Top 10 Must-Know 3D Touch Shortcuts

Introduced as a hallmark feature of Apple’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus last year, 3D Touch — although a new and still developing feature — is a revolutionary new way in which we can interact with Apple’s latest iPhones. And while it’s expected that, as the Silicon Valley tech-giant continues to bring refreshed devices to the table, 3D Touch will only expand in functionality and to other devices in Apple’s family of mobile gadgets.

There’s still plenty you can do with 3D Touch in its inherent capacity, however, which is why we’ve gone ahead and created a list of our top 10 favorite 3D Touch tips and tricks for Apple’s iPhone 6s.

1.) Quick Actions

While Quick Actions still remain exclusive to just a few apps, the functionality is an intuitive and convenient way to jump right into an app without even having to open it. Currently supported apps on the iPhone 6s include Music, Notes, Camera, Photos and others, with even more apps expected to join the fun in iOS 10. Give an app icon on your home screen a ‘medium’ strength press, and convenient Quick Actions will appear in a transparent gray box.

2.) Peek & Pop

Peek and Pop using 3D Touch is an intuitive new way to access certain content — such as text messages, or photos — by simply pressing on the item in a unique way. Peek, as its name might suggest, allows you to preview content before you view it in an opened app. Not to mention, when Peeking, you can slide your finger upwards on the screen to revel a subsequent list of menu and sharing options. Try it by going to your Messages app, and give one of your conversation threads a ‘medium’ strength press to Peek inside. While continuing to hold, swipe up to reveal quick reply options.

Pop, on the other hand, involves a slightly harder, longer force press of the screen, and allows you to view an item — such as that text message from the notification — in its respective app.

3.) 3D Touch w/ App Switcher

You can access the iOS app switcher by applying pressure and swiping in from the left edge of the screen at the same time. This action, however, isn’t particularly the easiest to execute — as different UI elements or content, such as photos and web links, tend to get in the way. Nevertheless, 3D Touch is still a quick and effective way to access the native iOS app switcher.

4.) Quickly Snap a Photo, Selfie, or Record a Video

Use 3D Touch ‘Quick Actions’ on the camera app to bring up the capture menu — from which you can select to either take a photo, snap a selfie, or record a video in the default format.

5.) Get Home Quickly

From the home screen, you can force press on the Maps icon to reveal the quick actions menu. From there, you can select “Directions Home’” which will pull up the turn-by-turn directions on how to get home from your current location.

6.) Quickly Respond to Text Messages

When viewing a conversation thread in Messages, you can simply force press on that message thread, which will reveal a preview of that conversation. From the preview window, swipe upwards, which will reveal a list of messaging quick responses — such as “Ok,” “Yes,” or “Thanks.” You can also customize the list and create your own response.

7.) Preview Photos Without Opening Them

When browsing photos in your camera roll, you can simply press to peek at a particular photo — and then, from the preview screen, swipe upwards to reveal the standard share and copy options. Another long press will pop the photo open — causing the image to expand to full-screen.

8.) Quickly and Easily Save Images From The Web

If while browsing the web, you come across a photo that you’d like to save — simply long force press on that photo. This will reveal the photo in preview screen, from which you can swipe upwards to reveal the two “Save Image” or “Copy” options.

9.) Use a Trackpad While Typing

When you’re typing in any app, you can quickly turn the keyboard into a touch sensitive track pad. Simply force press on the keyboard until the keys disappear and the color turns a shady gray. You can then move your finger about the shaded area to navigate the cursor through your text.

10.) How To Change 3D Touch Sensitivity

Under the 3D Touch settings menu in the iOS Settings app, you can tweak the sensitivity of force press, in addition to toggling 3D Touch on and off. Simply go to General > Accessibility > 3D Touch, and then slide your finger along the slider to either increase or decrease the sensitivity of force presses. You’ll be able to sample he sensitivity before saving via the preview image within that same menu.

Did you know any of these 3D Touch tips and tricks? What’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments!