One of the best new iPhone features you're not using yet
Every year Apple launches a major revision of its operating system and this year’s release, iOS 14, brings with it a huge number of new features. There is a new Translation app, new memojis and new ways to increase privacy.
iOS 14 is one of the biggest updates in years, so there’s a lot going on. Tap or click here to find out what’s new in iOS 14 and what you should do before updating.
There is one new feature in iOS 14 that people are raving about and you’ll probably want to start using right away. It makes things like opening apps and launching Control Center so much easier than before. Keep reading for everything you need to know about the new feature and how to use it.
What is Back Tap and what can you do with it?
Apple introduced a helpful new accessibility feature with iOS 14 called Back Tap. The new feature gives you the ability to customize shortcuts by double and triple tapping on the backside of your iPhone.
With either a double or triple tap, you can now hit the back of your iPhone (conveniently as you are holding the device without readjusting) to do anything from opening the Control Center to looking at notifications or even launching an app.
When we say anything, we mean it. There are a lot of different choices for what you can have both your double and triple taps do on iOS 14.
To prevent accidental tapping there isn’t a single tap option, and four tap actions and beyond would start to feel cumbersome. But you can have both a double and triple tap active and set them to do different things with ease. Some of the most useful things you can do with back tapping include the following:
- Open App Switcher
- Go to Home screen
- Mute
- Open Notification Center
- Take a screenshot
- Open Siri
- Turn volume up/down
- Magnify or zoom
- Volume Up/Down
- Scroll up or down
Among the many new features in iOS 14 are a host of security and privacy improvements. Tap or click for more about Recovery Keys, which are an important privacy tool that is returning to iOS in iOS 14.
How to enable Back Tap and set up actions
Apple’s Back Tap is an extension of its accessibility suite of features, so to enable it all you’ll need to do is be sure you’ve updated your device to iOS 14+ and then open the Settings app.
iOS 14 is the biggest iPhone update in years - but do this before updating
If you caught a glimpse of Apple’s latest fall event, you were probably dazzled by all of the shiny new tech and wild features of the latest Apple Watch and iPad. But after the product announcements came there was a far more important piece of news: iOS 14 is ready to make its debut.
Smarter Siri, iOS 14, more privacy and everything else Apple just announced
It’s that time of year again: Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer’s conference has finally come — and with it, a plethora of new announcements for both hardware and software alike.
Unlike previous years, the 2020 conference opened to an audience of exactly zero people. Not because of a lack of enthusiasm, mind you, but rather pandemic-related precautions. For the first time, WWDC 2020 was livestream only, which shows how Apple is taking COVID-19 seriously. Tap or click here to see what Apple’s contact-tracing system looks like.