Have you tried the Back Tap feature? iPhone Secret Button could be “Life Changing”

A tech influencer has shown a “secret button” available on iPhones which people are dubbing “life changing.” Elly Bailey, who goes by @ellyawesometech on TikTok, discovered the handy tech hack.  She is self-described as “Australia’s biggest female technology influencer” and boasts 826,000 followers. Sharing the tip, Bailey said: “You’re using the iPhone wrong, if you’re not using the Back Tap feature.” The tip has gained over one million views in just two days with viewers trying, and loving it for themselves.

The video shines a light on the little-known Back Tap feature on the iPhone (ahem, which we told you about back in November of 2020), which is available on most devices from iPhone 8 and above, running iOS 14. The feature invites users to simply double or triple tap on the back of their phone, by the Apple logo, to induce a designated action. Bailey chooses to pair the tap with her Shazam shortcut, meaning all she needs to do is tap the back of her phone to rapidly record and source a song playing. To use a shortcut feature however, you need the Shortcuts app in use on your phone too.

To set the feature up, simply go to Settings on the iPhone before scrolling to Accessibility and choosing Touch. The bottom of the page shows the Back Tap feature options, giving you the choice between a double tap or triple tap, or both. Selecting each feature then shows an array of possible actions tapping can trigger, from opening the camera to locking your phone.

In October 2021, former Apple Genius Sabrina Badin went viral on the app for her list of little-known features on Apple products. The features weren’t exactly hacks, but with so few people knowing about them, they may as well have been. One of the most popular tips shown by Badin was how to record a video on the iPhone with music playing in the background.

Users are often left frustrated by the phone’s apparent inability to continue playing music while recording, but there’s a way around it, explained Badin. Simply record a video by holding down the white shutter button on the regular camera setting, and dragging the finger to the right. The shutter button should become a recording button that begins to film with music still playing when released.

As for the Back Tap tip, TikTok viewers rushed to thank Bailey for sharing her discovery, vowing that it is set to change their technological life. “You have changed my life forever,” wrote one user. “Why has nobody told me this?” asked another. iPhone hacks prove popular on TikTok, with users appreciating new discoveries about the products they already own.

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Photo Credit: Hadrian / Shutterstock.com