The feature that makes the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 what they are is something called “Double Tap,” which allows you to perform actions without ever touching the screen. Funny enough, the Galaxy Watch already has a sort of Double Tap feature under a different name.
Double Tap is a great feature and one that’s certainly welcome. On the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, users will be able to simply pinch their thumb and index finger together to trigger certain actions.
For instance, if your alarm is blaring and vibrating a little too early, double tapping your fingers together snoozes the alarm, as problematic as that might be with such an easy gesture. The point is that the new Apple Watch additions will be able to sense your muscle contractions and perform actions based off that.
Universal Gestures with the Galaxy Watch
With One UI Watch 5, several generations of the Galaxy Watch have the ability to do the same thing. In fact, the Galaxy Watch 4, 5, or 6 can detect not only a pinch in your fingers but even when you shake your wrist or make a fist.
Each action translates to its own command on the Galaxy Watch. Here’s a list of everything you can do with Universal Gestures turned on:
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Shake your wrist twice | Turn on Universal Gestures |
| Pinch your thumb and index finger | Next item |
| Double pinch | Previous item |
| Make a fist | Tap |
| Make a fist twice | Open the action menu |
Samsung also lets users modify these, changing what each action does based on their preferences. We have a full guide on how to enable Universal Gestures, which can prove useful, but here are the basics on how to enable it.
- On your Galaxy Watch (4 or 5) running One UI Watch 5 beta or later, swipe down and tap the settings cog.
- Find and hit Accessibility.
- Tap Interaction and dexterity.
- Tap Universal gestures and toggle it on.
- Follow the tutorial if this is your first time using the feature.
Universal Gestures vs. Double Tap
Here’s the thing – Universal Gestures on the Galaxy Watch, while useful in certain circumstances, is nowhere as seamless as on the Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2.
When Universal Gestures are enabled on the Galaxy Watch, there’s this bright yellow outline over any interactable button or UI element. As far as we can tell, this line can’t be removed. Not only that, but once you turn Universal Gestures on, you need to go back into the settings and toggle it off when you don’t want to see that horrid yellow outline.
On top of that, Universal Gestures on the Galaxy Watch are tricky to use. If you don’t make the right gestures, the watch might not recognize it and suddenly the display times out, leaving you tapping your watch anyway to wake it. Making a fist twice in a row can be somewhat taxing, and the Action Menu is frustrating to navigate.
With the Apple Watch, it looks as if there is no on-screen indication that Double Tap is in effect, and the simplicity of just one-hand action means there isn’t as much of a learning curve.
If anything, this should be a call on Samsung to improve the Universal Gesture feature as it is on the Galaxy Watch. It can prove to be incredibly helpful, but there is a lot of room for improvement.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments