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The Complete Guide to Every iOS 27 Feature

How to use AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch

by Dave Johnson

AssistiveTouch helps you use Apple Watch if you have difficulty touching the screen or pressing the buttons. The built-in sensors on Apple Watch can help you answer calls, control an onscreen pointer, and launch a menu of actions—all through hand gestures.

There’s also the Motion Pointer, for controlling your Apple Watch by tilting it, plus quick actions that help you respond whenever your Apple Watch shows an alert. With gestures in AssistiveTouch, you can perform these and other actions:

  • Tap the display
  • Press and turn the Digital Crown
  • Swipe between screens
  • Hold the side button
  • Access Notification Center, Control Center, and the App Switcher
  • Show apps
  • Use Apple Pay
  • Confirm double-clicks of the side button
  • Activate Siri
  • Run a Siri shortcut

Note: The universal double tap gesture stops being available when you turn on AssistiveTouch.

Set up AssistiveTouch

  1. Start the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Go to Accessibility, tap AssistiveTouch, and turn on AssistiveTouch.
  3. Tap Hand Gestures, then turn on Hand Gestures.

    Tip: To learn how to use hand gestures, tap “Learn more” below the Hand Gestures switch, then tap each gesture. When you tap a gesture, an interactive animation shows you how to perform and perfect the gesture.

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

Use AssistiveTouch with Apple Watch

With AssistiveTouch and Hand Gestures on, use the following default gestures to navigate your Apple Watch:

  • Tap: Forward
  • Double tap: Back
  • Clench: Tap
  • Double clench: Show the Action Menu

For example, with the Meridian watch face showing, use AssistiveTouch with the Activity app by following these steps:

  1. Double-clench to activate AssistiveTouch.

    A highlight appears around the Music complication.

  2. Tap three times to move to the Activity complication and then clench to tap it.
  3. When the Activity app opens, double-clench to show the Action Menu.
  4. Tap once to select the System action, tap again to select the Scroll Up action, and then clench to choose it.
  5. Clench to scroll to the next screen.
  6. Double-tap to show the Action Menu.

    Tap to move forward through the actions; double-tap to move back.

  7. Select the Press Crown action. Clench once to return to the watch face.

Use the Motion Pointer

In addition to tapping and clenching, with the Motion Pointer you can control your Apple Watch by tilting the watch up and down and side to side. For example, use the Motion Pointer to navigate the Stopwatch app by following these steps:

  1. With the watch face showing, double-clench to activate AssistiveTouch.
  2. Double-clench again to show the Action Menu.

    The Press Crown action is selected.

  3. Clench to choose the Press Crown action and open the Home Screen.
  4. Double-clench to show the Action Menu, tap to move to the Interaction action and then clench to tap it.

    Motion Pointer is selected.

  5. Clench to turn on the Motion Pointer.

    A cursor appears on the screen.

  6. Tilt the watch to place the cursor at the bottom edge of the screen to scroll down.
  7. Hold the cursor over the Stopwatch app for a short time to open it.
  8. Hold the cursor over the start button to tap it.
  9. To return to the watch face, double-clench to show the Action Menu, tap to select the Press Crown action and then clench to tap it.

Use quick actions

Quick actions help you respond when your Apple Watch shows an alert. For example, when you have an incoming call, a prompt lets you know that you can double-tap to answer it. You can also use quick actions to snooze an alarm or stop a timer, start a workout when Apple Watch detects workout-like activity, and take a photo when the viewfinder and shutter button are showing in the Camera app. To turn quick actions on or off, follow these steps:

  1. Start the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Go to Accessibility and tap Quick Actions. Choose an option.

    You can choose to have quick actions available at all times, available only when AssistiveTouch is enabled, or off. You can also choose Full appearance (a banner appears and the action button is highlighted) or Minimal appearance (the action button is highlighted with no banner).

Quick tip: To practice the quick actions gesture, tap “Try it out.”

Adjust AssistiveTouch settings

You can change the actions assigned to tap, clench, and the Motion Pointer gestures, as well as adjust the sensitivity of the Motion Pointer.

Go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch, go to Accessibility > AssistiveTouch, then do any of the following:

  • Customize gestures: Tap Hand Gestures, tap a gesture, then choose an action or a Siri shortcut.
  • Customize the Motion Pointer: Tap Motion Pointer, then adjust settings for sensitivity, activation time, movement tolerance, and hot edges.
  • Scanning style: Choose between Automatic scanning, where actions are automatically highlighted one after the other, or Manual, where you use gestures to move between actions.
  • Appearance: Turn on High Contrast to make the highlight bolder. Tap Color to choose a different highlight color.
  • Customize Menu: Add favorite actions, adjust the position and size of the Action Menu, and change autoscroll speed.
  • Confirm with AssistiveTouch: Turn on to use AssistiveTouch to confirm payments with the passcode or any time double-clicking the side button is required.

