I keep using my face to navigate my smartwatch (if you know, you nose)

For one reason (coffee) or another (a small child), I constantly find myself with full hands. Simultaneously, the organization of the day relies heavily on a carefully curated alarm schedule. As a result, I am often left desperately trying to dismiss my buzzing smartwatch with just one hand. While I’m well aware of gesture controls, a deviant part of my brain insists on making do with another appendage instead: my nose.

Blame it on being a millennial, but I struggle with the principle of delayed gratification when it comes to tech. My adrenaline spikes at the sight of an alert, the feel of a vibration, or the sound of a ping. I need the dopamine hit that comes from seeing what’s happening on my device. You should see me when I can’t figure out which of the 15 fitness trackers on my desk is vibrating. Needless to say, if the device on my wrist wants to show me something, I need to see it, even if it means abandoning my dignity. Rather than waiting until my fingers are free, I am that person in the cereal aisle, nosing her smartwatch.

I know that gesture controls aren’t exactly new. These “hand-free” options aim to make tech more accessible and convenient, and for the most part, I applaud the effort. But the truth is, they rarely live up to expectations. For example, I was very excited to test Apple’s Double Tap when it launchedbut a generation later, it still doesn’t offer the functionality I actually want. Most of the time, I end up looking like I’m trying to make a tiny alligator hand puppet chomp air. My nose, on the other hand, offers more tangible interactions — even if I look equally ridiculous doing it.

When an alarm sounds, I take my watch to the face and hit snooze. When my family chat blows up, I nod up and down to see which sibling is cracking a joke. When the notifications I keep forgetting to disable pop up excessively, I Pinocchio them right back into the ether.

Ironically, my nose faces similar issues as my fingers. (Yes, I’ve done this enough times that I’ve even identified problem areas). First, like any fair-skinned freckle face, I was taught to fear the wrath of the sun at an early age and apply SPF accordingly. A greasy nose doesn’t play great with touchscreens, and the resulting smudges are gross enough to make me question my life choices. Likewise, if my watch is wet, my nose’s tippy taps are even less effective.

Cold and flu season isn’t great for this method, either. Nasal runoff (aka boogers) can mess with the screen’s responsiveness. Considering winter gloves are one of the biggest hindrances to touchscreen use, it’s unfortunate that cold weather and stuffy noses often go hand in hand. Notably, your chin will work, but it’s a bit of a blunt instrument. With my nose, I can still see the screen as I scroll down a text thread or tap into a notification. It’s not the most refined behavior, but I make it as respectable as I can. Using my chin? Well, it’s more of a pecking-chicken motion.