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The Complete Guide to Every iOS 27 Feature

How to tell time with haptic feedback on Apple Watch

by Emily Long

Taptic Time tells you the current time as taps on your wrist—without anyone else hearing it. You can choose Digits, which uses long taps for tens and short taps for ones, Terse, which is accurate to a 15-minute period, or Morse Code.

Set up Taptic Time

  1. Start the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Clock and scroll down. Then tap Taptic Time.
  3. Turn on Taptic Time. Then select the pattern you want Taptic Time to use.

    • Digits: Conveys the hours and minutes by using long taps for tens and short taps for ones.

      For example, two long taps and three short taps, followed by three long taps and four short taps, would mean 23:34, or 11:34 p.m.

    • Terse: Conveys the time accurate to a 15-minute period; it’s less precise than Digits. It uses long taps to signify that 5 hours have passed since midnight, followed by short taps for the remaining hours and then long taps again for each quarter-hour.

      For example, three long taps, four short taps, and two long taps would convey a time between 19:30 (7:30 p.m.) and 19:44 (7:44 p.m.).

    • Morse Code: Taps out each digit of the current time in Morse Code. This is handy for people who are familiar with this coding system.

If VoiceOver is on, turn on Taptic Time by double-tapping the watch face while the display is inactive.

You can also configure Taptic Time on iPhone. Go to the Apple Watch app on iPhone, tap My Watch, go to Clock > Taptic Time, then turn it on.

Note: Taptic Time doesn’t work if Apple Watch is set to always speak the time. To use Taptic Time, first go to Settings > Clock, and then turn on Control With Silent Mode under Speak Time.

Use Taptic Time

When Taptic Time is turned on, touch and hold two fingers on the watch face to feel the current time as taps on your wrist.

See also

Tags: accessibility, Clock
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How to choose alert sounds and haptics on Apple Watch

by Dave Johnson

You can customize the sounds that Apple Watch plays for different types of alerts and notifications. Choose from several built-in sounds to help you distinguish between different types of alerts.

Each sound has a synchronized haptic pattern that you can feel as taps on your wrist, and you can preview it before you choose. You can make these changes on your iPhone, too, in the Apple Watch app.

Here’s how to choose alert sounds and haptics on Apple Watch.

Preview and choose alert sounds and haptics

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Sounds & Haptics.
  3. Tap Ringtone, Text Tone, or another category.
  4. Choose a tone to preview the sound and haptic pattern.

You can also make these adjustments on your iPhone—go to the Apple Watch app, tap My Watch, then tap Sounds & Haptics.

See also

Tag: Settings
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How to adjust motor skills settings on Apple Watch

by Emily Long

If you have trouble using the touchscreen, you can adjust settings to change how the screen responds to touches.

You can set the side button and Digital Crown button speed, and use Touch Accommodations to respond to touches of a certain duration or ignore multiple touches.

Here’s how to adjust motor skills settings on Apple Watch.

Set side button and Digital Crown button speed

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Go to Accessibility, tap Button Click Speed, and then choose a speed.

You can also go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, then go to Accessibility > Button Click Speed.

Use Touch Accommodations

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Go to Accessibility and tap Touch Accommodations to do any of the following:

    • Respond to touches of a certain duration: Turn on Hold Duration and tap the plus or minus buttons to adjust the duration.

      To perform swipe gestures without waiting for the specified hold duration, tap Swipe Gestures, then turn on Swipe Gestures. You can choose the amount of required movement before a swipe gesture begins.

    • Ignore multiple touches: Turn on Ignore Repeat and then tap the plus or minus buttons to adjust the amount of time allowed between multiple touches. Then, if you touch the screen several times quickly, your Apple Watch treats the touches as a single touch.
    • Respond to the first or last place you touch: Choose Use Initial Touch Location or Use Final Touch Location.

