Huawei is working on automatically enabling gesture-based controls to make smartwatches easier
The feature, explained in a recent patent filing, is similar to the Double Tap gesture introduced for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models – and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.
Apple’s tech automatically detects a pinch motion of the thumb and forefinger to perform an app-specific task, like ending a phone call, when the wearer doesn’t have a second hand free to prod the screen.
However, Huawei’s tech would enabling gestures controls after detecting an “abnormal touch event” on the display.
So, for example, if you’re trying (and failing) to control your smartwatch in the rain and the display isn’t as responsive, the watch would detect the issue and announce to the user gesture controls are available.
Some Huawei Watch models already include gesture controls in the accessibility settings, but the tech detailed in the patent would unlock these gestures when the device notices touchscreen operation is troublesome.
“Based on the method for controlling a wearable device in the embodiments of this application,” the patent reads, “the gesture recognition can be automatically enabled after the abnormal touch event is detected on the display screen, so that the wearable device can be directly and effectively controlled when there is a touch exception on the wearable device, thereby improving user experience.”
The system would recruit information from key sensors like the accelerometer, ambient light sensor and heart rate sensor to recognize the gestures. For example, the patent explains, how the gesture could begin when the wearer turns their wrist to the side.

As also evidenced by images accompanying the patent filing, users could perform a preset gestures and combinations of gestures (clenching/unclenching fist, rubbing fingers together, etc.) in place of touchscreen prods.
The patent explains: “In embodiments of this application, the wrist flip gesture, the fist clenching and unclenching gesture, and the finger rubbing gesture are all actions whose initial state is parallel to the horizontal plane, and these actions are actions that are easy to be performed by the user and that are not easy to perform a mis-operation. In addition, the wearable device can easily recognize these actions. Therefore, the wearable device may select the first user gesture from these gestures.”
It goes on to explain how “performing a first operation corresponding to the first user gesture includes: when the wearable device displays an incoming call, performing a mute operation, a hang-up operation, or an answer operation on the incoming call.”
As with the gestures Huawei has used as accessibility aids, they could be applied to pausing and playing music, activating a voice assistant, summoning a payment app, and more.
Like Apple Watch’s Double Tap gesture, it appears that major apps would have specific functionalities assigned to them.
However, in Huawei’s potential implementation gestures could be varied and even stacked to move through the operating system and issue commands.
Although this patent has only just been published, it was filed almost two years ago with the United States Patent Office. Could the ‘abnormal touch’ tech be mature enough to feature on an incoming Huawei Watch?