When Apple showcased the double tap feature on the Apple Watch Series 9, it looked like magic (and still is) and a substantial addition to the Watch’s smart features. When you pinch your index finger and thumb, the Watch lets you stop a timer, play and pause music, or snooze an alarm and even answer and end a phone call. You can even take a photo with the Camera Remote on Apple Watch. However, it turns out you can do this on the older Apple Watch as well. It’s called AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch which is an accessibility feature that lets you control the watch using gestures like double tap using your index finger and thumb and even clenching your fist to navigate the Watch.
The double tap on the Series 9 is a more refined version of that and it doesn’t need you to dive into accessibility features to enjoy the finger magic. So the marketing spiel of the new S9 SiP enabling double tap is just rebadging and polishing a tried and tested feature.
You can activate it on your Apple Watch Series 4 and above by going to settings>accessibility>assistive touch>hand gestures. Apple has also made a video about how you can use the feature here.