Systems and methods for detecting touch events with an accelerometer are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes measuring first accelerometer data at a first rate, detecting a first touch event based on the first accelerometer data, in response to detecting the first touch event, measuring second accelerometer data at a second rate, determining whether a second touch event is detected based on the second accelerometer data, measuring third accelerometer data at the first rate in response to an absence of the second touch event being detecting in the second accelerometer data over a predetermined threshold period of time.