New hand gestures could come to the Apple Watch as this patent shows

The Apple Watch's primary mode of interaction is of course touching its display while Siri is also an option for those who aren't infuriated every time they use it. But when Apple released watchOS 10 and the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra last year it also added a new option: gestures. The Double Tap gesture allows people to tap their fingers together to interact with on-screen menus in much the same way they can when using the Apple Vision Pro, but it seems that Apple isn't finished. New gestures could be on the way.

That's according to a new report that points to an Apple patent that offers an array of different types of gestures that could potentially be used to interact with the Apple Watch without having to touch it. That could be hugely beneficial for a variety of reasons including a really simple one - using your Apple Watch when it's cold and you're wearing gloves.

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In the case of this new patent, Apple includes a few different options including a flat palm with fingers outstretched and then moving the fingers from side to side horizontally. Apple hints that such a gesture could be used to answer calls or reply to messages, while another example is a clenched fist that could also trigger specific features or menus. Other examples of gestures mentioned include rotating the hand and holding it in a specific position while it's possible that Apple could generate more gestures in the future.

It's unclear when or even if any of this will make its way into a future watchOS software update, however. While it's fair to say that the Double Tap gesture does appear to be just the beginning for Apple's gesture-based interfaces, it's also important to remember that not all patents eventually turn into shipping features or products. Apple incentivizes its employees to patent almost everything that they design which means there are a lot of patents that lay dormant.

However, the Apple Vision Pro is the wrinkle here and it's likely that Apple's work on gestures is doing double duty. While this patent relates to an Apple Watch-like wearable device, it's also possible that such gestures could be used when wearing an Apple Vision Pro in the future. The lack of any controllers means Apple could definitely use more ways to interact with visionOS and apps, and unique gestures could well the be answer to that predicament.