I mentioned today in my Siri AI Apple Watch piece that there’s one change I still hope Apple makes to watchOS 27 before it ships this month. It’s one of those common muscle-memory features that have existed for years, and I’ve been missing it all summer.
Double-clicking Digital Crown no longer quickly switches between apps in watchOS 27
Now my one watchOS 27 complaint is that double-clicking the Digital Crown no longer jumps between recent apps… maybe watchOS 27.1 will do something with the double-click gesture. For a device so button-constrained that only the Ultra gets an Action button, it’s odd to see a double-click gesture replaced with … nothing.
I also flagged the issue in July when Apple released the first watchOS 27 public beta version, and I shared the feedback with Apple in June as well.
For years, Apple Watch has included a hidden gesture type of feature for quickly switching between two apps, or the last used app and the watch face.
It’s one of those behaviors that I haven’t thought about in years, but I’ve used it regularly.
Dynamic app grid appears for Digital Crown single- and double-click in watchOS 27
watchOS 27 beta 1 dropped the feature. The reason seems to be that Apple is really promoting thenew “dynamic app grid” feature in watchOS 27. Clicking the Digital Crown now shows the Siri app icon, plus five intelligently suggested app icons, and the icon to view the full app grid.
The dynamic app grid has grown on me over time. It’s great if the app you’re looking for is already in the suggested launcher.
But it’s not a replacement for a sure-fire behavior like double-clicking to jump between apps. There’s just no way to do this anymore with watchOS 27. Double-clicking the Digital Crown in watchOS 27 beta does the same thing as single-clicking the button.
The old method was super quick for jumping between apps like Workout and Music and the like.
As I mentioned before, the Apple Watch is so button-limited that only the Ultra model has the Action button. With this in mind, I think it’s a mistake to remove a double-click gesture from one of those buttons.
Double-clicking the side button below the Digital Crown still has its assignment: opening cards in Apple Wallet. Hopefully the final version of watchOS 27 restores the same gesture for the Digital Crown button, or at least watchOS 27.1.
Do you use this gesture on your Apple Watch? Is it something you’ve missed in watchOS 27 beta? Will you miss it when you update? Let us know in the comments.
- No Liquid Glass slider for Apple Watch, but here’s how watchOS 27 design changes
- No new Apple Watch faces in watchOS 27 (yet), but here’s one I’ve been loving
- iOS 27 basically turns your iPhone and AirPods into an Apple Watch at the gym
Do more with your Apple products
Apple AirTag 2 | Add Find My tracking to keys, bags, bikes, more
You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