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

See also

Tag: accessibility
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How to make purchases with Apple Pay on Apple Watch

by Tyler Stephen

With your eligible cards stored in the Wallet app, you can use Apple Pay at contactless payment terminals, in stores, online, and in apps. You can also set your default card and payment preferences.

Using Apple Pay can be simpler and safer than using a physical card. Your actual card number is never shared with merchants, and each transaction uses a unique security code. You can use it in stores, restaurants, ticket terminals, gas stations, and more. The merchant must accept your payment card and payment network, though.

Note: Apple Pay and its features aren’t available in all countries or regions.

Make contactless payments in stores

Apple Pay works in stores, restaurants, gas stations, ticket terminals, and more.

Note: In addition to accepting Apple Pay, the merchant must accept your payment card and payment network. In other countries and regions, you may see different contactless payment symbols.

  1. Double-click the side button.
  2. Scroll to choose a card.
  3. Hold Apple Watch near the contactless card reader—with the display facing the reader—until a gentle tap and beep confirm that the payment information was sent.

Note: If you have Location Services turned on, the location of your iPhone at the time you make a payment may be sent to Apple and the card issuer to help prevent fraud.

Use Apple Pay for purchases online and in apps

Wherever you see the Apple Pay button in supported apps and websites, you can make purchases.

  1. At checkout, tap the Apple Pay button.
  2. Review the payment, shipping, and billing information.
  3. Double-click the side button to complete the payment.

Set your default card, address, and preferences for Apple Pay

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Wallet & Apple Pay and tap Apple Pay Defaults.
  3. Set any of the following:
    • Transaction defaults: Set the default card, your shipping address, email, and phone number.
    • Allow Payments on Mac: Use Apple Pay on your Apple Watch to confirm payments on your nearby Mac.

In the U.S., Apple Pay is a service provided by Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. In other countries and regions, Apple Pay is a service provided by certain Apple affiliates, as designated by the Apple Pay privacy notice. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC nor any Apple affiliate is a bank. Any card used in Apple Pay is offered by the card issuer.

See also

Tags: Apple Pay, Wallet
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How to set up cards and passes in Wallet on Apple Watch

by Dave Johnson

Use the Wallet app to keep your eligible debit and credit cards, passes, transit cards, identity cards, keys, and more—all in a secure and convenient place. Many cards and passes in Wallet on your iPhone are also available on your Apple Watch.

With Apple Cash in the U.S., for example, you can send money with Tap to Cash, and transit cards let you breeze through transit gates. You can rearrange your cards, keys, and passes, too.

Note: Apple Wallet requires eligible and supported cards and passes. Apple Wallet, Apple Pay, and its features aren’t available in all countries or regions.

What can I keep in Apple Wallet?

  • Payment cards
  • Identity cards
    • Government-issued IDs: Show proof of age or identity in person, online, and in app at select businesses and venues.
    • Employee badges: Access your workplace.
    • Student IDs: Access your dorm and other places around campus.
  • Transit and tickets
  • Keys
    • Home: Unlock your compatible smart lock with just a tap of your iPhone or Apple Watch.
    • Apartment building or condominium: Access your apartment building, condominium, or other shared living space.
    • Hotel room: Check in without going to the lobby and unlock your room with a digital key from a participating hotel’s app.
    • Car: Lock, unlock, and start your compatible car with a car key in Wallet.
    • Scooter: Lock, unlock, and start your compatible scooter with a scooter key in Wallet.
  • Passes: Keep event tickets, coupons, membership cards, and more in one convenient place. You can even use a pass created on iPhone. See Use cards and passes in Wallet on Apple Watch.

Quick tip: For more on what Wallet can hold, go to the Wallet app on your iPhone, then tap the More button, and tap Discover.

Add a card or pass

Look for “Add to Apple Wallet” in an app, email, message, or web page.

The Add to Apple Wallet button.

Supported debit, credit, and transit cards can also go into the Wallet app directly.

  1. Start the Wallet app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the More Options button, then tap Add Card.
  3. Choose a category and then follow the onscreen instructions. This might include receiving a text message, answering security questions, or confirming through the card issuer’s app.

You can also go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Wallet & Apple Pay, then tap Add Card.

Rearrange your cards, keys, and passes

  1. Start the Wallet app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Touch and hold a card, then drag it to a new position.

