How to Change the Haptic Feedback Intensity on an Apple Watch

One of the primary benefits of wearing an Apple Watch is the ability to receive notifications silently. Instead of a loud ringtone disrupting a meeting, the Taptic Engine inside the watch delivers a subtle physical tap to your wrist when you receive a text message or an email.

However, depending on how tightly you wear your watch band, or the specific clothing you are wearing, this physical tap can sometimes feel too weak, causing you to completely miss important notifications. Conversely, some users find the default tapping sensation distracting or overly aggressive.

Apple allows you to easily customize the intensity of this haptic feedback to perfectly suit your preferences.

How to Change the Intensity on the Watch

You can adjust the strength of the physical taps directly from your wrist, without needing to touch your iPhone.

1. Press the Digital Crown (the circular dial on the side of the watch) to open your app grid or list.
2. Tap the Settings app (the grey gear icon).
3. Scroll down by turning the Digital Crown, and tap on Sounds & Haptics.
4. Scroll down until you find the “Haptics” section. Ensure the master switch for Haptic Alerts is turned On (green).
5. Below the switch, you will see two options: Default and Prominent.

By default, the watch is set to “Default.” If you are missing notifications, tap Prominent. The moment you tap it, the watch will deliver a sample vibration to your wrist so you can feel the difference. The “Prominent” setting adds an extra, stronger pre-tap before the main vibration, guaranteeing that you will feel it even if you are walking or exercising.

How to Change the Intensity Using Your iPhone

If you prefer navigating on a larger screen, you can make the exact same adjustment using the companion Watch app on your iPhone.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Ensure you are on the My Watch tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Scroll down and tap on Sounds & Haptics.
4. Under the “Haptics” section, select either Default or Prominent.

The change will sync instantly to your Apple Watch over Bluetooth.