How to use Apple Watch Digital Crown & Side Button in watchOS 10

Apple has made fundamental changes to the way you operate your Apple Watch with watchOS 10. Here’s how to get the most out of your Apple Watch, from how the Home Button works to what happens when you turn the Digital Crown.

Even though the Apple Watch has been out for eight years, Apple is still looking at how users interact with it. It has removed Force Touch, changed the way the Digital Crown works, removed the “Time Travel” feature from watches, and more in every app update.

Each changed the Apple Watch in some way. This time, Apple has made a big change by changing what the Side Button and Digital Crown do when pressed or double-pressed.

After a few weeks of use, we are getting used to the changes, although it is a big step in the work and will be of great benefit as users adapt.

App views

As before, the Digital Crown press will take you to the available programs. Instead of a hexagonal grid that expands in all directions, you have a smaller grid that only goes down.

You scroll through the menu using the Digital Crown or scrolling through the screen. All Apple apps are available at the top by default, with third-party apps below.

If you click and hold on an app icon, they will both enter the update mode, similar to iOS. You can click and hold to reset apps or tap the “x” in the corner to remove them.

For those who don’t like the new grid view, there is a list of all the posts that you can change.

How to use App Switcher in watchOS 10

With a quick press of the Digital Crown, you can open a new app switcher. Just like iOS, this will show all your apps with the most recent ones at the front.

Scroll by simply looking at or turning the Digital Crown. To return to the program, click it and it will go forward.

This makes it easier than ever to do more.

Once an app is running, you can toggle it to the left while in the switcher to “close” it. As we recommend on iOS, there is no need to “force close” events on the Apple Watch.

Apple removed the settings dock with watchOS 10, so this should be replaced.

How to ask Siri in watchOS 10

Siri is called to say the name of the assistant, there is no need to add “hey” at the beginning. It will work on all your devices, including the Apple Watch.

However, Apple has several ways to activate Siri. You can raise your hand and start talking or touch the Digital Crown.

Siri feels faster with watchOS 10 as our requests are recorded in real time. Multiple requests can be made repeatedly without asking Siri again.

watchOS 10 – Smart Stack

One of the biggest changes made is a new feature called Smart Stack. Access Control Center from your watch.

By swiping up from the bottom of the screen or around the Digital Crown while on the watch, the Smart Stack will appear. It displays the time, date, day of the week, and widgets.

Apple has introduced Smart Stacks functionality on iOS so that the most important information will appear when needed. For example, it was raining today, so when we opened Smart Stack, the weather and rain statistics were first and foremost.

As the calendar time approaches, our calendar will become the most advanced widget. Sometimes we see our fitness goals as we get closer to the end of the day.

Third-party widgets are also supported. During the beta period, we only saw a few widgets supported so far, including Petey, the chatGPT client for watchOS. Up to eight widgets can work.

Tap and hold to edit, where you can add more widgets or remove existing ones. Your favorite widgets can be printed so they’re always on top.

Apple also includes a launcher widget, where you can set your favorite apps to launch quickly. Ours is set, for example, to Workout, Messages, and Find Friends. It only takes one scroll and click, to open each one.

Finally, if you scroll down, you’ll go to the app store. Alternatively, click the “All Apps” button at the bottom.

see OS 10 — Control Center

Apple has changed the look of the Control Center. Previously, it was moving from the watch face to pressing the Side button.

In watchOS 10, press the Side Button anywhere and the Control Center will open. It has the same toggles as before and is changed by the bottom button.

This has replaced the old port which used to be called by pressing a button.

The side button still performs its old functions, such as pausing to pause or double-pressing to request Apple Pay.

When is watchOS 10 coming?

Apple is about to release watchOS 10 this fall along with its other flagship systems; iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and tvOS 17. It’s currently in beta with a public beta coming in July.