Apple Intentionally Removed 3D Touch App Switching from iOS 11

3D Touch App Switching Gesture Returns in iOS 11.1 Beta 2 Credit: iMore
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Apple has done away with the 3D Touch app switching gesture in iOS 11. The disappearance was noted in the release of the first two iOS 11 developer seeds and was met with mixed reactions.

The app switching gesture was meant to provide quick access to the iOS app switcher menu and an easy way to switch back to your previous app. All users had to do was Force Touch the left edge of their iPhone screen rather than double-clicking the Home button. However, many users complained that the feature was too easy to activate unintentionally, whereas other struggled to activate it all.

Twitter user Bryan Irace set out to confirm whether the removal was intentional and received a short and to-the-point response from Apple Developer Relations: “Please know that this feature was intentionally removed.” Irace was not very pleased with the news and tweeted the following: “Apple engineering has confirmed that 3D Touch multitasking was intentionally removed in iOS 11. I am livid.”

The gesture was first demoed by Craig Federighi at the iPhone 6s event, during which 3D Touch was unveiled. As of now, it’s unclear why Apple has removed the shortcut, though there is speculation that it may not be compatible with the upcoming bezel-less iPhone 8.

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