Apple Watch loses a useful multitasking feature in watchOS 27 that I’ve been missing
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. more…
Apple Watch users have been missing a useful multitasking feature in watchOS 27. The double-clicking of the Digital Crown no longer jumps between recent apps, leading to frustration. Apple replaced the gesture with nothing, despite the device's limited button options. The feature was noted by the author in July and shared with Apple in June.
WatchOS 27 beta 1 dropped the feature in favor of promoting the new "dynamic app grid" feature. Clicking the Digital Crown now shows the Siri app icon, five intelligently suggested app icons, and an icon to view the full app grid. However, this new feature is not a replacement for the reliable double-clicking behavior of jumping between apps.
Double-clicking the Digital Crown in watchOS 27 beta now functions the same as single-clicking it. The old method allowed quick jumping between apps like Workout and Music. The Apple Watch's button limitations make it odd to see the double-click gesture removed. The Action button on the Ultra model still maintains its assignment, opening cards in Apple Wallet.
It is hoped that the final version of watchOS 27 restores the double-click gesture for the Digital Crown button, or at least watchOS 27.1 will retain the feature.
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