The Artificial Click
The Digital Crown on the side of the Apple Watch is a smooth, continuous wheel. However, to make it feel like a traditional mechanical watch, Apple utilizes the “Taptic Engine” (an internal vibration motor). As you slowly spin the crown to scroll through a list, the watch fires tiny, precise vibrations into your finger, simulating the physical “click” of mechanical gears turning. While this is an impressive feat of engineering, these constant micro-vibrations consume battery power. Furthermore, if you are simply trying to scroll quickly, the clicking sensation can feel distracting. You can easily turn off the artificial feedback.
How to Turn Off Crown Haptics
You can disable the vibration motor for the dial via the Sound and Haptics settings.
- Open the Settings app directly on your Apple Watch (the grey gear icon).
- Scroll down the main list and tap on Sounds & Haptics.
- Scroll down to the “Haptics” section.
- Look for the master toggle switch labeled Crown Haptics.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the green background will disappear).
A Smooth Spin
The change is absolute and instantaneous. The Taptic Engine will immediately sever its connection to the Digital Crown. The next time you spin the dial to read an email or adjust the volume, it will feel completely smooth and silent, spinning freely without any artificial physical resistance or clicking sensations against your finger.