The one I use the most is called \u201cDouble-pinch\u201d (Settings > Buttons and gestures > Double pinch). The idea is that you can activate certain actions by touching the tips of your pointer\/middle finger and thumb twice in quick succession. It\u2019s an easy way to interact with the watch without interacting with a tiny touch screen.<\/p>\n
Double-pinch actions depend on where you are in the watch UI. When you\u2019re on the watch face, it will open the Now Bar (if it\u2019s present) or cycle through notifications. It can also pause or play music when you\u2019re looking at the media controller and dismiss alerts that pop up. However, my favorite use is with text message notification\u2014it can open voice-to-text for immediate responses.<\/p>\n
Mute notifications on phone<\/p>\n
Embarrassed it took me this long<\/p>\n
For a long time, I had an annoying issue that would come up every time I decided not to wear my watch. Since I want my watch to be the only thing alerting me to notifications when I\u2019m wearing it, I keep my phone on silent mode all the time. So, if I\u2019m not wearing my watch, I would miss notifications unless I remembered to turn off silent mode.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t immediately understand what the \u201cMute notifications on phone\u201d setting actually did (\u201cSmart device selection\u201d if you use a Galaxy phone). At first, I thought, \u201cWell, I already have notifications muted on my phone\u2026\u201d But what it actually means if you can keep your phone on vibrate or alerting, it will automatically switch to silent mode when you\u2019re wearing the watch. No more remembering to switch modes when I leave my watch at home.<\/p>\n
This option must be enabled from the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone. It can be found at Watch settings > Notifications.<\/p>\n
![\"How-To](\"https:\/\/static0.howtogeekimages.com\/assets\/images\/htg-logo-full-colored-dark.svg?v=3.6\"){kind=logo}
Quiz8 Questions \u00b7 Test Your KnowledgeOld school wearable tech
Trivia challenge<\/p>\n
From calculator watches to step counters \u2014 how well do you know the gadgets we wore before smartwatches existed?<\/p>\n
WearablesHistoryInventorsMilestonesDevices<\/p>\n
Begin<\/p>\n
What is widely considered the first wearable computer, built in 1961 by mathematician Edward Thorp and Claude Shannon?<\/p>\n
AA wrist-mounted calculatorBA shoe-mounted roulette prediction deviceCA hearing aid with a built-in radio receiverDA belt-worn navigation computer<\/p>\n
Correct! Thorp and Shannon built a tiny analog computer hidden in a shoe to predict roulette wheel outcomes in Las Vegas. It was operated by toe switches and transmitted results via a hidden earpiece, making it arguably the world’s first wearable computer.<\/p>\n
Not quite. The answer is the shoe-mounted roulette prediction device. Built secretly in 1961 by Edward Thorp and Claude Shannon, it used toe-operated switches and a hidden earpiece to beat roulette \u2014 and predates most people’s idea of wearable tech by decades.<\/p>\n
Continue<\/p>\n
The Pulsar, introduced in 1972, is recognized as one of the earliest consumer wearable electronics. What type of device was it?<\/p>\n
AA wrist-worn heart rate monitorBA digital hearing aidCAn all-electronic digital watchDA portable FM radio worn on the wrist<\/p>\n
That’s right! The Pulsar, made by Hamilton Watch Company, was the world’s first all-electronic digital watch. It displayed the time using red LED numerals and sold for $2,100 \u2014 roughly equivalent to over $15,000 today.<\/p>\n
Not quite. The Pulsar was the world’s first all-electronic digital watch, launched by Hamilton Watch Company in 1972. Its glowing red LED display was revolutionary, and its hefty price tag made it a luxury item for early tech adopters.<\/p>\n
Continue<\/p>\n
Which company released the first commercially successful calculator watch in 1977, bringing wearable computing to a wider consumer audience?<\/p>\n
ACasioBTexas InstrumentsCSeikoDHewlett-Packard<\/p>\n
Correct! Hewlett-Packard released the HP-01 in 1977, a wrist-worn calculator with a tiny keypad. It was a remarkable engineering feat for its time, though its high price limited mass adoption.<\/p>\n
Actually, it was Hewlett-Packard that released the HP-01 in 1977, the first commercially significant calculator watch. While Casio later dominated this market in the 1980s, HP got there first with its remarkably complex and expensive wrist-worn calculator.<\/p>\n
Continue<\/p>\n
Steve Mann, often called the ‘father of wearable computing,’ began developing his wearable computer systems as a student at which university in the 1980s?<\/p>\n
