How to control you Apple Watch using hand gestures in watchOS 9

This section gives you step by step instructions on how to enable and use AssistiveTouch in watchOS 9, with pictures of the screens to help.

1. To access the Settings app, press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch. If your apps are displayed as icons, tap the Settings icon . If your apps are displayed in a list, scroll down and tap Settings.

2. On the Settings screen, scroll down and tap Accessibility.

3. On the Accessibility screen, scroll down and tap AssistiveTouch.

4. On the next screen, tap the toggle switch for AssistiveTouch to turn it on.

5. When you raise your wrist, a blue ring appears round the outside of the Apple Watch display. This indicates AssistiveTouch is turned on.

6. You can now activate AssistiveTouch by clenching your fist twice quickly. When you activate AssistiveTouch, a blue ring appears around the first item on the screen. You can now navigate your Apple Watch using the following gestures:

You can change the actions the above gestures perform in the Assistive Touch settings. 

7. You can practice the above gestures in the AssistiveTouch settings. Access the AssistiveTouch settings by following steps 1 - 3, above. Next, tap Hand Gestures. On the next screen, tap the Learn More… link found below the Hand Gestures toggle switch.

8. On the next screen, tap one of the gestures. Perform the gesture as shown on the screen. Your watch will react when the gesture is performed.

9. The Action Menu is an on-screen menu that enables you to perform complicated actions such as pressing and rotating the Digital Crown, scrolling the screen, launching Siri, opening the Notification Centre, and showing the app list.

The Action Menu also contains app-specific actions. For instance, when you open the Action Menu whilst viewing the watch face, the menu includes actions for changing to a different watch face, editing the watch face, and speaking the time.

You bring up the Action Menu by double-clenching your fist. Use pinch gestures to move through the menu items. When the action you want to use is highlighted, clench your fist to select it.

10. Follow these steps to play a sound on your iPhone using the Ping your phone action found in the Control Centre.

11. Another way of controlling your Apple Watch is with Motion Control. With Motion Control, you navigate the screen by titling your wrist to control a pointer (the Motion Pointer ).

You can activate the Motion Pointer in the Action Menu:

To move the Motion Pointer, tilt your wrist up and down and side to side. When the Motion Pointer rests over an item, the item will be highlighted. You can select the item using a hand gesture, as described above, or you can allow the motion pointer to automatically select the item after a specified amount of time.

Motion Control has a feature called Hot Edges. When the pointer hovers over one of the edges of the display, a swipe gesture is performed in that direction. You can change the action associated with each edge in the AssistiveTouch settings.  

If you would prefer to use the Motion Pointer all the time, use Dwell Control. With Dwell Control, the Motion Pointer is active as soon as you raise your wrist (or after shaking your wrist, if you prefer). See our article How to control your Apple Watch with wrist movements in watchOS 9 for more information on using Dwell Control.