Apple Watch is easily one of the most powerful and versatile wearables on the market today. From health tracking to productivity tools, Apple continues to push what this tiny wrist computer can do. Whether you’re a longtime user or just unboxing your new Apple Watch Ultra, here are some of the coolest hidden features, settings, and tips in watchOS 11 that will supercharge your experience.

Let’s dive in!

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1. Enable Double Tap for Workouts

Double pinch gestures are great for navigating your watch hands-free, especially during workouts. While this feature works across many apps, it’s disabled by default in the Workout app.

To enable it:

• Open Settings > Workout
• Scroll to the bottom and turn on Double Tap to Scroll

Once enabled, during a workout, you can double pinch your fingers to switch between views—perfect if one hand is gripping a bike handle or dumbbell.

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2. Understand Your Training Load

A new addition in watchOS 11, Training Load gives deeper insight into your workout intensity over time.

To see it:

• Open the Activity app
• Tap the icon at the top-right corner

To improve the accuracy of your Training Load, make sure to rate the effort of each workout. You can enable reminders by going to:

• Settings > Workout > Effort Rating Reminder

This pops up after workouts so you can quickly rate the difficulty out of 10, combining your feedback with heart rate data for better tracking.

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3. Red Flashlight in Theater Mode

Need low light during a movie or nighttime use? Theater Mode now smartly switches your flashlight to red by default.

Just:

• Swipe up for Control Center
• Turn on Theater Mode
• Then use the flashlight—it’ll default to red light instead of white

A subtle but brilliant bit of Apple attention to detail.

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4. Check Battery Percentage While Charging

Tired of guessing how much your watch is charged?

When charging:

• Tap the charging icon in the top-left corner
• It reveals the exact battery percentage

Also, if Optimized Battery Charging is on and your watch stops at 80–90%, there’s an option here to “Charge to Full Now.”

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5. Speak the Time with Two Fingers

If you’re not in silent mode, you can hear the time read out loud using Siri’s voice.

Just:

• Press and hold two fingers on the watch face

It may take a second or two, but it will announce the time for you.

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6. Set the Clock Ahead (For the Chronically Late)

Want to always be a few minutes early?

• Go to Settings > Clock
• Tap Set Clock Ahead and adjust by up to 59 minutes

The system time remains accurate behind the scenes, but your watch face shows the adjusted time—perfect if you’re always running late.

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7. Automatically Switch Watch Faces with Focus Mode

Using Focus Mode, your Apple Watch can automatically switch faces when you’re working out or at work.

To set it up:

• On iPhone, go to Settings > Focus
• Tap Fitness (or any other mode)
• Choose a custom Watch Face for that Focus

Once active, your watch face changes automatically with the Focus mode—great for separating fitness, work, and leisure time.

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8. Unlock Your iPhone with Apple Watch

If Face ID isn’t working (like with sunglasses or bad lighting), your watch can unlock your iPhone automatically.

Enable it:

• Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode on your iPhone
• Turn on Unlock with Apple Watch

As long as your watch is unlocked and on your wrist, it’ll authenticate and unlock your phone when Face ID fails.

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9. Customize Notification Sounds

A long-requested feature—you can now change notification sounds on your Apple Watch in watchOS 11.

To do this:

• Open Settings > Sounds & Haptics
• Scroll down to select custom sounds for texts, emails, calendar alerts, and more

No more annoying default tones—you can finally make the sounds your own.

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10. Switch to List View for Apps

Finding apps hard in the honeycomb grid view?

• Press the Digital Crown
• Scroll to the bottom and tap List View

Apps are now listed alphabetically, making them much easier to find.

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11. Multitask Like a Pro

Just like on your iPhone, you can switch between recently used apps:

• Double-press the Digital Crown
• You’ll see a carousel of recently used apps

Great for toggling between Workout, Music, and Weather without returning to the Home screen.

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12. Take Screenshots on Apple Watch

Capture what’s on your screen by enabling screenshots:

• Go to Settings > General > Screenshots
• Turn it on

Then just press the Side Button and Digital Crown at the same time to take a screenshot.

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13. Access Notifications from Any App

Even inside apps, you can still check your notifications without exiting.

• Press and hold the top edge of the screen
• Then scroll down to reveal your notifications

Very handy if you’re inside an app and a message pops in.

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Final Thoughts

The Apple Watch keeps getting smarter with each update, and watchOS 11 is packed with thoughtful new features that improve both functionality and convenience. Whether you’re an athlete, a productivity nerd, or someone who just loves tech, there’s something here to enhance your daily use.

Which feature was your favorite? And what Apple Watch model are you using? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Tags: apple watch, apple watch tips, watchos 11, apple watch ultra, apple ecosystem, tech tips, smartwatch, fitness tracking, ios, workout tips

#AppleWatch #WatchOS11 #TechTips #SmartwatchFeatures #AppleWatchUltra #FitnessTracking #ProductivityTools #iOSTips #AppleEcosystem #WearableTech

Rakesh Bhardwaj

Rakesh Bhardwaj is a seasoned editor and designer with over 15 years of experience in the creative industry. He specializes in crafting visually compelling and professionally polished content, blending precision with creativity. Whether refining written work or designing impactful visuals, Rakesh brings a deep understanding of layout, typography, and narrative flow to every project he undertakes.

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