Apple in watchOS 26 has added a new one-handed wrist-flick gesture to easily dismiss notifications, but the gesture only works on newer Apple Watch models.
When you raise your wrist to check a notification but aren’t ready to respond, you can now simply flick your wrist – turn it over and back – to dismiss it. The quick gesture lets you dismiss notifications and incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, and return to the watch face.
It works by using the accelerometer and gyroscope in your watch, along with a machine learning model that analyzes your wrist movement. However, the functionality is limited to Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The watchOS 26 interface adopts Apple's new Liquid Glass design, while Apple Intelligence powers a new Workout Buddy feature that provides personalized, spoken motivation. There's also a new layout for the Workout app, and it now offers music to listen to based on your tastes and workout type. Apple Watch now also supports Live Translation in Messages.
watchOS 26 is available for testing now through the Apple Developer Program, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month.
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While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
[Y]ou can now simply flick your wrist – turn it over and back – to [...] dismiss notifications and incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, and return to the watch face.
The functionality is limited to Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2
Wow. Not a good wow, though. One might, naively, expect such a feature to work even on much older models.
Wow. Not a good wow, though. One might, naively, expect such a feature to work even on much older models.
Agreed, this is complete BS. All Apple Watch models from the series 0 have had Lift to Wake, which uses the exact same accelerometer as this feature given the gesture required to activate it. Limiting it to the 9 and newer is 100% artificial gatekeeping out of greed.