AStanford UniversityBCarnegie Mellon UniversityCMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyDUniversity of Toronto<\/p>\n
That’s correct! Steve Mann developed his pioneering WearComp wearable computer systems while studying at MIT in the 1980s. He later wore camera-equipped headgear almost continuously for decades, laying important groundwork for augmented reality and wearable cameras.<\/p>\n
Not quite \u2014 Steve Mann did his landmark wearable computing research at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) during the 1980s. His WearComp project explored computer-mediated reality and wearable cameras long before they became mainstream concepts.<\/p>\n
Continue<\/p>\n
Sony’s Walkman, launched in 1979, is sometimes included in early wearable tech history. What was its original name in Japan at release?<\/p>\n
ASoundaboutBStowawayCFreestyleDPressman<\/p>\n
Correct! The device originated as the ‘Pressman,’ a mono recorder Sony built for journalists. When engineers removed the recording function and added stereo playback, it became the Walkman \u2014 though in some markets it was briefly sold as the Soundabout or Stowaway.<\/p>\n
The original internal Sony device was actually called the Pressman, a mono recorder designed for journalists. Its transformation into the Walkman came when engineers adapted it for stereo music playback \u2014 though it was briefly marketed as the Soundabout in the US and Stowaway in the UK.<\/p>\n
Continue<\/p>\n
Which decade saw the first documented use of a wearable hearing aid small enough to be worn on the body rather than carried as a separate box?<\/p>\n
AThe 1910sBThe 1930sCThe 1950sDThe 1970s<\/p>\n
Well done! The 1930s brought the first wearable hearing aids that could be worn on the body. Devices like the Acousticon and later Aurex models used vacuum tube technology and were worn clipped to clothing, marking a major leap from bulky table-top units.<\/p>\n
Actually, it was the 1930s when body-worn hearing aids became viable, thanks to advances in vacuum tube miniaturization. Earlier hearing aids were large tabletop or handheld devices, but the 1930s models could be clipped onto clothing \u2014 a significant milestone in wearable medical tech.<\/p>\n
Continue<\/p>\n
The Seiko Data-2000, released in 1983, was a notable early wearable because it could do something no watch had done before. What was that capability?<\/p>\n
ADisplay color graphics on its screenBSynchronize with a desktop computerCMeasure the wearer’s heart rateDConnect to a cellular phone network<\/p>\n
Correct! The Seiko Data-2000 could synchronize data with an external keyboard and computer, making it an early example of a connected wearable. It could store names, phone numbers, and memos \u2014 essentially a wrist-worn PDA years before that term existed.<\/p>\n
Not quite. The Seiko Data-2000 was groundbreaking because it could sync with a computer and keyboard accessory, storing contacts and memos on the wrist. This made it a forerunner of the smartwatch concept nearly two decades before the term was widely used.<\/p>\n
Continue<\/p>\n
The first wearable fitness tracker widely credited with launching the modern fitness band market, the Fitbit Classic, was released in which year?<\/p>\n
A2006B2007C2009D2011<\/p>\n
That’s right! The original Fitbit Classic launched in 2009, clipping onto clothing to track steps, distance, and calories. It helped define the consumer fitness tracker category and laid the commercial foundation for the wrist-worn fitness bands that followed in the 2010s.<\/p>\n
The original Fitbit Classic actually launched in 2009, not earlier. While Fitbit was founded in 2007 and announced a product at an expo that year, the device didn’t ship to consumers until 2009 \u2014 and it quickly became the product that defined the modern fitness tracker market.<\/p>\n
See My Score<\/p>\n
Challenge CompleteYour Score<\/p>\n
\/ 8<\/p>\n
Thanks for playing!<\/p>\n
Try Again<\/p>\n
Modes can change watch faces<\/p>\n
A great feature gets even better<\/p>\n
These last two are specific to those who use a Galaxy Watch with a Galaxy phone, which I didn\u2019t do for a very long time<\/a>. First, I recently discovered just how good<\/a> Samsung\u2019s Modes and Routines experience is, but I didn\u2019t notice that it works with the Galaxy Watch, too.<\/p>\n
![\"Samsung](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780980135_316_watch-7-product-image-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"samsung](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780980136_332_samsung-galaxy-watch8.png\")
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