Apple lets you cover your Apple Watch with your palm to quickly mute sounds. In order to use the feature, first make sure it’s enabled in the Watch app on your iPhone. Here’s how:
- Open the Watch app.
- In the My Watch tab, tap Sounds & Haptics.
- Swipe up to find the setting and turn on the toggle next to Cover to Mute.
Once the setting is enabled, follow these steps to use the Cover to Mute feature:
- When you receive an alert, cover your Apple Watch display with your palm.
- Keep your palm resting on the display for at least three seconds.
- You’ll feel a vibration to confirm that your Apple Watch has been muted.
Your Apple Watch will now stay muted until you unmute it. To enable notification sounds again, open Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (watchOS 9 or earlier) or by pressing the side button (watchOS 10). Tap the bell icon to unmute your Apple Watch. It’s worth noting that if you have an Apple Watch running watchOS 9.4 or later, any wake-up alarms will not be silenced when you use Cover to Mute, given that the gesture can be accidentally activated while you’re asleep.