Use AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch
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.
Using gestures with 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: On supported models, the universal double tap gesture isn’t available when you turn on AssistiveTouch.
Set up AssistiveTouch
Go to the Settings app
on your Apple Watch.Go to Accessibility > AssistiveTouch, then turn on AssistiveTouch.
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 turned on, navigate your Apple Watch using the following default gestures:
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:
Double-clench to activate AssistiveTouch.
A highlight appears around the Music complication.
Tap three times to move to the Activity complication, then clench to tap it.
When the Activity app opens, double-clench to show the Action Menu.
Tap once to select the System action, tap again to select the Scroll Up action, then clench to choose it.
Clench to scroll to the next screen.
Double-tap to show the Action Menu.
Tap to move forward through the actions; double-tap to move back.
Select the Press Crown action, then 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:
With the watch face showing, double-clench to activate AssistiveTouch.
Double-clench again to show the Action Menu.
The Press Crown action will be selected.
Clench to choose the Press Crown action and open the Home Screen.
Double-clench to show the Action Menu, tap to move to the Interaction action, then clench to tap it.
Motion Pointer should be selected.
Clench to turn on the Motion Pointer.
A cursor appears on the screen.
Tilt the watch to place the cursor at the bottom edge of the screen to scroll down.
Hold the cursor over the Stopwatch app for a short time to open it.
Hold the cursor over the start button to tap it.
To return to the watch face, double-clench to show the Action Menu, tap to select the Press Crown action, 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:
Go to the Settings app
on your Apple Watch.Go to Accessibility > Quick Actions, then 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).
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, then go to Accessibility > AssistiveTouch.
For more information about AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch, see the Apple Support article Use AssistiveTouch on your Apple Watch.