Modern iPhones are packed with sensors, one of which is a highly sensitive accelerometer capable of detecting physical taps on the rear chassis of the device. Apple leverages this hardware through an Accessibility feature called Back Tap.
Back Tap turns the entire back of your iPhone into a giant, invisible, customisable button. You can assign specific actions to a “Double Tap” or a “Triple Tap,” allowing you to trigger system functions, open apps, or run complex Siri Shortcuts simply by drumming your finger on the back of your phone.
Requirements
Back Tap is a hardware-dependent feature. It requires:
- An iPhone 8 or newer.
- iOS 14 or later installed on the device.
Note: Back Tap works through most standard phone cases, including thick silicone or leather cases. However, extremely heavy-duty “rugged” cases may occasionally interfere with the tap detection.
How to Enable and Configure Back Tap
Back Tap is disabled by default because it is categorised as an Accessibility feature.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
- Under the “Physical and Motor” section, tap Touch.
- Scroll to the very bottom of the menu and tap Back Tap.
Here, you will see two options: Double Tap and Triple Tap. You can configure one or both of them simultaneously.
- Tap Double Tap (or Triple Tap).
- You will be presented with a long list of available actions. Tap the action you want to assign. A blue checkmark will appear next to your selection.
Available Back Tap Actions
Apple provides a wide variety of native system actions you can map to a Back Tap. These are categorised into several groups:
System Actions
These replicate physical button presses or common swipe gestures:
- App Switcher: Instantly opens the multitasking view.
- Camera: Quickly launches the camera app without needing the lock screen button.
- Control Centre / Notification Centre: Drops down the respective menus without having to reach the top of the screen (especially useful on large “Max” model iPhones).
- Flashlight: Toggles the LED flash on and off.
- Mute: Silences the phone without using the physical ringer switch.
- Screenshot: Takes a screenshot instantly, which is much easier than awkwardly squeezing the Volume Up and Side buttons together.
Accessibility Actions
These trigger specific accessibility tools:
- Magnifier: Opens the camera as a magnifying glass.
- Zoom: Magnifies the screen interface.
- AssistiveTouch: Toggles the floating virtual home button.
- Background Sounds: Plays soothing white noise or rain sounds.
Scroll Gestures
You can assign Scroll Down or Scroll Up. This is highly beneficial for reading long articles or scrolling through social media feeds one-handed.
Advanced Power: Using Shortcuts with Back Tap
While the system actions are useful, the true power of Back Tap lies at the very bottom of the selection list: Shortcuts.
Every single Siri Shortcut you have created or downloaded in the Apple Shortcuts app is available to be triggered by a Back Tap. This allows for near-infinite customisation. For example, you can create a Shortcut that:
- Logs your current location to a spreadsheet and texts your partner “I’m on my way home.”
- Opens your front door using a smart lock.
- Connects your iPhone to a specific Bluetooth speaker and starts playing your favourite Spotify playlist.
- Creates a new Apple Note pre-filled with the current date and time.
Once you build the Shortcut in the Shortcuts app, simply return to the Back Tap settings menu, scroll to the Shortcuts section at the bottom, and select it.
Troubleshooting Back Tap
If you find that Back Tap is triggering accidentally when you set your phone down on a hard table, try changing your assigned action from a Double Tap to a Triple Tap. The iPhone is much less likely to register three accidental, consecutive impacts than two.
Back Tap is one of the most underutilised productivity features on the iPhone. By mapping your most frequent, tedious actions to a simple double-tap on the chassis, you can significantly speed up your daily iOS workflow.