3D Touch is
one of the most popular features to come around for iPhones recently. Available
for the iPhone 6s, this innovative feature allows you to quickly perform quick
tasks through apps without actually opening up the app. But mastering 3D Touch
can take some getting used to. Here’s how you can successfully master 3D Touch
without breaking a sweat.
The Basics
Basically,
3D Touch relies on pressure to get things done. Specifically, the pressure of
your fingers. Your iPhone can sense how much pressure you’re putting on the
screen, allowing you to access certain features and menu items. Think of it as
an intuitive right-click for your phone without actually right clicking on your
screen.
Under Pressure
Mail is one
area where 3D Touch really shines. All you need to do is open up your mail app.
Lightly tap on a message to get a quick preview for the message. If you want to
go a little deeper and actually open up the message, just hold down your finger
harder.
This works
for links in your email, texts, and on webpages. You can lightly tap on links
to see a quick preview of a webpage, allowing you to see what a link’s all
about without actually loading it up. To actually open the link, press harder.
Pressure is
the name of the game with 3D Touch. Press on addresses to get a quick peek at
locations. Tap on photos to see a larger preview.
Quick Actions
But where
3D Touch really comes in handy is through Quick Actions. Press on an app icon
on your home screen to pull up Quick Actions. For example, tap on your Phone
app. You should be given a list of quick options, including calling contacts
you’ve listed as a favorite.
You can do
this with many, many apps on your phone. For example, you can tap your best spy cam app to quickly take a selfie or a photo.
Notes
Since 3D
Touch is all about pressure and allowing you to get things done with a cell phone monitoring app, you can actually use 3D Touch to take even better notes in your Notes
app. With the ability to do everything from drawing pictures to making
handwritten notes, you can actually vary your pressure to thicken lines with the track iPhone app. Just open up the Notes app, start a new note and get started.
Live Photos
3D Touch
comes with one especially neat feature: Live Photos. To take one, just open up
your Camera app. Make sure that your shooting mode is set to Photos. You should
see a yellow icon on the top or left side of the screen depending on whether
your phone is in portrait or landscape mode. By activating Live Photos, you’ll
basically be taking a quick 1.5 second video.
With 3D
Touch, you can turn on a Live Photo by lightly tapping on the photo, which will
allow you to see the clip. This is great if you’re taking a photo and want to
show an action or give your family and friends insight into the sounds and
commotion going on when the photo was taken.
For more
fun, you can even set a Live Photo as your background and with a light tap on
the lock screen, you can bring your background to life. This allows you to
really make your phone shine.
3D Touch,
for those of us who have it, can be an intuitive, fun feature with a lot to
offer. Just remember to experiment with pressure and light taps. From
previewing links to taking live photos, anything is possible with 3D Touch.
