watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912
The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month.

Brownlee shared his impressions of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the video below, which was highlighted by @M1Astra on X, formerly Twitter.


Double Tap will allow users to tap their watch hand's index finger and thumb together twice to perform common actions on the Apple Watch, such as stopping a timer, playing and pausing music, snoozing an alarm, answering and ending a phone call, opening the Smart Stack, and more, all without touching the screen.

Apple says Double Tap is enabled by the S9 chip's faster Neural Engine, so the feature is only available on the Series 9 and Ultra 2. Apple said it developed an algorithm that detects the "unique signature" of tiny wrist movements and changes in blood flow when the index finger and thumb are tapped together.

A similar but more limited accessibility feature called AssistiveTouch is already available on the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer.

Both new Apple Watch models launch this Friday, but Double Tap will require watchOS 10.1. For now, the latest version is watchOS 10.0.1, released today.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini

Sunday November 2, 2025 6:06 am PST by
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026. Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Likely Launching Soon

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:49 am PST by
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day. The timing of the overnight...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...

Top Rated Comments

Joe Rossignol Avatar
28 months ago

so we have a new "leaker"? some YouTube "influencer"?
there's not even a 10.1 beta out ...
Marques Brownlee is the most well-known Tech YouTuber for over a decade and you are just casually referring to him as "some influencer." Alrighty then o_O
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
28 months ago
Seriously. This is the only so called "new feature" which actually already exist on older watches and they still manage to not ship this with the "final product".

Whats with this BETA products on so called "final products".? Every hardware is shipped with a just released OS, that just get stable after the next major release is around the corner.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
28 months ago
watchOS 11...

"Our engineers have been working long and hard to develop features that help manage users' carpel tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injury aggravated by watchOS 10. We think you'll love it."
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xpxp2002 Avatar
28 months ago
That's a long wait to just move a feature that has already existed for years under Accessibility to a different menu.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2540497 Avatar
28 months ago
What? It isn’t even available at launch?!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AstroRexaur Avatar
28 months ago
This can be easily enabled in the AWUltra 1st gen.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)