There have been a lot of new features coming to your Apple Watch over the past year, but there’s one watchOS 26 feature that’s really worth checking out.
You must enable this watchOS 26 feature
The watchOS 26 feature we are talking about concerns a gesture for operation. Apple has added two gestures in recent years, Double Tap and Flick Wrist. Tap double has been around since watchOS 10.1 in 2023, Wrist Flick has been added since the release of watchOS 26 in September 2025.

The Quick Wrist Flick feature lets you dismiss calls, mute timers, close notifications and more hands-free. You just have to make a slight twist with your wrist. Very useful if you don’t have both your hands free. You can enable the watchOS 26 Quick Wrist Flick feature as follows:
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch;
- Tap ‘Gestures’;
- Enable the ‘Quick wrist flick’ option.

This function is useful for this
The watchOS 26 Quick Wrist Flick feature is primarily useful for swiping away notifications, but you can also use it to close apps. Previously you had to press the Digital crown to do this. Furthermore, it is also a handy way to disable timers and alarms when your hands are not free. For example when you are cooking.
It is a function that initially takes some getting used to, but once you experience how useful it is, you probably won’t want to do without it anymore. The watchOS 26 Quick Wrist Flick feature is available on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and 3, the Apple Watch Series 9, 10, and 11, and the Apple Watch SE 3.
Are you planning to purchase an Apple Watch? Be sure to keep an eye on the deals below to ensure you don’t pay too much!
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