CUPERTINO, California, Feb 5, 2026, 03:27 (PST)
- watchOS 26 adds a “wrist flick” gesture to dismiss notifications, calls, timers and alarms
- Apple says the gesture works on newer Apple Watch models, including Series 9 and later
- One-handed controls are becoming a bigger battleground in smartwatches
Apple has added a new “wrist flick” gesture in watchOS 26 that lets Apple Watch users clear common interruptions without touching the display, according to a 9to5Mac report published on Wednesday. (9to5Mac)
The feature matters because the watch is built for quick, distracted moments — carrying groceries, walking the dog, standing at a sink. Apple is leaning harder into one-handed controls as the Apple Watch takes on more of the phone’s work, from calls to constant alerts.
In watchOS 26 — the operating system that runs on Apple Watch — Apple says users can rotate their wrist away and back to mute incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, dismiss notifications and return to the watch face. Apple also says the setting can be managed in the watch’s Gestures menu. (Wsparcie Apple)
Apple says the wrist flick gesture is available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and Apple Watch SE 3. On its watchOS 26 site, Apple also says the broader update requires an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26. (Apple)
9to5Mac writer Ryan Christoffel said wrist flick can also dismiss apps, not just alerts, making it easier to jump back to the watch face without pressing the Digital Crown. He wrote he has used it to clear notifications, calls, timers and alarms, and to close apps when his hands were tied up.
Apple has said wrist flick relies on the watch’s accelerometer and gyroscope — sensors that measure motion and rotation — along with a machine-learning model, software trained to spot the movement pattern. “Apple Watch is an indispensable companion for millions of people around the world,” David Clark, Apple’s senior director of watchOS Engineering, said when Apple previewed watchOS 26 in June 2025. (Apple)
Rivals have chased the same goal. Google’s Pixel Watch 4 includes a “wrist turn” gesture and a “double pinch” gesture for handling notifications and other actions, while Samsung has pushed pinch-based “Universal Gestures” on Galaxy Watch models, pitched partly around accessibility. (Pomoc Google)
But hands-free controls can be inconsistent, and they do not work everywhere. Christoffel wrote he has had reliability issues with Apple’s earlier “double tap” gesture, and Apple says wrist flick and double tap are not available when Water Lock — a mode designed to prevent accidental inputs in water — is switched on. (Wsparcie Apple)
Apple introduced “double tap” in 2023, letting users tap their thumb and index finger together to trigger common actions without touching the screen. Wrist flick takes the opposite job — clear the interruption and move on — and it is one more bet that small gestures can make a small screen feel less demanding. (Apple)
Apple says wrist flick is turned on by default and can be switched off in Settings. For now, it is aimed at quick dismissal, not full navigation — a shortcut for the seconds when an alert is loud but the moment is louder.
