You may access your camera and perform other useful tasks using this tool. Media attention was drawn to the addition of the Camera Control button to the latest iPhone models. One way to access the camera app without touching the screen or unlocking your phone does exist, though, and it still works with earlier iPhone models.
If you have a shortcut for any app on your iPhone, you can really access it by just tapping the back of the device.
You may use this feature to turn on your flashlight or activate Shazam to discover a song before it ends, in addition to starting apps. The Control Center and Notification Center on your iPhone may be accessed without swiping down from the top of the screen. You can use this feature to do almost anything on your phone if you’re a bit creative.
The Back Tap feature lets you use your smartphone in a different way without touching the screen, much to the Action Button on more modern models. You may activate your phone by tapping anywhere on the back, including the camera module. The best part is that even if your iPhone case is really thick, it still works.
iPhones as old as the iPhone 8 may use Back Tap as long as they are running iOS 14 or later. We’ll show you how to activate it and use it with your Shortcuts app to have access to nearly infinite possibilities.
What is the iPhone’s Back Tap feature?
iOS 14 introduced the Back Tap feature for the iPhone.You may customize Back Tap on your iPhone to rapidly perform simple activities like bringing up the Control Center or Notification Center if your phone is larger and you can’t swipe down from the top of the screen without some complex finger gymnastics. It is even possible to concurrently engage two different functions: Back Tap can distinguish between a double tap and a triple tap.
Depending on how frequently you press the back of your iPhone, you may set Triple press to capture a screenshot and Double Tap to open your Notification Center. As an alternative, you can double tap to open the Control Center after triple tapping to launch the Magnifier app. To find the tap and function combinations that work best for you, experiment with different Back Tap combinations.
Furthermore, you are not limited to using the standard Back Tap options. With the Shortcuts app, you can set Back Tap to launch any application or do certain actions. For example, you might create a simple shortcut that, when double- or triple-tapped, starts a voice recording or activates Shazam. Back Tap may also be used to start a more complicated shortcut, such as automatically adding photos and videos to certain picture albums.
How do I set up the back tap on my iPhone?
Turn on Back Tap after launching the Settings app. There is a list of Double Tap and Triple Tap setup choices.
The following is a comprehensive list of functions that may be assigned to a double or triple tap:
- No accessibility An expedient
- System Apps Center Switcher for Camera Control
- A flashlight
- Lock for the Home Rotation of the Lock Screen Access to the Mute Notification Center
- A screen grab
- Shake.
- Highlights
- Reduce the volume
- Increase the Volume
- Accessibility
- Background Sounds for Assistive Touch
- Conventional Inversion
- Filters to Control Color Nearby Devices
- Dim Flashing Lighting
- Captioning in real time
- Enhancer for Live Speech
- Astute Inversion Show
- Voice-over
- Zoom’s Zoom Controller
- Motions for Scrolling
- Scroll Down
- Scroll Up
At the bottom of the menu is a list of shortcuts as well. These options will vary based on what is available in your Shortcuts app.
The sole potential disadvantage of Back Tap is that it lacks tactile feedback, which means you may accidentally press it at the wrong time and not realize it until later. For instance, you may inadvertently double tap and activate your flashlight. If so, you could decide to switch your Double Tap to something that isn’t as obvious. Alternatively, you may leave Double Tap off and simply use Triple Tap, which you probably won’t use as often.
How can I use the Back Tap to quickly take a picture?
In order to set up Back Tap, double tap the camera and triple tap the volume up or down. If your volume buttons are set to Back Tap, you may take a picture immediately by hitting any of the volume buttons. You can take a photo with your iPhone by combining these five quick touches on the rear. However, in order for your phone to distinguish between the Double Tap and Triple Tap, you will need to wait a time between them.
This Back Tap combination will work even if your phone is locked. Again, take your time trying out different combinations of tap and features to see which ones are most effective.
Disclaimer
This post is for informational purposes only and is based on publicly available features within iOS. All features, options, and steps described were accurate at the time of writing and may vary based on your iPhone model, iOS version, or regional availability. We are not affiliated with Apple Inc., nor do we guarantee the performance of the Back Tap feature on all devices. Use shortcuts and automation responsibly, especially when assigning actions to physical gestures. Always ensure your settings suit your personal needs and usage preferences.