Theater Mode, first introduced in watchOS 3.2, is a simple but helpful feature that prevents the Apple Watch’s screen from activating when you raise your wrist.
It’s useful when the bright screen could be distracting, such as when watching a movie or a play. It also comes in handy when you forget to pull off your watch before sleeping. But how does this feature work? This article covers all you should know about the theater mode on Apple Watch.
What is the Apple Watch’s Theater Mode?
In certain situations, such as watching a performance in a dark theater, you don’t want your Apple Watch to distract others. Theater Mode comes into play here. When enabled, the activate screen gesture is disabled, Silent Mode is enabled, and the Walkie-Talkie status is set to unavailable.
When you activate Theater Mode, an orange icon with two masks (representing comedy and tragedy) appears in the Apple Watch’s control centre and at the top of the screen.
So, can you use the screen while Theater Mode is on? Yes, indeed. Turn the digital crown, tap the screen, or press the side button to reactivate the screen. Notably, haptic notifications will still be permitted in Theater Mode.
Remember that turning on Theater Mode on your watch does not affect your iPhone. You’ll have to silence your iPhone manually.
How Theater Mode Works & What You Should Know
The Apple Watch has several valuable features, including Theater Mode, which keeps Apple’s smartwatch from becoming annoying. The setting is ideal for watching TV, movies, or any activity requiring a group of people to sit quietly, watch, and listen. The Apple Watch can be kept from distracting the wearer or anyone else, whether at home, on stage, or in the theater.
The Apple Watch has a surprisingly loud speaker for such a small device, and its screen can be used as a mini flashlight. While the volume and screen brightness can be reduced, this may not always be sufficient to keep notifications from becoming a nuisance. This is why Apple designed Theater Mode for the Apple Watch.
When this feature is enabled, sounds are muffled so that the Apple Watch does not interrupt music or someone speaking. The screen operation is also compromised, with the screen remaining dark even on Apple Watch models that support an always-on display. In this mode, lift to wake is disabled, and a tap must activate the screen. It’s important to note that this setting does not affect haptics, so Do Not Disturb is required to eliminate all distractions.
How to Use Apple Watch’s Theater Mode
Follow these steps to enable Apple Watch Theater Mode and keep your watch screen dim:
- Tap or raise your Apple Watch to activate the screen.
- To access Control Center, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
- Select the Theater Mode option. Theater Mode is activated when it lights up.
- When you first activate Theater Mode, you’ll be given an explanation of what it is and how it works. This is a one-time message only. You won’t see it the next time you use Theater Mode.
- Theatre Mode is activated when you see the mask icon at the top of the watch face.
Using Notifications While in Theater Mode
When Theater Mode is enabled, you’ll continue to receive a tap whenever an incoming notification arrives, and you’ll need to press the Digital Crown or tap on the screen to view it.
When Theater Mode is enabled, you can also check the time by tapping, pressing the Digital Crown or the side button.
How to Enable and Disable Apple Watch Theater Mode
The Apple Watch’s Theater Mode (or Cinema Mode) is accessible via a swipe from the Control Center. It appears to be the iconic symbol of acting, with two masks, one happy and one sad. You can enable or disable this special setting that prevents sounds and keeps the display dark by tapping this icon. This is significant for those who own an Apple Watch with an always-on display. When Theater Mode is active, the always-on display can be quickly and temporarily overridden rather than navigating to settings. The Theater Mode icon will appear at the top of the watch face when enabled. To exit Theater Mode, swipe up to open Control Center and tap the happy/sad faces icon again.
Silent Mode may be okay if the screen brightness and display activation are unimportant. This mutes all sounds but leaves the screen unaffected, so this may be a better option unless you’re watching a movie in a dark room or attending an event where light will be an issue. The Apple Watch has even more ways to control sound, but Theater Mode is a quick and easy way to eliminate both audible and visual distractions from the Apple Watch, which could ruin a special performance, important speech, or special moment.
What Is the Difference Between Do Not Disturb and Theater Mode?
The Apple Watch has a Do Not Disturb mode that works similarly to Theater Mode but with some key differences. All notifications are muted in Theater Mode, but haptic alerts are still sent. Do Not Disturb also prevents users from receiving haptic alerts for calls and notifications. Another significant difference between the two modes is that, whereas Theater Mode disables the always-on display until tapped, Do Not Disturb allows the always-on display to work generally on models that support it.
Alarms will ring in both modes, but while Theater Mode will only play alarms with haptics and no sound, Do Not Disturb mode alarms will play with sound unless the silent mode is also enabled. Essentially, Theater Mode should be enabled when Apple Watch users do not want to disturb those around them, whereas Do Not Disturb mode should be enabled when others do not want to disturb the user.
Apple Watch Control Center Icons, Explained
Aside from Theater Mode, Control Center on the Apple Watch displays several icons that are shortcuts to various settings, but users may not understand what they all mean. While the most common icons, such as battery, Wi-Fi, flashlight, and Airplane mode, are easy to recognize, others are on the list. Cellular models of the Apple Watch will display an icon that looks like a pin with radiating waves, and tapping it will toggle cellular data on or off. The bell icon allows users to enable or disable silent mode, while the crescent moon represents Do Not Disturb.
When a passcode is enabled, the lock icon allows users to lock their Apple Watch display, whereas the water droplet icon enables water lock before swimming. The phone and radiating lines icon will play a sound to locate the user’s iPhone, and the mountain AirPlay icon will allow users to connect to an audio device. There’s also a Walkie-Talkie icon for turning this function on or off, an ear icon for checking headphone volume levels, a bell icon with sound waves for enabling announce notifications on paired headphones and a ‘AA’ icon for adjusting text size in some apps.
Users may prioritize specific shortcuts over others, so rearrange them to be accessible without scrolling. On an Apple Watch, scroll to the bottom of the Control Center, tap the ‘Edit’ button, and then drag an icon to the desired location on the grid.
When is it Okay to use Theater Mode?
As the name implies that the intention of Theater mode is to use your Apple Watch in the theatre. This is done so that the light from your screen and the sounds from your Watch do not disturb you or others, whether you are watching a Broadway show or going to the movies.
However, this does not imply that the feature is only for moviegoers.
Theater Mode is great if you wear your Apple Watch to bed. You won’t be startled awake by the bright light of your Watch’s screen if it turns on.
Consider any situation in which Silent Mode is insufficient, and you want your Apple Watch screen to remain dark until you manually wake it. This is the time to activate Theater Mode.
Finally, if you suspect you lift your wrist excessively and accidentally wake the watch screen, Theater Mode can help prevent this and potentially save some battery life.
What is the difference between Apple Watch’s Theatre mode and silent mode?
When in silent mode, the call or text message information appears on your watch’s screen, and you can choose to answer the call or let it go to voicemail. The screen of your watch remains dark in theater mode until you tap it or press a button.
Is the iPhone affected by Theater Mode?
Notably, haptic notifications will still be permitted in Theater Mode. However, turning on Theater Mode on your watch has no effect on your iPhone. You’ll have to manually silence your iPhone.
What exactly is the moon on the Apple Watch?
The moon icon indicates that the Do Not Disturb mode is active. To disable it, swipe up on the watch face while viewing the time > swipe left/right to the Settings glance > and tap on the Do Not Disturb button (which has the same moon icon).
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