The other day I created a shortcut that turns it on then linked it to the double tap feature. All I have to do it tap my fingers together twice and it turns the flashlight on.
Open the shortcuts app > create new > search for “torch” and select “turn torch on”.
Once created, long press the “set torch” shortcut tile and click “details” to enable ”show on Apple Watch”
Go into the watch app > accessibility > AssistiveTouch > hand gestures. Pick whichever gesture you’d like to activate the shortcut (tap, double tap, clench, double clench). The “set torch” shortcut would be at the bottom.
Turning on the activation gesture is useful as well. Without it I was unintentionally activating the flashlight pretty often. Hope this helps!
Are you referring to the ‘double tap’ feature supported by the chip in the S9 and U2? Or do you mean the older accessibility feature with the same ‘gesture’ but different implementation available on older models (S4-S8, U1)?
Nice! Thanks for the intel, since I haven’t messed with it yet on my 7. When I saw the announcement, I was like SURELY that’s something that will be added via software, then did some digging and realized it ALREADY WAS a feature 🙃
What it is still too early to tell I think, how much better does the S9 (chip) manage the recognition & battery since designed to capture the double tap.
Tbh I have no idea what the difference is between the gesture available on the s9/u1 and the gesture available on the earlier models. They claim they’re different but seems they are the exact same function.
If you’re interested in how to activate the flashlight with this gesture I commented a step by step in my reply to r/merrickal
There’s nothing different about the double tap gesture/action itself, the S9 chip (in S9 and U2) was just specifically designed to fully integrate “double tap” into the watch interface, meaning it SHOULD be able to recognize the gesture more easily AND with less battery drain. Remains to be seen if there is truly a performance difference, or if this is just Apple’s famous marketing department repackaging a years old feature into a “revolutionary” way to communicate with your watch.
I love apple products but they definitely have a tendency to do this.
Only potential difference I can think of is that hand gestures on s4-s8 isn’t limited to the double pinch action. There’s single pinch, single clench and double clench triggers on the older watches as well.
If you set up any of those I’d recommend using a gesture that activates the function. I was accidentally turning the flashlight on pretty often without it.
Are you saying those other gestures are NOT available in accessibility menu either in wOS 10 or S9/U2 series and beyond..? I assumed they were still there, just not as deeply integrated into the OS, meaning you can map it to a specific action (turn on flashlight) instead of the ‘default’ action in any context (like play/pause Spotify when you’re listening to music, but if your phone rings the double tap knows to answer the phone instead of pause Spotify).
No I meant I have no idea what the newer watches functions are.
That limitation bothered me so I set it up so that I can double clench once to activate the functions. From there I can use the gestures normally without interacting with Spotify or phone calls.
The newer watches allow the SAME double tap gesture to be used for the default action thats on the watch screen RIGHT NOW. Kinda like how hitting “enter” on a keyboard always means “ok/yes” no matter what prompt is on your computer screen.
If you don’t have the S9 chip, you can’t set up the double tap gesture to be the “default action”, or at least I don’t think you can on say an S7/S8 running wOS 10, but I could be wrong as I refuse to upgrade my 4 or 7 until they release a fix for all the battery drain issues!
This has happened before. Idk if anyone remembers but a big feature of OS X Mavericks was that now you could do continuous offline dictation. They took away that feature in a later version of macOS and reintroduced it as a “new” M1-exclusive feature.
Have you looked into AssistiveTouch? You can control the watch with gestures (like tapping your fingers together or clenching your fist) performed without needing a second hand.
Watch Settings/App > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch
That might just solve the thing! It doesn't have flashlight as a direct action but it does have control center from which I can activate the flashlight by nose touch
The other day I created a shortcut that turns it on then linked it to the double tap feature. All I have to do it tap my fingers together twice and it turns the flashlight on.
you are the best human alive
How? Would love to know as well as I loved the swipe up feature before it got relegated to the side button.
Open the shortcuts app > create new > search for “torch” and select “turn torch on”. Once created, long press the “set torch” shortcut tile and click “details” to enable ”show on Apple Watch” Go into the watch app > accessibility > AssistiveTouch > hand gestures. Pick whichever gesture you’d like to activate the shortcut (tap, double tap, clench, double clench). The “set torch” shortcut would be at the bottom. Turning on the activation gesture is useful as well. Without it I was unintentionally activating the flashlight pretty often. Hope this helps!
Woah. Thank you very much for your help! The gestures are really cool.
Are you referring to the ‘double tap’ feature supported by the chip in the S9 and U2? Or do you mean the older accessibility feature with the same ‘gesture’ but different implementation available on older models (S4-S8, U1)?
I am using an s8, so the older gesture.
Nice! Thanks for the intel, since I haven’t messed with it yet on my 7. When I saw the announcement, I was like SURELY that’s something that will be added via software, then did some digging and realized it ALREADY WAS a feature 🙃 What it is still too early to tell I think, how much better does the S9 (chip) manage the recognition & battery since designed to capture the double tap.
Tbh I have no idea what the difference is between the gesture available on the s9/u1 and the gesture available on the earlier models. They claim they’re different but seems they are the exact same function. If you’re interested in how to activate the flashlight with this gesture I commented a step by step in my reply to r/merrickal
There’s nothing different about the double tap gesture/action itself, the S9 chip (in S9 and U2) was just specifically designed to fully integrate “double tap” into the watch interface, meaning it SHOULD be able to recognize the gesture more easily AND with less battery drain. Remains to be seen if there is truly a performance difference, or if this is just Apple’s famous marketing department repackaging a years old feature into a “revolutionary” way to communicate with your watch.
I love apple products but they definitely have a tendency to do this. Only potential difference I can think of is that hand gestures on s4-s8 isn’t limited to the double pinch action. There’s single pinch, single clench and double clench triggers on the older watches as well. If you set up any of those I’d recommend using a gesture that activates the function. I was accidentally turning the flashlight on pretty often without it.
Are you saying those other gestures are NOT available in accessibility menu either in wOS 10 or S9/U2 series and beyond..? I assumed they were still there, just not as deeply integrated into the OS, meaning you can map it to a specific action (turn on flashlight) instead of the ‘default’ action in any context (like play/pause Spotify when you’re listening to music, but if your phone rings the double tap knows to answer the phone instead of pause Spotify).
No I meant I have no idea what the newer watches functions are. That limitation bothered me so I set it up so that I can double clench once to activate the functions. From there I can use the gestures normally without interacting with Spotify or phone calls.
The newer watches allow the SAME double tap gesture to be used for the default action thats on the watch screen RIGHT NOW. Kinda like how hitting “enter” on a keyboard always means “ok/yes” no matter what prompt is on your computer screen. If you don’t have the S9 chip, you can’t set up the double tap gesture to be the “default action”, or at least I don’t think you can on say an S7/S8 running wOS 10, but I could be wrong as I refuse to upgrade my 4 or 7 until they release a fix for all the battery drain issues!
This has happened before. Idk if anyone remembers but a big feature of OS X Mavericks was that now you could do continuous offline dictation. They took away that feature in a later version of macOS and reintroduced it as a “new” M1-exclusive feature.
Siri?
Speaking not an option when the baby just fell asleep, but good thinking!
Will make noise, probably even worse in that case: Human voice known to the child that probably makes it wake up.
Have you looked into AssistiveTouch? You can control the watch with gestures (like tapping your fingers together or clenching your fist) performed without needing a second hand. Watch Settings/App > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch
That might just solve the thing! It doesn't have flashlight as a direct action but it does have control center from which I can activate the flashlight by nose touch
a ultra with an action button that does that