Technologies
The Back of Your iPhone Has a Secret Button. Here’s What It Can Do
You can activate it simply by tapping the back of your iPhone (and yes, it still works with a case).
We’re a few months out from the release of iOS 26, which will introduce a whole new look to the iPhone. But what if you’re still holding on to an older iPhone that won’t get the new Liquid Glass redesign or Apple Intelligence for screenshots? What if you’re itching to try out something new like the Camera Control button on the latest models?
Good news: There’s a hidden feature that lets you quickly activate your iPhone camera without unlocking your device or touching the screen, and it works on some fairly old devices. All you need to do is set up the secret «button» on the back of your iPhone.
You can use this feature to not only launch your camera app, but also turn on your flashlight or activate Shazam to identify a song before it ends. You can summon your iPhone’s Control Center or Notification Center without having to swipe down from the top of your screen. In fact, with a little bit of imagination, you can use this feature to perform almost any of your phone’s functions.
The feature is called Back Tap, and like the Action Button on newer iPhones, it gives you one more way to interact with your device without touching the screen. You can activate it by tapping anywhere on the back of your phone, including on the camera module. The best part is that it works even if you have a fairly thick case on your iPhone.
Back Tap is available on iPhones as old as iPhone 8, as long as they’re running iOS 14 or later. We’ll show you how to enable it and how to use it with your Shortcuts app for nearly endless possibilities.
Read more: All the Ways the iPhone 16’s Camera Control Button Will Change Your iPhone Photography
What is the iPhone Back Tap feature?
Back Tap is an iPhone feature introduced in iOS 14. It lets you perform shortcuts on your iPhone by double or triple tapping on the back of the device.
You can customize Back Tap on your iPhone to easily perform common actions like pulling up the Control Center or Notification Center, especially useful if you have a larger phone and can’t swipe down from the top of the screen without some complex finger gymnastics. You can even have two separate functions enabled at the same time: Back Tap can distinguish between a Double Tap and a Triple Tap.
Depending on the number of times you touch the back of your iPhone, you can set Double Tap to open your Notification Center and Triple Tap to take a screenshot. Or, you can make Double Tap open the Control Center and Triple Tap launch the Magnifier app. Experiment with Back Tap to find the right combinations of taps and functions that best fit your needs.
And you aren’t just limited to the Back Tap options that are available by default. Thanks to the Shortcuts app, you can set up Back Tap to perform specific functions or launch any app. For example, you can create a simple shortcut that opens Shazam or starts a voice recording, then activate it with a quick Double Tap or Triple Tap. You can also use Back Tap to trigger a more elaborate shortcut, such as automatically sending photos and videos to specific photo albums.
How do I set up Back Tap on my iPhone?
To enable Back Tap, go to your Settings app. Then go to Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap. There, you’ll find a list of options for configuring Double Tap and Triple Tap.
Here is the full list of functions that you can map to a Double Tap or Triple Tap:
-
None
-
Accessibility Shortcut
System
-
App Switcher
-
Camera
-
Control Center
-
Flashlight
-
Home
-
Lock Rotation
-
Lock Screen
-
Mute
-
Notification Center
-
Reachability
-
Screenshot
-
Shake
-
Spotlight
-
Volume Down
-
Volume Up
Accessibility
-
AssistiveTouch
-
Background Sounds
-
Classic Invert
-
Color Filters
-
Control Nearby Devices
-
Dim Flashing Lights
-
Live Captions
-
Live Speech
-
Magnifier
-
Smart Invert
-
Speak Screen
-
VoiceOver
-
Zoom
-
Zoom Controller
Scroll Gestures
-
Scroll Down
-
Scroll Up
At the bottom of the menu, you’ll also see a list of Shortcuts. These options will vary depending on what’s available in your Shortcuts app.
The one potential downside to Back Tap is that you don’t get any tactile feedback when you use it, so you might accidentally trigger it at the wrong time and not realize it until later. For instance, you might double tap without meaning to and set off your flashlight by accident. In that case, you might want to remap your Double Tap to a less conspicuous function. Or, you can leave Double Tap off and only use Triple Tap, which you probably won’t trigger as often.
How do I use Back Tap to take a quick photo?
