Galaxy Watch Gestures: A Game Changer for One-Handed Use

I was skeptical about smartwatches, but the Galaxy Watch won me over. I recently discovered its gesture controls, and I'm amazed at what I'd been missing. You might be too.

Dismissing Alarms with a Pinch

I love using my smartwatch for alarms. It's already on my wrist when I go to bed, eliminating the morning scramble. While convenient, using my other hand to dismiss the alarm while sharing a bed was always a bit clumsy. Gestures changed that. A simple double pinch (index finger and thumb) silences the alarm, all while keeping my other hand free.

This isn't enabled by default; you'll find it (and other gestures) in the "Button and Gestures" section of Samsung's Wearable app. The watch doesn't always register the pinch perfectly; it takes some practice to get the right technique. Sometimes I have to pinch repeatedly, but it's still easier than fumbling with my other hand.

Wrist Twists for Timers and More

Timers are a huge part of my smartwatch usage. Previously, dismissing them was a two-handed operation. Now, a double wrist twist does the trick—and it's far more responsive than the pinch gesture. Interestingly, this gesture also works for dismissing alarms, and the double pinch works for timers. While they're functionally similar, they aren't completely interchangeable.

Knock-Knock for App Access

My Galaxy Watch 6 has physical buttons for launching apps, but gestures add another layer of convenience. The "knock-knock" gesture lets you quickly launch a chosen app.

I've set mine to open Google Messages for quick access to recent texts. It requires practice and only works with the screen on, but with a bit of exaggeration, it becomes reliable.

Gestures Integrated Throughout the System

Samsung's Wearable app highlights these three gestures, but they're also cleverly integrated into other apps. For example, a double pinch acts as a shutter button for the camera remote, answers/dismisses calls, pauses/unpauses music and stopwatches. A wrist twist dismisses calls. The pinch is for initiating actions, and the twist is for dismissing. It's incredibly intuitive.

One-Handed Navigation with Gestures

While Samsung highlights specific gestures, Wear OS itself offers even more extensive one-handed controls, including fist opening/closing and side-to-side fist shakes. This is a powerful accessibility feature, allowing highly customizable one-handed operation.

These are available on other Wear OS watches, not just Samsung's.

Conclusion

These gestures have transformed my Galaxy Watch experience. They're a compelling reason to choose it over competitors like the Pixel Watch or OnePlus Watch 3. The convenience alone makes it worth keeping on my wrist.

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