Most people use only a fraction of what their Apple Watch can actually do. Beneath the watch face and the daily notifications sits a deep set of gestures, accessibility tools, and Control Center shortcuts that Apple rarely puts front and center. Whether you're new to watchOS or you've worn an Apple Watch for years, here are 20 features worth adding to your routine.
Gestures and Quick Controls
- Double Tap: On Apple Watch Series 9, 10, and Ultra 2, tap your index finger and thumb together twice to answer calls, dismiss notifications, pause music, or open the Smart Stack — no need to touch the screen.
- Crown Press for Smart Stack: A single press of the Digital Crown surfaces the Smart Stack, a scrollable list of widgets that updates based on time of day and context.
- Wrist Flick to Dismiss: Turn your wrist away quickly to dismiss a notification without touching the screen — useful mid-conversation or while cooking.
- Force a Hard Reset: Hold the side button and Digital Crown together for 10 seconds if your watch ever freezes.
Notifications and Communication
- Walkie-Talkie: Send quick voice messages to another Apple Watch user in real time, similar to a push-to-talk radio.
- Scribble and Dictation: Reply to messages by drawing letters with your finger or by dictating — both work even without your iPhone nearby on cellular models.
- Mute with your Palm: Cover the display with your palm for three seconds to silence an incoming call or alert instantly.
Health and Fitness
- Mindfulness Reflections: The Mindfulness app isn't just for breathing — its "Reflect" sessions prompt short guided journaling moments throughout the day.
- Cycle Tracking Predictions: The Health app can predict fertile windows and flag irregular cycles using on-watch sensor data.
- Crash Detection and Fall Detection: Automatically calls emergency services and shares your location if the watch detects a severe car crash or hard fall and you don't respond.
- Custom Workout Views: During a workout, swipe to customize which metrics (pace, heart rate zones, elevation) appear on screen.
Customization
Pro Tip
Long-press any watch face and swipe left to "New" to browse Apple's full face library, or duplicate your current face to experiment with different complications without losing your setup.
- Multiple Faces per Style: Save several variations of the same face (different colors or complications) and swipe between them from the lock screen.
- Shortcuts as Complications: Add a Shortcuts complication to trigger multi-step automations — like "Heading Home" — straight from your wrist.
- Customize Control Center: Tap and hold Control Center icons (on supported watchOS versions) to rearrange your most-used toggles to the top.
Accessibility
| Feature | What It Does |
|---|---|
| AssistiveTouch | Control the entire watch using hand gestures like a pinch or clench — no screen taps needed. |
| Sound Recognition | Vibrates and notifies you when it detects sounds like a fire alarm, doorbell, or crying baby. |
| Noise App | Measures ambient decibel levels and warns you when surroundings are loud enough to damage hearing. |
Everyday Utility
- Find My iPhone Ping: Swipe up for Control Center and tap the iPhone icon to make your phone ring, even on silent.
- Apple Watch as a Level: Open the Measure app and swipe to the bubble level to check if a shelf or picture frame is straight.
- Unlock your Mac: Wearing an unlocked Apple Watch nearby lets you skip typing your Mac password entirely, as long as Auto Unlock is enabled in System Settings.
You don't need to use all 20 of these every day, but even adopting a handful — Double Tap, Walkie-Talkie, or AssistiveTouch — can change how naturally your Apple Watch fits into daily life. Spend a few minutes exploring Settings this week; there's a good chance you'll find a feature you didn't know existed.