One way to set up Back Tap is to map Double Tap to the Camera and Triple Tap to Volume Up or Volume Down. Because you can press either of the volume buttons to instantly take a picture, you can get the same effect if your volume buttons are mapped to Back Tap. With this combination, you can capture a photo with five quick taps on the back of your iPhone (though you’ll have to pause briefly between performing the Double Tap and Triple Tap, so that your phone can distinguish between the two actions).
This Back Tap combination even works if your phone is locked. Again, spend some time trying out different combinations of taps and features to find which ones are most useful for you.
Technologies
Football Fans Scrambling After ESPN, ABC, Disney Pulled From YouTube TV
Several channels were pulled from the service after the two sides failed to meet a deadline for a deal.
Like a desperate quarterback, millions of college football fans could be scrambling. Disney pulled ESPN and ABC from YouTube TV on Friday after both sides failed to meet a midnight deadline to strike a deal over content distribution.
Unless something changes, millions of fans won’t be able to watch the college football games that ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will broadcast Friday and Saturday. That includes No. 5-ranked Georgia versus Florida — aka «The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party» — No. 9 Vanderbilt versus No. 20 Texas, No. 7 Ole Miss versus South Carolina and several other games.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC — all Disney properties — broadcast the most college football games by far. Their schedule is listed here. ESPN and ABC air NFL games on Monday nights and also broadcast NBA games.
A representative for Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Disney says YouTube TV is not paying enough to stream its channels. YouTube TV, owned by Google, has the most subscribers of all other internet TV providers, more than 9 million. Hulu, owned by Disney, is second with 4.3 million subscribers through its Hulu + Live TV offering. Disney and Google needed to reach an updated contractual agreement by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 30, which didn’t happen.
Football fans aren’t the only viewers left sidelined. Here are all the channels that were pulled from YouTube TV:
ABC
ESPN
ESPN2
Freeform
FX
FXX
Disney Junior
SEC Network
Nat Geo
Nat Geo Wild
Disney Channel
ESPNU
FXM
ABC News Live
ACC Network
Disney XD
Localish
ESPNews
ESPN Deportes (Spanish Plan)
Baby TV Español (Spanish Plan)
Nat Geo Mundo (Spanish Plan)
YouTube TV posted on X, «Members, when we renew our contracts with network partners, we advocate for fair pricing to offer you the best TV experience.» The service also said it would offer subscribers a $20 credit «if their content is unavailable for an extended period of time.» You can find updates on the dispute on this YouTube TV page.
«Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny its subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC,» Disney said in a statement to CNBC.
In a memo to employees on Friday that was reported by CNBC, Disney accused YouTube TV of deleting «previously recorded shows and events from their subscribers’ libraries.»
«YouTube TV and its owner, Google, are not interested in achieving a fair deal with us,» Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the memo. «Instead, they want to use their power and extraordinary resources to eliminate competition and devalue the very content that helped them build their service.»
Consumers have alternatives to YouTube TV to get their favorite streaming channels, including Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and DirecTV Stream. CNET’s top streaming picks ar here.
Technologies
How to Redeem Every Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT Code
If you act quickly, you can use these SHiFT promo codes to snag epic loot and tons of Vault Hunter cosmetics in Borderlands 4.
The biggest looter shooter of the year, Borderlands 4, is out, and players are already taking the fight to the Timekeeper on Kairos. If you want to put the beat down on someone strong enough to control an entire planet, then you’re going to need an arsenal of powerful weapons and equipment.
Luckily, developer Gearbox Software is willing to lend a helping hand. Instead of having to farm every piece of legendary equipment in-game, you can roll the dice on some loot with Golden Keys unlocked by SHiFT promo codes.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
If you’re already swimming in more loot than you know what to do with, some SHiFT codes also unlock special cosmetic looks for your favorite vault hunters. Special in-game challenges have already unlocked promo codes for Amon, Rafa and Vex vault hunter skins, with a Harlowe skin unlocking soon. Here’s how to use the latest SHiFT codes in Borderlands 4.
All active SHiFT codes for Borderlands 4
You can hunt down SHiFT codes on social media, but we’ll keep all of the active promo codes in one place for ease of access.
