You'll Soon Be Able to Control an Apple Watch Using Hand Gestures
Apple today previewed a long list of new accessibility features coming soon, including AssistiveTouch for the Apple Watch, which will allow users to control an Apple Watch without ever having to touch the display or controls.
Aided by on-device machine learning, the Apple Watch's gyroscope, accelerometer, and heart rate sensor will be able to detect subtle differences in muscle movement and tendon activity, and these movements will allow users to navigate a cursor on the Apple Watch's display through a series of hand gestures, like a pinch or a clench.
AssistiveTouch on the Apple Watch will enable customers who have limb differences to more easily answer incoming calls, control an on-screen motion pointer, access Notification Center and Control Center, and more.
Apple says AssistiveTouch for the Apple Watch will be available with a software update. The feature will likely be part of watchOS 8, which is expected to be unveiled alongside iOS 15, macOS 12, and tvOS 15 at WWDC 2021 next month.
Popular Stories
Apple is now selling refurbished versions of the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3 at discounted prices.
This is the first time the Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3 have been available through Apple's online refurbished store since the devices launched last September.
Refurbished pricing on the 46mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $369, down from $429, while ...
Apple today confirmed that watchOS 27 will not support the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra (first generation), or Apple Watch SE (second generation), effectively drawing a line at devices equipped with the S9 or S10 chip.
The only Apple Watch models compatible with watchOS 27 are the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, Ultra 3, and SE 3.
The cuts are the biggest...
Apple today confirmed that the Apple Watch Series 9 is compatible with watchOS 27, after the device was mistakenly omitted from the software's official compatibility page.
Apple updated its website immediately following its WWDC 2026 keynote, and the watchOS 27 page listed a shorter compatibility list than many users expected: the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3. ...
