Haptic Touch instead of 3D Touch: You have to know
Haptic Touch was introduced by Apple already with the iPhone XR, with the new models iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, the operating mode has now completely replaced 3D Touch. We explain what is actually behind Haptic Touch and what users of older iPhones need to know with 3D Touch.
Will 3D Touch be completely replaced by Haptic Touch?
These iPhones support 3D Touch: iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
These iPhones support Haptic Touch: iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone Pro Max
With the release of iOS 13, 3D Touch is almost completely replaced by Haptic Touch. Instead of a very firm pressure on the display, a long press on the screen is enough. The joke about it: Even the iPhone SE from the spring of 2016 thus gets haptic touch features (although curiously enough you can not define them more precisely in a menu, such as the iPhone 11 Pro.)
However, a few 3D touch functions are retained on compatible older iPhones, such as activating the cursor over the entire keyboard and not just the space bar.
That's what Haptic Touch offers
On the home screen
Similar to 3D Touch before, Haptic Touch also allows faster access to basic functions of the iPhone or an App. With a long press on an app on the homescreen, you can start depending on the application different and sometimes even dynamic actions directly, without the app itself must be opened. If the app has a Widget for the Today view, it will also be displayed after a haptic touch. A tip on the widget opens the associated app.
Here are some examples of different haptic touch actions:
Google Maps: Driving Times, My Places, My Posts, Send My Location
Camera: take a selfie, take a video, take a portrait, take a portrait selfie
Settings: Bluetooth, WLAN, Mobile Data, Battery
In addition, you have with each app (except the Apple system apps) with a long haptic touch the ability to share the application or rearrange all apps on the homescreen. Alternatively, apps can also be deleted or rearranged by hitting the Haptic Touch on an app icon, pop up the context menu and then keep your finger pressed a bit longer on the screen.
When downloading apps
In addition, there are haptic touch promotions for downloading apps. So you can pause with a long tip a download or cancel.
With Haptic Touch, the download of apps can be paused or canceled.
In folders
There are also haptic touch functions for folders. As a default feature, folders can be renamed or moved. If the folder also contains apps with not yet read notifications, these are also displayed via Haptic Touch and can then be opened without going through the folder.
Handy: With Haptic Touch, you can quickly access apps with notifications in folders.
In message center and control center
Haptic Touch even works in the control center and message center. The messages differ depending on the app and range from a simple preview to the full range of functions. With Haptic Touch you can also delete in the message center with a long tap on the "X" all notifications at once.
Also in the control center (almost) all controls can be operated with Haptic Touch. For example, you can switch very quickly between different WLANs, without having to change the settings of iOS cumbersome. Simply open the Control Center, tap and hold the Wi-Fi icon, reselect the icon, and then choose between the different networks that are within range. Similarly, controls such as Bluetooth, Flashlight, Screen Sync, Brightness, or Do Not Disturb, all offer haptic touch settings.
Haptic Touch has also moved into the control center. Here you can set with a long press about the non-annoying mode.
As a preview ("Peek")
Similar to 3D Touch, Haptic Touch can also be used to preview news, websites or links. If the preview is available, the window pops up over the link, the possible actions are listed below. To close the preview window, you just have to tap anywhere outside the screen or swipe down the window.
With Haptic Touch you can open a preview on a link and copy or share directly.
Animate live photos
When wiping through the photo album, Live Photos automatically plays the recorded animation. But with Haptic Touch, the moving images can be started anywhere else, even as a background on the lock screen.
This is how you can customize Haptic Touch
The menu for Haptic Touch can be found in iOS under "Settings> Accessibility> Tap> Haptic Touch". Here you can change the touch duration between "Fast" and "Slow" and thus adjust how quickly content previews or context menus are displayed. In addition, a touch-duration test can be performed here.
For older iPhones that still have 3D Touch, the menu path in iOS 13 is still "Settings> Accessibility> Touch> 3D Touch & Haptic Touch". There you can also set the pressure strength fixed, medium or easy. Unlike Haptic Touch, 3D Touch can also be deactivated.
Summary
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone XR only have Haptic Touch and no more 3D Touch
- Older devices from the iPhone 6s still have 3D Touch, but many old operating modes with iOS 13 are replaced by the new haptic touch features
- Similar to 3D Touch, Haptic Touch also allows you to quickly execute commands without having to start apps yourself
- For a haptic touch, you just have to press the screen of your iPhone a bit longer
- The hardness of the pressure does not matter