Where is the dock in watchOS 10?

DC_NJ1961 wrote:

So the swipe up gives you the apps, and pushing the Crown gives you the apps. Both give you the same function?

No.

• Swipe up gives you the widget stack.
• Pushing the crown once gives you the apps.
• Pushing the crown twice gives you the app switcher (analogous to the Dock on previous versions).
• Pushing the bottom below the crown brings up the Control Center.

Ricls wrote:

Since the Favorite Dock is gone, I have shifted to asking Siri to start the favorite app, ie. Hold down the stem button and Say 'Start Heart Rate App'

Or, you could access it from the widget in the Smart Stack.

Use the Smart Stack to show timely widgets on Apple Watch - Apple Support

There is one for the Heart Rate App.

cosmoblivion wrote:

If you double click the crown, the dock appears. It is just a different button to push.

Who knows what goes into fitting such teeny tiny amazing circuitry into a watch like this? Thre are all sorts of possible reasons this change was made. I personally love having to adapt... keeps my brain flexible.

Why are you telling me this? I'm one of the people who's been explaining the changes.

And, to be precise, double-clicking the digital crown does not bring up the Dock. The Dock is gone. Double-clicking the Digital Crown brings up the App Switcher. It is similar to the Dock in many ways but does not have some of the features that the Dock had (e.g., the ability to sort and mark items as favorites).

greggsansone wrote:

Pressing the side button does not give you the Dock. It brings you to the face you used to see when you swiped up (flashlight, finder, silence etc). There is no Dock at all and know way to set one up on the watch app on your phone. I’m not sure why you would state that there is a dock.

The person to whom you are replying acknowledged that correction the same day they made the statement. It was the day the update was released and everyone was still learning. No point in beating a dead horse.

Pressing the side button brings up the Control Center. Double-pressing the Digital Crown brings up the App Switcher which has some, though not all, the features of the Dock. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen brings up the Smart Stack which has the new widgets.

I FOUND THE DOCK! When they were saying “Side Button” I was thinking the protruding Digital Crown. I forgot that there’s a button right below the Digital Crown. If you press that, it brings up the Dock!

Burtmacklin00 wrote:

The dock was configured in the Apple Watch app on the iPhone and when you pressed the side button it would display only the apps you put in the dock. That is no longer an option as the side button opens up the control center

Double click the Digital Crown.

Workaround I'm currently using:

1 Open Shortcuts app on the phone.

2 Click the Shortcuts on the top left corner

3 Select "Apple Watch"

4 Click the + on the top right corner

5 Click "Add Action"

6 Search for "Open App"

7 Click on the App next to Open and select the App you would like to auto launch on the watch

8 Rename and Choose Icon from the shortcut name found on top of the screen

9 Click Done on top right corner

Repeat the steps 4-9 for the all the other apps you wish to add

Add the Shortcut Complication on your watch face or add each Shortcut in the new Widget.

I prefer adding the Shortcut as a Complication, launching the Shortcut from the new Widget requires to click the Run as an extra step.

You can also add your smart home automation in the Shortcuts

Hope it helps.

skisnkeys wrote:

Since there are so many conflicting responses I wanted to confirm the dock is GONE. The dock option in the apple watch app on the iphone is GONE.

You can access the App Switcher by double-tapping the Digital Crown.

I don't understand what the swipe up display is and will have to look at the release notes.

It is the Smart Stack:

Use the Smart Stack to show timely widgets on Apple Watch - Apple Support

Note that the User Guide is a wonderful resource.

Relegating one of the only two physical controls on the device to the Control Center is absolutely idiotic.

Tell Apple your concerns:

Product Feedback - Apple

"What happened to DOCK, which gave me quick access to the 10 apps I selected and use most, in Watch OS 10?"

What happens if you press the Digital Crown twice?

"How is pushing the side button easier or better than a quick swipe up to access the Control Panel?"

It may not be better, but it's certainly not worse IMO.

M1 Mac mini, macOS 13.5.2;  Watch, series 7 GPS/cellular, watchOS 10; iPad Pro 2nd Gen, iPadOS 17; iPhone 12 Pro, iOS 17; TV 4th Gen, tvOS 17; HomePods, audioOS 17 and Airport Express w/ Airplay 2

The Dock is now accessed by pressing the Digital Crown (DC) once. The recently used apps are accessed by pressing the DC twice.

I just tested the recently used apps. I opened a series of apps. I then pressed the DC twice and the apps I had opened appeared in the reverse order to which I opened them with the last app that I opened appearing first.

The Side Button now opens the Control Center with one press. And it opens the Wallet with two presses.

[Edited by Moderator]

Yes, they really have messed it up this time. But the Dock is still there, not very conveniently placed, you've got to press the side button. Maybe Apple should release an update soon reverting these "un-ergonomic" changes.

Brambulin wrote:

Missing Dock configuration in My watch menu - i hope this is just an error which will fixed in next WatchOS patch.

Have you read through this thread? The App Switcher, the closest that there is to the Dock, is invoked by double pressing the digital crown.

This is an intentional change. Apple talked about it at the event in early September when they announced all the new features. It was moved to make a place for widgets. It seems unlikely that it will go back to the way it used to be.

joecunningham_mpls wrote:

Double-click the crown to bring up the dock. I found the you really have to quick double-click (as opposed to two separate clicks).

Not exactly. Double-clicking the digital crown brings up the App Switcher. While it is similar in some ways to the Dock, it lacks some features, such as being able to sort an pin that many people miss.

It seems the perfect smartwatch experience is again a work in progress for this and several other reasons. I'm super ****** that I cannot swipe between faces anymore. Might switch back to normal analog watches over that issue,

Because you can switch faces on an analog watch?

unless they can come up with a single face that can show me 15 complications (three neighboring faces could do that).

Tell Apple what you'd like to see:

Product Feedback - Apple

An alternative for the missing dock

I’ve used a different way to get to my favorite apps, which I found to be more useful than the now missing dock. I created three modular watch faces with complications for my favorite apps, organized in three groups. Time related, fitness related and communication related. It was just a quick swipe to move between them. You can have up to 6 complications on each face. A couple of limitations to this. Not all apps have complications, but fortunately all my favorites do. And you can not put every complication in any positions on the watch face. Its a subset of complications you can select from for the six positions. So it requires a little bit of experimenting to get them organized.

Unfortunately Watch OS 10 has changed moving between watch faces from a swipe to press-hold-swipe-tap. An annoyance for my method, for sure.