    Tip: To make a credit or debit card your default payment card, drag it to the top of the card stack.

See also

Tag: Wallet
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How to manage cards and passes in Wallet on Apple Watch

by Abigail Shilets

You can view card and pass details, show or remove expired passes, and remove a card or pass from Wallet.

Cards and passes can show useful details, like your account balance, recent transactions, reward or loyalty points, and flight information. Expired passes are hidden by default. But you can show them, and you can unhide, share, or delete a pass, too.

Here’s how to manage cards and passes in Wallet on Apple Watch.

View card or pass details

Useful information like an account balance, recent transactions, reward or loyalty points, and flight information can show up on cards and passes.

  1. Start the Wallet app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Scroll to the card or pass and tap it.
  3. Scroll down to view the information. To see more, tap Details.

View, unhide, or delete expired passes

By default, Wallet hides passes that have expired. To see expired passes do the following:

  1. Start the Wallet app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the More Options button and then tap View [number] Expired Passes.
  3. Tap a pass and then view its details.

    You can also choose to unhide, share, or delete it.

To always show expired passes, go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch, tap Wallet & Apple Pay, then turn off Hide Expired Passes.

Remove a card or pass

  1. Start the Wallet app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Scroll to the card or pass and tap it.
  3. Tap Remove.

You can also go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Wallet & Apple Pay, tap the card, then tap Remove Card.

Remove your cards from Apple Pay if your Apple Watch is lost or stolen

Find My iPhone, if you’ve turned it on, can help you locate and secure your Apple Watch.

Removing your cards from Apple Pay takes another device or a call to the issuers of your cards.

See also

Tag: Wallet
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How to protect a lost Apple Watch

by Tyler Stephen

If you lose your Apple Watch, you can try to locate it in Find My, put it in lost mode, erase it, and remove payment cards.

When you mark your Apple Watch as lost, it’s locked with a passcode so others can’t access your personal information, and Apple Pay is suspended. Before you erase it, you can still try to locate it or play a sound on it, since Find My can’t do either after that.

Locate your Apple Watch

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap My Watch, then tap All Watches.
  3. Tap the Info button next to your watch and then tap Find My Apple Watch.
  4. In the Find My app on your iPhone, tap your watch to see its location on a map.

If the map tells you your Apple Watch is at your location, tap Play Sound.

Mark your Apple Watch as lost

Marking your Apple Watch as lost locks your watch with a passcode, so others can’t access your personal information. It also suspends the ability to pay with Apple Pay using credit or debit cards in Wallet.

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap My Watch, then tap All Watches.
  3. Tap the Info button next to your watch and then tap Find My Apple Watch.
  4. In the Find My app on your iPhone, tap your Apple Watch and then tap the More button.
  5. Tap Lost Mode and then tap Continue.
  6. Enter a phone number if you want the person who finds your Apple Watch to contact you.
  7. Tap Next. Enter a message that will be shown on your Apple Watch when someone finds it.
  8. Tap Next and then tap Activate to mark Apple Watch as lost.

When you find your Apple Watch, either enter your passcode on the watch or, on your iPhone, open Find My, tap Devices, tap your Apple Watch, tap Activated, then tap Turn Off Mark As Lost.

Erase a lost Apple Watch

Try to locate your device or play a sound on it before you erase it, because after you erase it, Find My can’t do either.

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap My Watch, then tap All Watches.
  3. Tap the Info button next to your watch and then tap Find My Apple Watch.
  4. In the Find My app on your iPhone, tap your watch and then tap Erase.

Remove payment cards using a web browser

You can remove your cards by signing in to the Apple Account website with your Apple Account if your Apple Watch is lost or stolen.

  1. In the Devices area, choose the device.
  2. Click Remove Items below Wallet & Apple Pay, then click Remove Items again to confirm.

You can also call the issuers of your cards.

When your iPhone and Apple Watch are no longer connected, or one of them isn’t working as expected, start by erasing the contents of your Apple Watch. Then unpair it in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, if it’s available.

See also

Tags: Find My, Privacy & Security
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How to use cards and passes in Wallet on Apple Watch

by Kevin Hollington

Show a boarding pass at the gate, a loyalty card at a store or cafe, or a QR code at a pickup counter. You can also tap to access your supported dorm, workplace, car, or home.

Express Mode, Automatic Selection, and Suggest in Smart Stack can pick a card for you automatically, though not all options are available for all cards. With Express Mode, a transit card can be selected at the metro station without waking your watch.

Here’s how to use cards and passes in Wallet on Apple Watch.

