watchOS 26: Apple Watch gets new gesture – Details on support
Sometimes you don't have a free hand to check the computer clock. Apple has therefore added another gesture in watchOS 26. However, it doesn't work everywhere.
Double tap on Apple Watch Series 9: This gesture is already familiar.
(Image: Apple)
– Along with watchOS 26, Apple will also introduce a new hand gesture designed to make the Apple Watch easier to use. However, it now appears that the gesture can only be used on newer models of the smartwatch, apparently because older devices lack the necessary sensor accuracy. But it could also be due to insufficient processing power, as Apple relies on a local machine learning model for reading the gestures.
Useful hands-free functionality
The restriction that only newer models can use this feature already existed for another gesture introduced last year, known as double-tap. This allows users to respond to messages, open the Smart Stack, or scroll through it by bringing their thumb and index finger together. Alternatively, double-tapping can also be used to control music playback. All of this allows the Apple Watch to be operated with just one hand, which is often the case in everyday life.
The new gesture, called Wrist Flick, is now used in watchOS 26 to respond to incoming notifications, an action that Apple Watch owners perform dozens of times a day (if not more). When a notification arrives, you can acknowledge it by flicking your wrist upward. You can also mute alarms, return to the watch face, or dismiss calls. watchOS 26 is currently available as a developer beta, but normal users will also be able to test it in the coming weeks.
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These devices support watchOS 26
According to Apple, Wrist Flick (just like double-tapping before) is unfortunately only supported by three Apple Watch models. These are the Series 9 from 2023, the Series 10 from 2024, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 from 2023. The first Ultra supports neither gesture, nor do the Series 8 and earlier models or the SE models.
Interestingly, there are accessibility gestures, known as accessibility features, that also work on older watches. These include clenching your fist and can control the entire screen via AssistiveTouch. However, the gestures are a little harder to learn than double-tapping and wrist flick, and the learning curve is steeper. Technically, according to Apple, the accessibility features and gestures for the three newer models use a different basis, which results in differences in accuracy.
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