Below, you’ll find a chart that contains every active SHiFT code for Borderlands 4, what it unlocks and its expiration date:
Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT codes
| Reward | SHiFT code | Expiration date |
|---|---|---|
| Vex Mass Market Appeal Skin | BZ6JJ-CB6CT-WXJJW-3TT3B-56FZ5 | Jan. 1, 2031 |
| Amon Cult Classic Skin | JZ6BJ-SBR5J-WF3BK-BT3BB-TX9HB | Dec. 31, 2030 |
| Rafa Savings Savior Skin | TZXT3-XJXCB-CXBJW-BTTJT-9SK6B | Dec. 31, 2030 |
| Harlowe Maliwannabee Skin | J96JT-BCXKT-C6JJ5-JTJBB-BZTXJ | Dec. 31, 2030 |
| Break Free Cosmetics Pack | JS63J-JSCWJ-CFTBW-3TJ3J-WJS5R | Jan. 1, 2031 |
| Halloween Cosmetics Pack | 3S6BB-ZXT93-KRT3W-BT3T3-JW6TZ | Jan. 1, 2031 |
| Golden Key | J9RTT-KWCK3-CFBB5-BTBT3-FKRB6 | Nov. 1, 2025 |
| Golden Key | BHRB3-XCWCJ-WFJTK-JTJJT-FCWF9 | Nov. 1, 2025 |
| Golden Key | 3SRB3-95CC3-K6TB5-BTJTB-66ZHW | Nov. 1, 2025 |
| Golden Key | T9RJB-BFKRR-3RBTW-B33TB-KCZB9 | No expiration |
How to redeem SHiFT codes for your Borderlands 4 account
While SHiFT codes are totally free rewards for you to accumulate, you must make a SHiFT account to input any active codes in-game.
SHiFT is a service that Gearbox integrates into its biggest games, and making an account unlocks forums and exclusive beta participation. It’s also necessary to create an account to turn in any promo codes, which is what most fans care about.
Once your account is created, you can enter your SHiFT codes in two separate places. Within your SHiFT account settings, you can find a Rewards tab with a field to enter any Borderlands promo codes. Once you enter the codes, any unlocked items will be added to your account the next time you open the game.
However, an easier way to input your SHiFT codes is within Borderlands 4 itself. Within the game’s pause menu, you can access a SHiFT. Select the Rewards tab from the resulting menu, input your codes and the unlocked items will be immediately available on your save.
Where are SHiFT codes normally released?
SHiFT codes are released frequently on Gearbox and Gearbox-affiliated social media channels. For the best chance at catching every new SHiFT code that gets released, you should follow Gearbox on X and on Facebook.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford also releases promos on his X account, so if you’re brave enough to follow him despite his frequent outbursts toward fans you can find SHiFT codes there as well.
What are SHiFT codes?
SHiFT codes are promo codes that Gearbox occasionally releases that reward players with loot and cosmetics in Borderlands games. The main SHiFT code reward is a Golden Key, which opens the Golden Chest in most Borderlands hub areas.
But don’t spend them immediately — it’s worth saving your Golden Keys until you reach the level cap and are playing on the hardest difficulty, as the loot rewards will scale to your character accordingly. This is a great way to begin farming some endgame legendaries quickly and easily.
Technologies
SNAP Benefits Expire Tomorrow. Here Are 3 Easy Ways to Help the Food Insecure
States are scrambling to find ways to offer emergency food relief and aid amid the federal government shutdown.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are expiring tomorrow amid the nearly one-month-long government shutdown. Based on 2024’s fiscal year, nearly 42 million low-income Americans relied on SNAP to afford groceries and receive crucial food assistance.
States are scrambling to find ways to offer emergency food relief and aid after Nov. 1. Over two dozen states have sued the Trump administration for not funding SNAP. And some online companies are stepping in to help, including HelloFresh and DoorDash.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Why SNAP benefits are expiring and why it matters
The Department of Health and Human Services’ website notes that the federal government shutdown is impacting November SNAP benefits and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Starting next month, recipients will only be able to access funds from previous months on their EBT cards.
Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, federal funding for multiple agencies has come to a halt. Many federal workers, such as TSA employees and air traffic controllers, have either been furloughed or missed paychecks due to the shutdown. Now SNAP — a Depression-era government-funded program that is also commonly referred to as food stamps — is at risk.
According to data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in 2024’s fiscal year, more than 62% of people who received SNAP benefits were families with children. The average SNAP benefit for one household member was $163 per month.
According to CNN, if the government doesn’t find a solution within the next two days to fund SNAP, the program’s benefits will be cut off for the first time in its history.
«The well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 1,» a message at the top of the USDA’s website states.
Democratic leaders from 25 states are behind the lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Trump administration for its refusal to use a $6 billion contingency fund to maintain SNAP. Point 5 of the lawsuit, which Politico shared, reads: «USDA suspended SNAP benefits even though, on information and belief, it has funds available to it that are sufficient to fund all, or at least a substantial portion, of November SNAP benefits.»
1. Go online and find a food bank near you
If you aren’t reliant on SNAP, there are ways you can help those who are. To find a food bank near you, visit Feeding America’s website and type in your Zip Code. Some state government websites provide similar information, but not all do. You can donate food or volunteer to work in food banks.
You can also look for ways to help your community. Check charity, nonprofit and service organization websites, as well as mutual aid services, including community fridges, for information on local resources. Facebook groups, online forums, local schools and hospitals and religious entities are also running programs to help families buy groceries or get meals delivered. Before donating food, double-check with the organization on what is most needed.
2. See if your state offers assistance
Some state governments are activating emergency assistance programs for people and food banks, including those in California, New York, West Virginia, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Washington. There will also be week-to-week state emergency benefits in Delaware, rent and utility payment relief in Hawaii, funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in Kentucky and a new Emergency Nutrition Assistance initiative to distribute funds in Virginia.
Some other states have also declared states of emergency or ordered the National Guard to assist in distributing food.
3. Spread the word about meal delivery donations
Donations and charity alone won’t address the food needs of more than 42 million people, but temporary measures can help alleviate some hardship during the benefit suspension for some households.
Food delivery company DoorDash has launched an emergency food response to the expiration of SNAP benefits. According to a press release, the company will deliver 1 million free meals to more than 300 Project Dash food bank partners, waive delivery and service fees for SNAP recipients, and donate food to local food banks from its DashMart stores.
«We know this is a stopgap, not a solution. But doing nothing simply isn’t an option,» said Max Rettig, vice president and global head of public policy at DoorDash.
Food delivery service Gopuff is offering SNAP recipients a $50 credit in November for all SNAP-eligible items, which will be delivered free of charge.
HelloFresh will donate $1 for each fall-themed meal kit purchased from its seasonal menu, up to a total of $50,000, to benefit No Kid Hungry, which helps SNAP and school meal programs. (Available during the weeks of Nov. 8 and Nov. 15, the two HelloFresh meal kits include creamy sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken with mashed potatoes and garlicky green beans; and crispy chicken cutlets and rigatoni in a creamy butternut squash sauce.)
Although it is not related to the SNAP program, another popular meal kit, Home Chef, donates $100,000 each year to Feeding America.
How to get your $50 SNAP credit from Gopuff
If you’re a SNAP recipient, here’s how to get $50 in credit this November:
- Make sure a SNAP EBT card has been added to your Gopuff account.
- Add SNAP-eligible items to your Gopuff shopping cart (those items will be clearly marked if eligible).
- Use code SNAPRELIEF1 at checkout for $25 off and free delivery from Nov. 1 to 15.
- Use code SNAPRELIEF2 at checkout for $25 off and free delivery from Nov. 16 to 30.
How to get SNAP items delivered for free on DoorDash
If you’re a SNAP recipient, here’s how to get free delivery and no service fees on one order during November:
- Make sure a SNAP EBT card has been added to your DoorDash account.
- Place an order at a SNAP-enabled store on DoorDash. They will be clearly marked and include Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Food Lion, Giant Foods, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle and Wegmans.
- Use promo code SNAPDD at checkout.
-
Technologies3 года agoTech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies3 года agoBest Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies3 года agoTighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года agoVerum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года agoBlack Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 года agoGoogle to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies4 года agoOlivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года agoiPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow
