What you can do with Digital Touch on the Apple Watch

This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.

Apple's press event has concluded, and we have learned a great deal of new information about the company's first smartwatch. One of the most interesting things we saw on the Apple Watch was a new feature called Digital Touch. This allows two Apple Watch users to communicate with one another without texting or calling.

Here's how it works:

Rather than attempting to write a text a message on such a small screen, the Digital Touch feature lets two Apple Watch owners communicate through taps and doodles. While Apple didn't say, we assume that two users would have to agree to be friends before being able to use Digital Touch. Once the two of you are connected, it's time to start communicating.

Tapping

The first method you can use to contact a friend or loved one is by tapping the screen on the Apple Watch. This is similar to the Poke feature on Facebook. You can tap a specific pattern on your watch face and a friend will be able to feel it on his or her wrist through gentle vibrations.

Sketching

The second method is to sketch an animated message. This can be done by dragging your finger across the screen to quickly draw a colored sketch that can be sent to a friend.

Sharing

Digital Touch also lets you easily share your heart rate with others. When you press two fingers two the screen, the built-in heart-rate sensor will automatically record and send your beats per minute reading to your contact. Apple calls this an "intimate way to tell someone how you feel."