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How to use the secret back button on the iPhone
In This Article
If you’re looking to make use of the iPhone’s little-known but very handy Back Tap button, here’s a guide on how to set it up.
You might think that all the buttons on your iPhone are obvious, from the side button to the volume keys, to the ring/silent toggle (orAction Buttonon theiPhone 15 Proseries). However, there’s an extra one hiding in plain sight that’s rarely mentioned – and it’s none other than the back panel itself, adorned with that alluring Apple symbol.
The functionality allows you to activate various actions simply by double- or triple-tapping the rear of the phone, making it easy to access apps like Camera or toggle the torch on.
Here’s how you can put it into action and reprogram it for your own uses.
What you need
The Short Version
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Step1
Open the Settings app
To start, open up your iPhone’s Settings app. This is the app with an icon that resembles a mechanical cog.
Step2
Tap on Accessibility
The next stage is to tap on the Accessibility menu, which has a person in a circle as its icon.
Step3
Tap Touch
From the list of options within the Accessibility menu, tap the Touch function. This one’s icon is a hand with one finger extended, and is found within the Physical and Motor section.
Step4
Scroll down and tap Back Tap
From within the Touch menu, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap on Back Tap.
Step5
Select Double Tap or Triple Tap
Now tap either Double Tap or Triple Tap from the menu. You can map these to different functions, so double-tapping on the back can trigger one function, while triple-tapping will activate another.
Step6
Choose the action you want to perform with the secret button
From within either the Double Tap or Triple Tap menu, select what you’d like this to trigger from the extensive list of options. For example, you may want a double tap of the rear to bring up the camera app if you want to take a quick snap, or triple tap the rear to toggle the torch on.
Step7
Double- or triple-tap on the rear of your iPhone
Once you’ve selected a function to map to the secret button, activate it by double- or triple-tapping the rear of your iPhone. It’s worth noting that, if activating it while locked, you may have to put your passcode in to access some apps and functionality.
FAQs
Simply follow this guide, but at the last stage, select “None” for Double Tap and/or Triple Tap.
This is a neat feature, so it’s a bit of a puzzle why Apple has chosen not to draw much attention to it – but it’s simply not all that well known among the wider public, and that’s what makes it seem relatively “secret” at least by comparison to the other buttons you’re likely to use every day.
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Lewis is the Mobile Editor of Trusted Reviews with plenty of phone experience, from the Nokia 3210 to the iPhone 14 Pro Max. He has been in the tech industry writing about phones, headphones, tablets,…
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
