Starting with watchOS 8, Apple introduced a new accessibility feature called Assistive Touch. The advantage of this feature is that it allows you to control the watch via gestures and the movement of your arms. This means that you no longer even have to touch the Apple Watch screen to use it.

ContentsHow to enable Assistive TouchHow to use hand gestures and the motion pointerHow to customize Assistive Touch settingsSome additional tips

The technology behind it is pretty neat. Using machine learning on the device, the feature uses the watch's accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart rate sensor to read how your muscles and tendons are moving. The result is that the watch can tell when you pinch your fingers or clench your fists. You can also activate a motion-based cursor that works like a mini-mouse when you tilt your arm.

To be clear, Apple developed Assistive Touch to make the Apple Watch easier to use if you have limited mobility or limb differences. However, it can also be a handy tool for times when you don't have full use of one or both hands. Maybe you're cooking up something messy in the kitchen. Maybe it's freezing and you really don't want to take off your gloves to use the touchscreen. Whatever the scenario, Assistive Touch can help you answer calls, start workouts, access settings, use Apple Pay, activate Siri, and navigate various menus and apps.

How to activate Assistive Touch

First of all, which Apple Watch do you have? Assistive Touch is a new feature, and unfortunately it only works if you have an Apple Watch SE, Series 6, or Series 7. If you have a compatible watch, here's how to get started.

You can choose to set it up (and then manage it) either on your iPhone or on the watch itself. The phone has a minor advantage as it is easier to navigate.

On iPhone:

• In the My Watch tab, scroll down to the Accessibility menu.
• Select Touch assist.
• Enable Assistive Touch and enable hand gestures.

On Apple Watch:

• Launch the Settings app.
• Scroll down to Accessibility.
• Select Assistive Touch and enable hand gestures.

If you choose to set it up on your phone, you'll be prompted to practice pinching and squeezing gestures right on the watch. You should take the time to do this, but if you're in a hurry, you can always click the Learn More link under the Hand Gestures toggle.

How to use hand-gestures and motion-pointer

Once Assistive Touch is on, double tap to activate. The default gesture settings are:pinch once to move forward, pinch twice to move back, squeeze once to tap, and squeeze twice for action menu. The Action menu is where you select options like Digital Crown Control, Scrolling, Apple Pay, and Siri. When it comes to navigation, you'll see a highlighted outline indicating the complication, app, or button you're currently on.

To show the motion pointer, double-tap to show the action menu. From there, pinch to find the Interaction button. Squeeze to open the menu, navigate to the motion pointer button and squeeze again. You should see the cursor from there, then you can tilt your arm in different directions to scroll through menus, navigate screens, and press buttons. You can also avoid pressing completely by hovering over the complication or app you want to select.

How to customize Assistive Touch settings

I'm not going to lie:there's a learning curve to using Assistive Touch. I don't have the best memory when it comes to gesture controls, so I had to practice before I remembered which gesture did what while going about my daily business. There were plenty of times I accidentally did the wrong thing and had to start over. Likewise, I had to really practice with the motion pointer to use it effectively. In general, depending on which method you're using (gesture controls or motion pointer), you'll need a bit of patience to get started.

This is where personalization comes in. If you think the default settings aren't working for you, you can reprogram them in the Watch app or directly from the wrist.

For example, suppose you want a faster way to access the motion pointer. You can reassign the double pinch to display automatically. Speaking of which, you can also customize the sensitivity, on-time, motion tolerance, and motion pointer warm edges to suit your needs better.

To reprogram gestures, return to the Hand Gestures menu and tap the one you want to reprogram. From there, you'll see a list of available actions, menus, or commands.

If at any point you feel like you've gone a bit too far, you can always go back to square one by hitting "Reset Defaults".

Some more tips

• Enable Quick Actions in the Hand Gestures menu. For some applications this will allow you to double tighten to confirm when prompted. If you receive a call, for example, you'll see a message asking you to double tap to answer.
• Enable Dwell Control in the Motion Pointer menu and select "Shake to start". This lets you shake your wrist to bring up the cursor. No menu navigation required.
• Try automatic scanning. The default is set to manual, but enabling this setting continuously cycles through available buttons, apps, and complications. This reduces the number of gestures you need to navigate menus and screens.
• For better visibility, enable High Contrast in the Appearance menu. In the Customize menu, you can also select Large menu to increase icon size.
• Enable side button confirmation. This lets you use Assistive Touch instead of double-clicking the side button for things like Apple Pay.

Photography by Victoria Song / Means I/O