How to Use 3D Touch on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
Apple's
iPhone 6s and 6s Plus has been selling strongly since its launch last month,
thanks in part to a number of new features including 3D touch. With it, users
can access Quick Actions from the home screen and Peek and Pop from within a
variety of stock and third-party apps.
You might be wondering what all fuss about using 6s is. Let’s take you through
the roller coaster of iPhone 6s.
Quick Actions
You can only use Quick Actions on an app's icon, and it works as
shortcut to specific features within the app. For example, Instagram's Quick
Action lets you create a new post, view your activity, search, or send a direct
message.
To trigger Quick Actions, give a firm press on an app's icon. When the menu
appears, drag your finger to the shortcut you would like to use. The app will
open directly to that feature.
Peek and
Pop
Peek and Pop is the
3D Touch action that happens inside an app. A light press opens a hovering
window so you can "Peek" at the content. When you press just a little
bit harder, you will "Pop" into the actual content you'd just been
previewing in a Peek.
Peek and Pop can be used in a number of different ways, depending on what the
app developer wants. For example, while inside the Dropbox app, you can Peek
into a folder to see what documents are inside and then Pop into the folder if
you've found the document you are looking for.
To trigger Peek and
Pop, lightly press on a link, message, email, folder, or whatever you would
like to Peek at. Press slightly harder on the screen to open the content you
were previewing to Pop into it. You can exit a Peek by simply lifting your
finger off of the screen.
Turn
Your Keyboard Into a Trackpad
With 3D Touch, you
can turn your onscreen keyboard into a track pad so you can use a moveable cursor in text-based apps.
Instead of touching and holding a word in an email to highlight it, you can use
the trackpad for more precise action.
To access the trackpad functionality, press down anywhere on the keyboard until
the keys blur out and you feel a bit of haptic feedback. Then, move your finger
around on the trackpad to move the cursor. When you're in this mode, pressing a
bit harder on the trackpad will automatically begin highlighting text.
Activating
Live Photos
By now, you may
have already started taking Live Photos, but did you know that you can play
them back at any time using 3D Touch? Just select the Live Photo you want to
view and press on it. This even works with Live Photos on your Lock Screen.
Multitasking
While older iPhones
require users to double tap the Home button to call up the multitasking
feature, 3D Touch lets iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users quickly navigate to the app
switcher by pressing on the left side of the screen.
To call up multitasking, press on the
left side where the bezel and screen meet. A medium press pulls up just the
most recent app you've used, while a harder press activates the full
multitasking feature where you can swipe through all of your recently used
apps.
Pressure-Sensitive
Drawing
Since the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus can sense how much pressure you are applying to
the screen, drawing becomes more natural. You will produce thicker or thinner
lines depending on how much pressure you apply. This works with the drawing feature
in the new Notes app and in other drawing apps that have been updated to take
advantage of 3D Touch.
Adjust
3D Touch Sensitivity
If you find that you are having trouble getting 3D Touch to work, you can
adjust the sensitivity to trigger actions with a lighter or harder press. It
might be a good idea to adjust your settings to lighter for a while, until you
get a feel for how it feels.
To adjust the pressure settings for 3D Touch, open the Settings app and
tap on General. Then, select Accessibility, and then 3D Touch from the
available options. Then, slide the bar to the left or right to adjust the
sensitivity.
Disabling 3D Touch
If you find 3D Touch more frustrating than it is worth, you can turn the
feature off entirely and never have to worry about how hard you are supposed to
press on the screen.
Open the Settings app and tap on General. Then, select Accessibility, and then
3D Touch from the available options. Toggle the 3D Touch switch to the Off
position to disable it.
Apps
Compatible with Peek and Pop
·
Maps – You can use 3D Touch on an address
to get a Peek at it in Apple Maps. Press harder to Pop into the app with the
address already listed in the search window.
·
Mail – While in the inbox, you can Peek at
an email without having to open it. While the window is open, swipe up for
additional actions like replying, marking as unread, and more. Swiping to the
left lets you easily delete the message, while swiping to the right toggles it
to read or unread.
·
Notes – Take a Peek at a note to see its
contents. Swipe up to delete, share, or move a note to a new folder. You can
also use pressure sensitivity in the drawing feature for thicker or thinner
lines.
·
Messages – With 3D Touch, you can Peek at a
message without having to get into the whole thread. Swipe up to access quick
replies. If you press on a contact's photo, you can call up options for sending
an email or FaceTime.
·
Calendar – Peek at an event to get an overview
of its contents. Swipe up to delete it. You can also Peek at an invitation to
quickly accept or decline it.
·
Reminders – When you use 3D Touch on an
item in your Reminders app, you can access a list of actions you can take.
·
Music – Peek at an album or playlist.
Swipe up to play music, shuffle a playlist, and add or remove items.
·
Photos – Peek at a photo to see a
larger view of it without having to open it in a new window. Swipe up to share,
favorite, copy, or delete a photo.
·
Safari – Using 3D Touch on a link will
bring up a small window preview of the website. Swipe up to open the page in a
new tab, copy the URL, or add the page to your offline reading list.
Third-Party Apps
There are already a number of apps that have been updated for 3D Touch
compatibility, and the list grows longer every day. Below is a list of some of
the most popular ones with the most interesting features.
·
Fantastical
2
·
iMovie
·
iWork:
Pages, Numbers, and Keynote
·
Twitter
·
Facebook
·
Hipstamatic
·
Dropbox
·
Instagram
·
Pinterest
·
Skype
·
Snapchat
·
Instapaper
Happy reading….. Stay fit… Stay calm….
