The Accidental Trigger
Apple includes a hidden accessibility feature in modern iPhones called “Back Tap.” By utilizing the internal accelerometer, the iPhone can detect if you physically tap the glass on the back of the device two or three times. You can map this gesture to take a screenshot, turn on the flashlight, or open the camera. However, because the accelerometer is highly sensitive, simply setting your phone down hard on a wooden desk, or tapping your phone against your steering wheel, often triggers the gesture accidentally. If you are tired of discovering hundreds of accidental screenshots in your camera roll, you must completely disable the physical tap sensor.
How to Turn Off Back Tap
You can permanently sever the connection between the accelerometer and the custom macro engine via the Accessibility settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Accessibility.
- Under the “Physical and Motor” section, tap on Touch.
- Scroll all the way down to the absolute bottom of the menu and tap on Back Tap.
- Tap on Double Tap and select None at the top of the list.
- Tap the back arrow, then tap on Triple Tap and select None.
A Physically Inert Device
The change takes effect instantly. The iPhone will completely terminate the background gesture recognition daemon responsible for monitoring the rear glass panel. You can now tap, smack, or drop the back of your phone onto a table, and the operating system will remain completely inert. Your flashlight will never again accidentally blind you, and your screenshot folder will remain perfectly clean.