Although the additional Camera Control button on Apple’s most recent iPhone models has garnered a lot of attention, you don’t need the newest model to quickly open applications. A secret shortcut that allows you to access the camera—or any app—by just pressing the back of your iPhone is already there if you have one from the previous few years.
The function may be found in the accessibility settings of your iPhone under the Back Tap tool. When enabled, it may activate almost any feature on your phone, such as launching Shazam before a song finishes or turning on the flashlight. With only two or three fast touches, you can even configure it to launch a custom shortcut, take a snapshot, or open the Control Center. Once set up, it’s quick, covert, and shockingly strong.
Similar to the Action Button on more recent iPhone models, the Back Tap function allows you to interact with your smartphone in another manner without touching the screen. Tapping anyplace on the back of your phone, including the camera module, will activate it. The nicest feature is that it still functions even if your iPhone cover is really thick.
What is the Back Tap function on an iPhone?
The iPhone’s Back Tap functionality was first available in iOS 14. Double or triple touching on the rear of your iPhone allows you to use shortcuts.
If your phone is bigger and you are unable to swipe down from the top of the screen without some intricate finger acrobatics, you may personalize Back Tap on your iPhone to quickly do basic tasks like bringing up the Control Center or Notification Center. Even two distinct functions may be activated simultaneously: Back Tap is able to differentiate between a triple tap and a double tap.
You can configure Triple Tap to take a screenshot and Double Tap to activate your Notification Center, depending on how often you tap the rear of your iPhone. Alternatively, you may triple tap to access the Magnifier app then double tap to open the Control Center. Try out different Back Tap combinations to see which tap and function combinations work best for you.
Additionally, you are not restricted to using the normal Back Tap choices. You may configure Back Tap to start any app or carry out certain tasks with the help of the Shortcuts app. For instance, you might make a simple shortcut that, when double-tapped or triple-tapped, activates Shazam or begins a voice recording. Additionally, you may utilize Back Tap to initiate a more complex shortcut, such automatically uploading images and videos to certain picture albums.
How can I configure my iPhone to use back tap?
Open the Settings app and turn on Back Tap. Accessibility > Touch → Back Tap is the next step. A list of configuration options for Double Tap and Triple Tap may be found there.
At the bottom of the menu, you’ll also notice a list of Shortcuts. These selections may change based on what’s available in your Shortcuts app.
The one possible negative of Back Tap is that you don’t receive any tactile feedback when you use it, so you may accidently activate it at the incorrect moment and not realize it until later. For example, you may unintentionally double tap and accidentally turn on your flashlight. If so, you may choose to remap your Double Tap to a less noticeable feature. Alternatively, you may just utilize Triple Tap, which you presumably won’t use as much, and leave Double Tap off.
How do I snap a fast picture using the Back Tap?
Setting up Back Tap involves mapping Triple Tap to Volume Up or Volume Down and Double Tap to the Camera. If your volume buttons are assigned to Back Tap, you can get the same result as pressing either of the volume buttons to snap a photo right away. By combining these five rapid taps on the back of your iPhone, you can take a picture. However, you will need to wait for a moment between the Double Tap and Triple Tap so that your phone can tell the difference between the two.
Even if your phone is locked, this Back Tap combination will still function. Once again, take your time experimenting with various tap and feature combinations to see which ones work best for you.
As long as they are running iOS 14 or later, iPhones as ancient as the iPhone 8 may use Back Tap. We’ll walk you through turning it on and using it with your Shortcuts app to access almost limitless options.