Hidden deep within the iPhone’s accessibility settings is a feature called “Back Tap.” When enabled, it allows you to trigger specific actions—like taking a screenshot, turning on the flashlight, or opening the camera—simply by double-tapping or triple-tapping the physical back of your phone. While this is an incredibly clever accessibility tool, many users find themselves accidentally triggering it just by setting their phone down on a hard desk or nervously tapping the back of the case during a phone call. If you are tired of accidental screenshots, you can easily turn this feature off.
How to Disable the Back Tap Feature
Because Back Tap is designed as a motor-function accessibility aid, it is located far away from the standard gesture settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down the main menu and tap on Accessibility.
- Under the “Physical and Motor” heading, tap on Touch.
- Scroll all the way down to the very bottom of the Touch menu.
- Tap on Back Tap. (It will likely say “On” next to it).
- You will see two options: Double Tap and Triple Tap.
- Tap into Double Tap. At the very top of the massive list of actions, tap None. A blue checkmark will appear next to it.
- Tap the “Back” arrow in the top-left corner.
- Tap into Triple Tap, and again, select None at the top of the list.
Once both Double Tap and Triple Tap are set to “None,” the feature is completely disabled. You can now tap the back of your phone or set it down heavily on a table without triggering any accidental software actions.