Present a barcode or QR code to a scanner

  1. Open the Wallet app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Scroll to the pass you want. Tap the pass.
  3. Scroll down so the code is visible and then present the code to the scanner.

Present a card or pass to a contactless reader

  1. Double-click the side button and then scroll to the card you want to use.
  2. Hold Apple Watch within a few centimeters of the reader, with the display facing the reader, until Apple Watch vibrates.

Automatically select and use a card

For convenience, you can use Express Mode, Automatic Selection, or Suggest in Smart Stack. (Not all options are available for all cards.)

  1. Open the Wallet app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap a card and tap Details.
  3. Turn on any of the following:
    • Express Mode: The card is automatically selected when needed—for example, a transit card at the metro station—without waking or unlocking your Apple Watch. You may even be able to use your card, pass, or key when Apple Watch needs to be charged.
    • Automatic Selection: The card is automatically selected when requested by the reader.
    • Suggest in Smart Stack: The card automatically appears in the Smart Stack based on your time or location—for example, a boarding pass near your departure time.

See also

Tag: Wallet
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How to ping your Apple Watch with iPhone

by Chris Smith

You can use your iPhone to help you find Apple Watch if it’s nearby. (Requires iPhone with iOS 17 or later.)

You add Ping My Watch to Control Center on your iPhone, then ping your watch from there. If you have more than one Apple Watch, it plays on whichever watch is selected in All Watches. You can also learn how to play a sound on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch and protect a lost Apple Watch.

Add Ping My Watch to Control Center

  1. On your iPhone, open Control Center with one of the following methods:

    • On an iPhone with Face ID: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
    • On an iPhone with a Home button: Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.
  2. Tap the Add button at the top left of the screen.

    You see Control Center in edit mode.

  3. Tap Add a Control at the bottom of the screen to open the controls gallery, scroll down to the Watch controls, and tap Ping My Watch.

Ping your watch from Control Center on iPhone

  1. On your iPhone, open Control Center with one of the following methods:

    • On an iPhone with Face ID: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
    • On an iPhone with a Home button: Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.
  2. Tap the Ping Apple Watch button.

    If you have more than one Apple Watch, the sound will play on the watch that’s selected in All Watches in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.

See also

Tags: Control Center, Find My
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How to unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch

by Dave Johnson

Your Apple Watch can unlock your iPhone. It needs a passcode, and it has to be unlocked, on your wrist, and close to your iPhone. To allow Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone for Siri requests or when an obstruction prevents Face ID from recognizing your face, do the following:

  1. On iPhone, open Settings and tap Face ID & Passcode. Then enter your passcode.
  2. Scroll down to Unlock With Apple Watch and turn on the setting for your watch.

    If you have more than one watch, turn on the setting for each one.

  3. To unlock your iPhone, make sure you’re wearing Apple Watch and wake your iPhone. Glance at its screen.

    Apple Watch taps your wrist to let you know that your iPhone has been unlocked.

Note: To unlock your iPhone, Apple Watch must have a passcode, be unlocked and on your wrist, and be close to your iPhone.

See also

Tags: Continuity, Privacy & Security
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How to unlock your Mac with Apple Watch

by Emily Long

Your Apple Watch can instantly unlock your Mac when it wakes from sleep. You need to be signed in to the same Apple Account on both your Mac and Apple Watch.

Your Mac needs to be a mid-2013 or later model with macOS 10.13 or later, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and your Apple Watch has to use a passcode.

Here’s how to unlock your Mac with Apple Watch.

Turn on Auto Unlock

  1. Make sure that your devices are set up as follows:

    • You have a Mac (mid-2013 or later) with macOS 10.13 or later.

      To find the model year of your Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your computer screen, then choose About This Mac. The year your Mac was made is listed next to the model—for example, “MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018).”

    • Your Mac has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.
    • Your Mac and Apple Watch are signed in to the same Apple Account, and your Apple Account has two-factor authentication turned on.
    • Your Apple Watch is using a passcode.
  2. On your Mac, do one of the following:

    • On macOS 13 or later: Choose Apple menu > System Settings. Click Login Password.
    • On macOS 12 or earlier: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, and click General.
  3. Select Use Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac.

    If you have more than one Apple Watch, select the watches you want to use to unlock your apps and Mac.

If you don’t have two-factor authentication turned on for your Apple Account, follow the onscreen instructions, then try selecting the checkbox again.

Unlock your Mac

While you’re wearing your watch, wake up your Mac, and there’s no need to type in your password.

Quick tip: Keep Apple Watch on your wrist and unlocked, and stay near your Mac.

See also

Tags: Continuity, Privacy & Security
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