If you choose Use Initial Touch Location, your Apple Watch uses the location of your first tap—when you tap an app on the Home Screen, for example. If you choose Use Final Touch Location, your watch registers the tap where you lift your finger. Apple Watch responds to a tap when you lift your finger within a certain period of time. Tap the plus or minus buttons to adjust the timing. Your device can respond to other gestures, such as drags, if you wait longer than the gesture delay.

You can also go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, then go to Accessibility > Touch Accommodations.

See also

Tag: accessibility
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What you can do while on a call on Apple Watch

by Stacey Butler

During calls on your Apple Watch, you can adjust audio settings, switch between devices, enter numbers for extensions or verification codes, and use Hold Assist to wait for a live agent.

You can adjust the volume, mute the call, and move the call to your iPhone or to an audio device. With Call Context, you can get relevant information, too, and Hold Assist recognizes when a live agent is available.

Here’s what you can do while on a call on Apple Watch.

Adjust the audio volume

  1. Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
  2. During a call, do any of the following:
    • Adjust the volume: Turn the Digital Crown.
    • Mute the call: Tap the Mute button.

Switch the call to another device

  1. Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
  2. During a call, do any of the following:
    • Move the call from your Apple Watch to your iPhone: Unlock your iPhone and then tap the green button or bar at the top of the screen.
    • Move the call to an audio device: Tap the More Options button, then choose a device.

Enter additional numbers during a phone call

  1. Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
  2. During a call, tap the More Options button, then tap Keypad. (Not available on FaceTime calls.)
  3. Tap the digits on the keypad.

Use Hold Assist

Hold Assist can wait on hold for you if someone puts you on hold during a call, then notify you to return to the call when it recognizes that a live agent is available.

Note: Hold Assist is available when your Apple Watch is nearby your paired iPhone and requires iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 12, or later. Hold Assist isn’t available in all languages, countries, or regions.

  1. Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
  2. During a call, tap the More Options button and tap Hold Assist.

    Apple Watch automatically detects when you are placed on hold and asks if you want to be notified when an agent is available. Tap the Hold button in the notification to turn on Hold Assist.

  3. Hold Assist notifies you when an agent is available and transcribes the part of the call you missed. Tap the Answer Call button to rejoin the call.

Get relevant information

When you’re calling a business, Call Context can proactively surface relevant information from across your apps, such as a confirmation code from Mail when you call an airline.

The call screen showing the confirmation number for a ticket and flight information.

Note: Call Context requires your paired iPhone nearby. Call Context on watchOS 27 or later is an Apple Intelligence feature available when your Apple Watch is paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone. Apple Intelligence isn’t available in all regions or languages.*

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

Tag: Phone
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How to accept or decline incoming calls on Apple Watch

by Tyler Stephen

When you receive phone or FaceTime calls, you can answer on your Apple Watch or iPhone, dismiss calls and send them to voicemail, or reply with a text message. You can also use Call Screening to handle unknown callers automatically.

If you can’t answer, a wrist flick silences the call. And you can listen to and manage voicemail messages directly on your Apple Watch.

Here’s how to accept or decline incoming calls on Apple Watch.

WARNING: For important information about avoiding distractions that could lead to dangerous situations, see Important safety information for Apple Watch.

The Phone app showing an incoming call. The End Call button is at the bottom left. The Answer button is at the bottom center.

Answer a call

  1. When you hear or feel the call notification, raise your wrist to see who’s calling.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Answer on your Apple Watch: Tap the answer button. Talk using the built-in microphone and speaker, your connected AirPods, or a Bluetooth device paired with your Apple Watch.
    • Answer using your iPhone: Tap the More Options button. Tap Answer on iPhone.

      The call is placed on hold and the caller hears a repeated sound until you answer on your paired iPhone.

      Tip: If you can’t find your iPhone, tap the Ping Phone button on your Apple Watch.

Dismiss a call

You can decline an incoming call if you can’t answer it.

  • Silence the call and send it to voicemail: Tap the end call button, cover the display, or perform a wrist flick.
  • Send a text message instead: Tap the More Options button, then tap an option.

Turn on Call Screening

Call Screening answers unknown callers automatically, so you’re not interrupted. When the caller has shared their name and the reason for the call, you decide whether to pick up.

Note: Call Screening requires that iPhone is nearby, and is available in Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English, French (Canada, France), German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Macao, Taiwan), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, U.S.).

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Apps, tap Phone, and then turn on Screen Incoming Calls in the Calls from Unknown Numbers section.

When you get an incoming call from an unknown number, tap View to see a live transcription of the caller’s response, then choose whether to accept or dismiss the call.

Listen to voicemail

If a caller leaves a voicemail, tap the Play button in the notification to listen. You can also listen to the voicemail later or see a transcription.

  1. Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Voicemail.
  3. Choose any of the following options:
    • Start and stop playback.
    • Skip ahead or back 5 seconds.
    • Adjust the volume with the Digital Crown.
    • Return the call.
    • Delete the voicemail.
    • Read a transcription of the voicemail.

See also

Tag: Phone
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How to use the Contacts app on Apple Watch

by Emily Long

You can create, edit, and view contact information, share contacts using NameDrop, and keep your contacts up to date across devices with iCloud.

You can text, call, and email directly from the Contacts app, too. When you create a contact, you can add a phone number, email, and address. And you can see your own contact card, or block or delete a contact.

Here’s how to use the Contacts app on Apple Watch.

Create a contact

  1. Start the Contacts app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the Add button.
  3. Enter the contact’s name and, optionally, company.
  4. Add a phone number, email, and address, then tap the Checkmark button.

See contact information

The Contacts app lets you text, call, and email directly.

The Contacts app showing a contact. The contact’s picture is in the middle of the screen with the name below. Phone, Messages, and More Options buttons appear below. A Back button is at the top left.

  1. Start the Contacts app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Turn the Digital Crown to scroll through your contacts.
  3. Tap a contact and then do any of the following:
    • Text: Tap the Message button to open an existing message thread or begin a new one.
    • Call: Tap the Phone button to see the contact’s phone numbers. Tap a number to start a call.
    • Email: Tap the Email button.

Share, edit, block, or delete a contact

  1. Start the Contacts app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Turn the Digital Crown to scroll through your contacts.
  3. Tap a contact and scroll down. Then do any of the following:
    • Share a contact: Tap the Share button and then choose a sharing option.
    • Edit a contact: Tap the Edit button, then choose information to edit. You can remove a field such as address or email by tapping Remove below the field.
    • Block a contact: Tap Block Contact.
    • Delete a contact: Tap Delete Contact.

See your own contact card

  1. Start the Contacts app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap your profile picture at the top right.

Exchange contact information with NameDrop

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Share from Apple Watch to iPhone: Hold the display of your Apple Watch a few centimeters from the top of the other person’s iPhone.
    • Share from Apple Watch to another Apple Watch: Go to the Contacts app on your Apple Watch, tap your picture in the top-right corner and tap Share. Then bring your watch close to the other person’s Apple Watch.

    A glow emerges from both devices, and Apple Watch vibrates to indicate a connection is being made.

  2. Continue holding your devices near each other until NameDrop appears on both screens.
  3. Choose to share your contact card and receive the other person’s, or to only receive the other person’s.
  4. Continue holding your devices near each other.

    To cancel, move the two devices away from each other before NameDrop completes.

See also

Tag: Contacts
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How to use Memoji on Apple Watch

by Stacey Butler

With the Memoji app, you can design your own personalized Memoji—choose skin color and freckles, hairstyle and color, facial features, headwear, glasses, and more. You can create multiple Memoji for different moods.

You can also edit or duplicate a Memoji, and even create a Memoji watch face, which is added to your watch face collection. If you’ve already made one, you can add a new Memoji from the top of the app.

Here’s how to use Memoji on Apple Watch.

