Apple Released watchOS 11, But Didn’t Fix This One Annoying Bug From Last Year

Apple radically redesigned watchOS last year, marking one of the biggest design changes since the Apple Watch. In watchOS 10, Apple made two key changes to the way you navigate the Apple Watch that I never really liked, and in watchOS 11, there’s still no way to change them.

Control center

Previously, pressing the side button on your Apple Watch would open the app switcher, but in watchOS 10, Apple changed that to open the Control Center. Before the update, you could access the Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the watch.

Apple likely made this change so that you can access the Control Center from any app, but I personally don’t check the Control Center very often. I sometimes use it to toggle silent mode, but most of the time I don’t need it. Battery life is the most useful metric there, and I can get it by looking at the widget on my iPhone.

Apple also introduced a new widget view in watchOS 10, which can be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the Apple Watch face.

This view shows you a ton of quick widgets like Weather, Fitness, Stocks, and more. You can also put complications in there. With this view, you can quickly monitor things or quickly switch to another app, and with watchOS 11, it even supports viewing live activity.

I actually really like this new interface. However, because of the way it is accessed, it is not very easy to integrate into your routine.

What Apple Should Add to the Future of watchOS

I think Apple should just add an option to swap the two gestures. While some might be used to the new navigation methods, I would still prefer the old ones if they were an option.

This way, you can swipe up from the bottom to access the Control Center — just like it was on watchOS for years before watchOS 10. This change was a learning curve for many users, and I think Apple is well aware of that, considering they included a tutorial on gestures during the Apple Watch update.

If the gestures were reversed, you could also open the widget view from any app, which could be convenient for quickly checking information without having to leave the app you’re in. And the best part is that it would be optional. If you prefer the old way, you can leave it that way.

---

What do you think about this navigation change in watchOS 10? Would you still like Apple to change it, or do you prefer it? Let us know in the comments below.

Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Threads