Although the 3D touch option has been around for awhile, you may still not understand how to access it correctly. Apple created this function so you can simply press the screen harder to attain additional functionality in some areas. The 3D touch function is available on iPhones from the 6s and later.
Enabling 3D touch:
When you purchase a new iPhone, the 3D touch option should automatically be on, but if you have turned it off at some point, it is easy to turn back on. First open up the settings app and go into General settings. Then access the Accessibility and then tap the 3D Touch option. Once you are there, use the toggle to turn 3D touch on and off. Another setting you can change, is the amount of pressure it takes to enable the 3D touch. You can choose between light, medium, and firm.
‘Quick Actions’ and ‘Peek and Pop’:
The 3D Touch options fall into two different categoties: “Quick Actions” and “Peek and Pop”. Quick Actions are simply shortcuts for acting on a notification. Peek and Pop allows you to preview and act on different things. To “peek” you press hard on an option and if iOS offers a preview for it, a pop-up will appear. To “pop” all you have to do is press hard on the pop-up.
Trackpad Mode:
The trackpad option is available on the keyboard. When you are using the keyboard, press hard on any key and you will notice that the keys will go blank. Once the keys go blank, you will have the ability to start dragging your finger around which will then move the cursor. This allows you to move the cursor to any part of your text and edit it. This is an easy way to edit only a single part of a text without having to delete everything.
App Switcher:
Another function that is available to you is the app switcher. Normally to switch apps, you would double tap on the home button, but with the app switcher function all you have to do is touch and hold on the left side of the screen. Touching the left side of the screen will allow you to switch through apps easier.
The Control Center:
The Control Center is the perfect place to start learning how to use 3D touch. Open up the Control Center and you will see many options that control your phone. To access additional options, all you do is press hard on any of the icons and the extra options will appear.
The Home Screen:
The best features of the 3D Touch definitely come through extra access on your home screen. If you use folders to help organize your home screen, you have probably noticed that iOS puts the total number of notifications for that folder in the upper right hand corner. To specifically see where these notifications are coming from, hold down on the folder. Holding down on the folder will show you a list of the apps and their notifications. If you slide your finger to one of those apps listed, it will take you directly to that app.
Quick actions for apps:
Almost all of the apps that you download on your phone will have a quick action option. This means that you can simply hold down on the app icon and options will appear for you. This allows you to quickly access an app without having to open it completely.
The options listed above are just a few things you can do with 3D Touch. Now that you have these few pointers, you can confidently use 3D touch to its full ability.
Written by: Megan Williams
Social Media 4 Seniors phone number: (865)437-6556
Social Media 4 Seniors email: jdancu@socialmedia4seniors.net
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