Tips on how to 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 apart from a brand new colour, it did a minimum of introduce numerous software program options alongside watchOS 11, akin to sleep apnea detection and a long-overdue Coaching Load metric. Actually, as is surprisingly frequent for Apple, a few of these options went unannounced — together with a brand new means of configuring the Extremely’s Motion button.

Beforehand, the one means of fixing the Motion button’s linked operate was to enter the watchOS Settings app. I am going to show the brand new technique beneath, in addition to its ongoing limitations.

Tips on how to configure the Extremely’s Motion button in watchOS 11

Swap it up right away for sooner controls

To vary what the Motion button does, all you need to do is maintain it down and scroll by means of a listing 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 function on Threads if you wish to see it simulated.

There’s nonetheless a restricted variety of apps and features you’ll be able to set off. These embody:

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

Word that the final possibility requires creating an automation within the official Shortcuts app in your iPhone. It is extraordinarily highly effective — you possibly can, as an example, begin shuffling music and navigate house on the similar 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 Data (i). Choose Present on Apple Watch Extremely.

In your Extremely, you’ll 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. When you do not see shortcuts you’ve got flagged, faucet the Again button, faucet Shortcut once more, then decide a shortcut.

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

Ready for change straight 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 means of linking particular instructions inside particular apps, which implies Apple has to do the coding itself.

The corporate might also be making an attempt to maintain the Apple Watch expertise easy. Having a flood of instructions to select from would possibly overwhelm some customers, main them to disregard the button completely. The choices watchOS 11 does have are more likely to be a few of the most used, or a minimum of aimed in the 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 little bit bit extra, or a minimum of added a couple of extra appropriate apps.