Watch Double Pinch is not working while trying to dismiss notifications

Hello Michealcooly,

It sounds like you're having trouble using some Assistive Touch features on your Apple Watch.

1. Check out this article for help with setting up Quick Actions and selecting the correct options:

Use AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch - Apple Support

1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.

2. 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).

2. Then, take a look he.er for more details about quick actions when you receive alerts:

Use AssistiveTouch on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Use quick actions when you receive alerts

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 clench to answer it. You can also use quick actions to snooze an alarm or stop a timer. To dismiss the quick action, perform a double-pinch gesture.

To turn on or turn off quick actions, go to Settings > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch > Hand Gestures > Quick Actions.

Take care.

I don’t think you want Assitive Touch to be on. Instead, go to Settings on your watch and scroll down to Gestures> Double Tap and turn it on.

Chdmnky wrote:

I don’t think you want Assitive Touch to be on. Instead, go to Settings on your watch and scroll down to Gestures> Double Tap and turn it on.

Double Tap is a feature only available on Watch series 9 and Ultra 2. You may be confusing that with the original question from February about assistive gesture double pinch on OS9. on a Watch SE.

Try using these ways to fix this issue.

1. Enable Wake on Wrist Raise mode on your Apple Watch. Go to Settings >>> Scroll down and click on Display & Brightness >>> Turn on Wake on Wrist Raise. It allows your Apple Watch's screen to wake up whenever you raise your wrist.

2. Wrist Detection is essential in the Double Tap feature on your Apple Watch. When you raise your wrist, Apple Watch's Waist Detection calls the screen.

3. If your Apple Watch still needs to be upgraded to the latest version of watchOS, you should update your watchOS. It should fix any glitches related to double tap not working on your Apple Watch.

4. You might wonder to hear this, but tattoos may cause difficulties for your Apple Watch. Apple Watch's capacitive touch sensors may face problems detecting touches through tattooed skin. You should ensure your tattooed wrist does not hinder the capacitive touch sensors of the Apple Watch.

go to Settings on your watch and scroll down to Gestures> Double Tap and turn it on.

Double Tap only came in on Series 9 and Ultra2

Was having same issue. Did a Hard Reset and now working.

I've had the similar issue as the original poster. For a few days after i got my series 8 apple watch, double pinch to dismiss notifications was working. Then double pinch would no longer work for dismissing notifications, although double pinch continued to work for other interactions (e.g start/stop podcast, move front/back)

After initial reboot of the watch, the double pinch started working again for dismissing notifications, but again stopped after a couple of days. Subsequent reboots, and turning assistive touch off/on did not correct the issue.

Same issue as op.

I sent the following feedback to https://apple.com/feedback:

Double pinch gesture doesn't work. All other gestures work in every circumstance. I tested all of the gestures in Settings > Assistive Touch > Hand Gestures > Learn more... and all gestures work 100% of the time except for double pinch which wouldn't work once. This is the same issue as 50 others on discussions.apple.com

Also:

1. My Watch is a series 8, the watchOS is 9.6 (20U73) but your watchOS version selector drop-down menu only goes up to 9.4

2. My iPhone is a 14 Pro Max, the iOS is 16.6 (20G75) but your iOS version selector drop-down only goes up to 16.4.1

Yea. even I am facing the same. not able to pause my workout using double pinch. After yesterday updated

I have the same issue and after each restart it works for sometime and I have to restart the procedure. 🤪

The same for me. Assistive touch , double pinch is working only for some of the actions. For instance, is working for resuming a workout, but not for pausing it.

Anybody from Apple that can help or escalate this issue? I think is from the latest update , watchOS 9.4.

When you think about the technology involved in determining which fingers are doing what by blood flow sensors on the wrist, it's a miracle if it works at all.

As this accessibility aid is intended mainly for people who are differently able you can get assistance here.

How to contact Apple for accessibility support - Apple Support

zXMalachiXz wrote:

Same issue as op.

I sent the following feedback to https://apple.com/feedback:

...

Also:

1. My Watch is a series 8, the watchOS is 9.6 (20U73) but your watchOS version selector drop-down menu only goes up to 9.4

2. My iPhone is a 14 Pro Max, the iOS is 16.6 (20G75) but your iOS version selector drop-down only goes up to 16.4.1

It is not our dropdown selector, we are users like you, it is Apple's dropdown selector and I have been complaining about that for many years. They can be 3 months out of date quite often.

Do not enter the OS versions in the dropdown, simply state it in the text of the bug report.

I recently just got the new iWatch Series 9 but every time I try the double tap with my index finger and thumb, I am not able to answer calls. I've followed the steps above through the settings on the watch itself - I have it available for all times. How else can I troubleshoot to utilize this new feature? I do not see the blue double tap icon either.