, exercising or when your hands are wet or dirty.
Smart stack with widgets
The new tapping gesture for Apple Watch only works in the smart stack for watchOS for now. This is a dynamic view for widgets that you can access from your watch face and automatically shows the most relevant information based on your location, time and activities.
For example, you can see your appointments and weather forecast in the morning, your training data while exercising and your travel information while on the road, all without having to open an app.
The stack intelligently adapts to your daily routines and you can also manually customize it by adding or removing widgets, giving you quick access to information that matters to you, such as reminders, timers, music controls or smart home accessories.
You can access the Smart Stack by swiping up from the watch face or scrolling up with the Digital Crown. Additionally, you can also use the double tap gesture from the clock view.
Operation of new tapping gesture
The new gesture uses the advanced sensors in the Apple Watch to recognize a light tap of your index finger against your thumb. Once you perform this gesture while the Smart Stack is visible, you will select the active widget. This works without you having to touch the screen, which is especially useful in situations where you do not have both hands free.
Please note that the new tap gesture only works on Apple Watch models with the necessary sensors, including the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and later models.
Combination with existing gestures
With watchOS 27, Apple continues to build on the existing gesture control. The new tap gesture works with:
- Double tap: Double tap with thumb and index finger to confirm actions, navigate interfaces, or launch items
- Wrist flick: Ignore notifications and close apps
- Screen gestures: Traditional touches for precise control
This combination makes the Apple Watch more versatile, regardless of the situation you find yourself in.
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