The Memoji app on Apple Watch showing the Nose editing screen. There’s a close up of the face, centered on the nose. The word Color appears at the bottom.

Create Memoji

  1. Start the Memoji app on your Apple Watch.
  2. If you’re using the Memoji app for the first time, tap Get Started.

    If you’ve already made a Memoji, scroll to the top, then tap the Add Memoji button to add a new one.

  3. Tap each feature and scroll the Digital Crown to choose the options you want for your Memoji. As you add features such as hairstyle and eyewear, your character comes to life.
  4. Tap the Checkmark button to add the Memoji to your collection.

Edit Memoji and more

  1. Start the Memoji app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap a Memoji, then choose an option:

    • Edit a Memoji: Tap features such as eyes and brows. Turn the Digital Crown to choose a variation.
    • Create a Memoji watch face: Scroll down and then tap Create Watch Face.

      Return to the watch face and swipe left to see your new Memoji watch face. The watch face is also added to the watch face collection in the Apple Watch app on iPhone.

    • Duplicate a Memoji: Scroll down, then tap Duplicate.
    • Delete a Memoji: Scroll down and then tap Delete.

See also

Tag: Memoji
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How to make calls on Apple Watch

by Dave Johnson

Make phone and FaceTime audio calls, start a Group FaceTime call from Messages, and set up Wi-Fi calling.

You can call a favorite by turning the Digital Crown, call a contact, or dial a recent number. You can also enter a phone number, and bring a Messages conversation into a FaceTime audio call, where you can even add more people. With Wi-Fi calling, you can make calls even when your paired iPhone isn’t with you.

Here’s how to make calls on Apple Watch.

The Phone app showing call options. The Answer on iPhone button is at the top and a suggested reply is below.

Call a contact

  1. Start the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Call a favorite: Turn the Digital Crown down, then tap a favorite.
    • Call a contact: Turn the Digital Crown upward, tap Contacts, and tap a contact.
    • Dial a recent number: Turn the Digital Crown upward to scroll through recent contacts, then tap a contact.

Start a Group FaceTime call from Messages

If you’re in a Messages conversation, you can bring it into a FaceTime audio call and then add more people to the call.

  1. Start the Messages app on your Apple Watch.
  2. In a conversation, tap the Contact’s profile picture at the top right. Tap FaceTime audio.
  3. To invite more people to the call, tap the More Options button, tap Add People, and then choose a contact.

Enter a phone number

  1. Start the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the Dialer button at the top right. Then enter the number.

    The keypad in the Phone app.

  3. To start the call, tap the Call button.

Quick tip: If you need to enter additional numbers during a call, like an extension or a verification code, tap the More Options button, tap Keypad, and then tap the digits.

Set up Wi-Fi calling

If your cellular carrier offers Wi-Fi calling, your Apple Watch can make and receive calls over Wi-Fi rather than the cellular network, and that works even when your paired iPhone is turned off or isn’t with you. Your Apple Watch only needs to be within range of a Wi-Fi network your iPhone has connected to in the past.

To see if your carrier offers Wi-Fi calling, see Make a call with Wi-Fi calling, and enable Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Cellular and tap Wi-Fi Calling.
  3. Turn on Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone and turn on Add Wi-Fi Calling For Other Devices.

Note: For the most accurate location during emergency calls, use cellular instead of Wi-Fi when possible. You can temporarily disconnect from Wi-Fi on your Apple Watch to prioritize the cellular connection.

See also

Tag: Phone
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How to create a Custom Workout on Apple Watch

by Kevin Hollington

You can create a custom workout on your Apple Watch to support your fitness goals. Custom workouts include warmup and cooldown periods, and repeating work and recovery intervals. You can also add time, calorie, and distance goals; set a pace for outdoor workouts, and more.

You can add multiple work and recovery intervals, too, and even add alerts to a workout.

Here’s how to create a Custom Workout on Apple Watch.

The Workout app showing a screen for creating a Custom Workout.

Create a Custom Workout

You’re able to tailor workouts with a time to cool down, a warmup period, and repeating work and recovery intervals.

  1. Go to the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Turn the Digital Crown to the workout you want to do.
  3. Tap the Goals button and tap Custom. Then tap the Add button.
  4. Do any of the following:

    • Add a warmup period: Tap Warmup, then tap Time, Distance, or Open. You can also add a heart rate alert to the warmup period.
    • Add work and recovery intervals: Tap Add and tap Work or Recovery. Choose Time, Distance, or Open.

      You can add multiple work and recovery intervals.

    • Add a cooldown period: Tap Cooldown and tap Time, Distance, or Open. When you choose Open, you can also add a heart rate alert.
    • Name the workout: Tap New Custom Workout below Custom Title. Then enter a name.

    Note: If you’re doing a stationary workout—Elliptical or Pilates, for example—Distance isn’t an option.

  5. Tap Create Workout.

    Note: The Create Workout button is active only if you’ve added a work or recovery interval.

To remove warmup or cooldown periods, tap the More button next to the workout, tap Custom, tap the Edit button in the Custom Workout tile, tap Warmup or Cooldown, tap Goal Type, then tap Skip. To remove a work or recovery interval, swipe left, then tap the Delete button.

All workout types offer Custom Workouts. Multisport and Open Water Swim are the exceptions.

Add a workout goal

The Workout app showing created goals, Custom Workouts, and a Pacer workout.

Each workout type can have its own time, distance, and calorie goals.

  1. Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Turn the Digital Crown to the workout you want to do.
  3. Tap the Goals button and tap Custom. Then tap the Add button.
  4. Tap a goal such as Calories, Distance, or Time; choose a value; then tap Done.
  5. Tap the goal to begin the workout.

To edit goals for a workout, scroll to the workout, tap the More Options button, tap Goals, tap the Edit button next to the goal, tap the goal, make your change, then tap Done.

To delete a goal, swipe left on the goal, then tap the Delete button.

Use the Up Next workout view

During a Custom Workout, check the Up Next workout view. It shows what’s remaining in your current interval and what’s coming next.

  1. Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
  2. During a workout, turn the Digital Crown to the Up Next workout view.

Add alerts to a workout

A variety of alerts can come up during a workout. On an Outdoor Run workout, for example, you’ll get an alert when your heart rate falls within 133 – 141 beats per minute.

  1. Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Turn the Digital Crown to the workout you want to do.
  3. Tap the Alerts button, tap an alert you want to receive, and configure the alert.

Any alerts you add apply whenever you do that workout.

See also

Tag: Fitness
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How to go for a swim with Apple Watch

by Chris Smith

Apple Watch can track your swims. When you start a swimming workout, your Apple Watch locks the screen with Water Lock to avoid accidental taps. A Pool Swim workout automatically tracks your sets and when you rest, and the summary displays the kinds of strokes you used and the total distance.

Start a swimming workout

  1. Go to the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Turn the Digital Crown to Open Water Swim or Pool Swim.
  3. Tap the Start button.

    For Pool Swim workouts, set the pool length, then tap Start.

  4. When you’re finished, press and hold the Digital Crown to unlock your Apple Watch and tap End.

    The pool swim workout automatically tracks your sets and when you rest. The summary on your Apple Watch displays the kinds of strokes you used and the total distance you swam. You can find the pace for each set in the workout summary on your iPhone.

To pause or resume your swim, press the Digital Crown and side button at the same time. To review your swimming workout summary, unlock your Apple Watch, then tap End.

Manually clear water after swimming

When you start a swimming workout, your Apple Watch automatically locks the screen with Water Lock to avoid accidental taps.

  1. After your swim, press the side button to open Control Center and then tap the Water Lock button.
  2. Press and hold the Digital Crown to unlock the screen and clear water from the speaker.

    You hear sounds and may feel some water on your wrist.

See also

Tag: Fitness
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