Tech Reference

How to set up Back Tap shortcuts on your iPhone, so you can open apps just by tapping the back of your phone

Written by Dave Johnson
woman iphone phone
Tapping the back of your iPhone can do all sorts of things. REUTERS/David Gray
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iOS 14 has given iPhone users a new way to interact with their phones: Back Tap shortcuts.

Back Tap is a feature that lets users tap the back of their iPhone to launch Siri, take screenshots, lock the phone, and more. This might sound like it's prone to error, but it's actually quite consistent.

There are more than two dozen shortcuts you can assign to the Back Tap. You can even connect a shortcut you've set up using the separate Shortcuts app. 

That said, you can only have two Back Tap shortcuts at once — one for double-tapping, and one for triple-tapping. But they're easy to set up and change at any time.

Note that Back Taps aren't available on all iPhones. To use them, you'll need to have one of these iPhone models

  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max

How to set up Back Tap shortcuts on your iPhone

1. Start the Settings app and tap "Accessibility."

How to set up back tap shortcuts on the iPhone 1
Start by tapping "Accessibility" in the Settings app.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

2. In the Physical and Motor section, tap "Touch."

3. Scroll to the bottom and tap "Back Tap."

How to set up back tap shortcuts on the iPhone 2
Back Tap is a new entry in the Touch menu.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

4. Tap either "Double Tap" or "Triple Tap," depending upon which gesture you want to configure.

5. Choose the feature, command, or shortcut you want to assign to the gesture. If you've set something up in advance using the Shortcuts app, it'll be listed at the very bottom of the page under "Shortcuts."

How to set up back tap shortcuts on the iPhone 3
You have a lot of choices to assign to the Back Tap gesture.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

6. Tap "Back Tap" at the top-left to save your shortcut. You can now assign a command to the other gesture, or stop here.

If you find that your Back Tap commands aren't working, even after you set them up, check your phone case. Some phone cases — especially if they're thick — will block your iPhone from picking up your taps.

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dave june
Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.