Apple released watchOS 27 on September 14, bringing a new Audio Intelligence feature to its latest Apple Watch models, but as a result, owners of previous models stand to lose out doubly in the process.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models will get Live Rewind later this year, a feature that provides a transcription of any spoken audio picked up by the device in the last 15 seconds. To activate the feature, users need to double-click on the digital crown.
Unfortunately, this double-click action is the same one that, in watchOS 26, switches between the current app and the previously used app – or between the watch face and the last used app.
It’s a cool way to multitask on your Apple Watch without touching the screen.
Needless to say, this feature will no longer work for anyone upgrading to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models when the devices release on September 18. Apple has reserved the double-click action for when its new Live Rewind feature activates later this year.
Perhaps more frustrating, however, is that owners of older Apple Watch models who update to watchOS 27 will also lose the ability to switch between apps using the Digital Crown’s double-tap.
After updating to watchOS 27, Digital Crown double-tap no longer works to switch between apps. All it does is display the new dynamic app grid, which is the same behavior as a single click. This is despite the fact that the new Live Rewind feature is tied to the hardware of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. Owners of previous models are simply unlucky either way, losing a useful feature while missing the new feature that usurps it.
This also poses another problem for new Series 12 and Ultra 4 owners: what if people don’t want to go near the Live Rewind feature and its privacy implications? Apple could have made the double-click action work for switching between apps like it does in watchOS 26, while also providing the option to assign the action to Live Rewind if that is preferred.
Apple currently does not offer any options to resolve the situation for either group of users. So all we can do is provide feedback to Apple and hope the company hears enough requests that it changes course in watchOS 27.1 or a later update.
Pre-orders for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 are available now ahead of launch on Friday, September 18.
