configure Apple Watch Extremely’s Motion button in watchOS 11

Whereas Apple did not make any {hardware} updates to the Apple Watch Ultra this 12 months aside from a brand new colour, it did a minimum of introduce a lot of software program options alongside watchOS 11, akin to sleep apnea detection and a long-overdue Coaching Load metric. In actual fact, as is surprisingly frequent for Apple, a few of these options went unannounced — together with a brand new method of configuring the Extremely’s Motion button.

Beforehand, the one method of adjusting the Motion button’s linked operate was to enter the watchOS Settings app. I will display the brand new methodology under, in addition to its ongoing limitations.

configure the Extremely’s Motion button in watchOS 11

Swap it up immediately for quicker controls

To vary what the Motion button does, all you must do is maintain it down and scroll by means of an inventory of onscreen actions utilizing your finger or the Extremely’s digital crown. This works with each the unique Extremely and the Ultra 2. You possibly can take a look at a video of the characteristic on Threads if you wish to see it simulated.

There’s nonetheless a restricted variety of apps and features you may set off. These embody:

• Exercise
• Stopwatch
• Waypoint
• Backtrack
• Dive
• Flashlight
• Shortcut

Observe that the final choice requires creating an automation within the official Shortcuts app in your iPhone. It is extraordinarily highly effective — you can, as an example, begin shuffling music and navigate dwelling on the identical time — however the Shortcuts interface takes some getting used to, and you will have to particularly flag a shortcut as seen in your Extremely. As soon as you’ve got accomplished one, faucet its Extra (triple-dot) icon, then Information (i). Choose Present on Apple Watch Extremely.

In your Extremely, you will have to decide on which shortcut it’s going to default to. To try this:

1. Open the watchOS Settings app.
2. Go to Motion Button > Motion, then faucet Shortcut.
3. In case you do not see shortcuts you’ve got flagged, faucet the Again button, faucet Shortcut once more, then choose a shortcut.

Why cannot I make the Motion button do something I need?

Ready for change instantly from the higher-ups

Solely Apple or third-party builders can say for positive, however we do know that, like all Apple cellular platforms, watchOS 11 is comparatively locked down. There’s most likely no common method of linking particular instructions inside particular apps, which suggests Apple has to do the coding itself.

The corporate may additionally be attempting to maintain the Apple Watch expertise easy. Having a flood of instructions to select from may overwhelm some customers, main them to disregard the button completely. The choices watchOS 11 does have are more likely to be among the most used, or a minimum of aimed in direction of the Extremely’s (nominal) viewers of athletes, hikers, and divers.

The Shortcuts app is Apple’s reply to the issue, a minimum of for the second. I would not be stunned although if watchOS 12 opened up the Motion button a bit of bit extra, or a minimum of added a couple of extra appropriate apps.