With the launch of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 , Apple surprised us with an innovative feature: double-tap. A feature that allows you to control your watch in a completely new way and without having to touch the screen, simply by pinching your thumb and index finger together. 

While gesture control has become an essential feature for newer Apple Watch devices, there is a trick to enjoying this functionality on any Apple Watch Series 3 or later. 

Double-tap lets you access key features on your watch in a quicker, more intuitive way. But what exactly is double-tap and how does it work? 

This feature leverages the power of the Neural Engine present in the S9 SiP chip, which is capable of processing data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and optical heart rate sensor. With this technology, the watch can recognize the double-tap gesture and activate the associated functions instantly.

Now, you might be wondering how you can activate this feature on your Apple Watch. To do so, there are two methods to enable gesture control on almost all models of this watch . 

Two methods to activate double tap on any Apple Watch

The first method is one of the simplest, and it is through quick actions. To do this, you just have to open the Watch application on your iPhone , swipe down and go to the Accessibility section . 

Continue scrolling down until you find Quick Actions , tap on it and turn it on. Once you’ve done this, you may be asked to perform the pinch gesture to test if it works properly. This will allow you to answer calls or control music playback.

The second method is through AssistiveTouch , a feature that is designed specifically for people with disabilities, but can be enabled for all Apple Watch users. 

Open the Watch app on your iPhone, swipe down and tap on Accessibility , then continue swiping down until you reach AssistiveTouch , which is located below Motor. You’ll need to slide the switch to turn the feature on.

You’ll be able to customize gestures like double-pinching to control your watch in a more personalized way. But, it’s important to note that you won’t get all the features or the full user experience you can find on the Apple Watch Series 9 for hardware reasons.