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Facebook is now Meta. Will the Facebook app name change? Here’s what we know

What is Meta and what does it mean for the names of the other Facebook-owned apps and services, including Instagram? We’ll explain.

Facebook said it’s rebranding itself as Meta — much like Google re-created itself as Alphabet — to house its services and products. Tying into the idea of a metaverse, Zuckerberg said that the word «meta» comes from the Greek word meaning»beyond» and that «it symbolizes that there is always more to build.»

Intended to be a virtual world where people work, play, learn and connect, what does the rebranding mean for the apps and services that Facebook owns, such as Instagram or WhatsApp? We’ll explain what you can expect. And here’s what Oculus’ CTO thinks about Facebook’s rebranding and everything else that was announced at Facebook’s Connect conference this week.

Will Meta change the name of the Facebook app and service?

No. Facebook, the social media app and service, will keep the same name. Only the umbrella company that oversees all the different apps is changing to Meta.

«Our mission remains the same, still about bringing people together. Our apps and their brands, they’re not changing either,» Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerburg, said during Thursday’s virtual event.

What about renaming Instagram and WhatsApp?

Don’t look for any name changes to Instagram and WhatsApp either, but you can expect the apps to now fall under the Meta parent company.

Will Oculus change?

Here is one that is changing. Zuckerberg said the Oculus name used for the company’s virtual reality headsets and service will change to Meta Quest and the Meta Quest app early next year.

Technologies

Homer Simpson, Bob Belcher and More Dads May Join Fortnite for Father’s Day

Animated TV dads from The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, King of the Hill and The Cleveland Show are reportedly headed to Fortnite.

D’oh! The popular game Fortnite may be gearing up for its most dad-centric, delightfully weird crossover yet.

According to trusted Fortnite leaker @ShiinaBR, four iconic animated TV fathers — Bob Belcher of Bob’s Burgers, Hank Hill of King of the Hill, Cleveland Brown of The Cleveland Show and Homer Simpson of The Simpsons — are coming to the third season of the popular game as playable skins in honor of Father’s Day this weekend.

A representative for Epic Games, the company that owns Fortnite, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While Epic Games hasn’t officially confirmed the lineup, evidence is piling up. Three of the four skins have already been spotted in the game files and a connection with The Simpsons has been teased through official channels, adding more fuel to the hype. 

Fans first speculated about a King of the Hill collaboration in May after «Propane Specialist» assets referencing Arlen, Texas, were found in-game.

Read more: Tell Ya What, Hulu’s King of the Hill Reboot Has a Clip and Release Date

It’s a clever twist on Fortnite’s usual pop culture mashups, tapping into animated comedy royalty to celebrate fatherhood in all its awkward, endearing, burger-flipping, beer-drinking glory.

Read also: You Can Now Play Fortnite Again on iPhone and iPad

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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 AccessibilityTouchBack 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.

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Technologies

Get Outside and Spot June’s Strawberry Moon This Week

The moon is also part of what’s called a major lunar standstill, and the next one won’t be for another 18.6 years.

Not all full moons are created equal, and a great example of this is June’s full moon, which you can check out this week. Also known as the strawberry moon, June’s full moon will be one of the more interesting full moons of the year. It’s a mini-moon, which means the moon is as far away from the Earth as its orbit will allow. It’s also part of a major lunar standstill, which will give the moon a unique trajectory across the sky that only occurs every 18.6 years. 

Your best chance to see the strawberry moon will be early on June 11, with the fullest possible moon not visible until 3:46 a.m. according to The Farmer’s Almanac. It’ll be only slightly less full on both June 10 and June 12.

Since it is a mini-moon, it’ll also appear to be smaller and dimmer than a normal full moon. Anyone who caught one of four supermoons in 2024 will be able to spot the stark contrast between a supermoon and a mini-moon. During a supermoon, the moon is as close to the Earth as its orbit allows, a phenomenon known as perigee. 

For a mini-moon, the moon is as far away from Earth as it can get, a phenomenon called apogee. It’s a little less exciting than a supermoon, but for context, it’s neat to know how dim and small the moon can get compared to how big and bright it can get during a supermoon. 

The major lunar standstill

The strawberry moon is part of what’s called a major lunar standstill. This occurs once every 18.6 years when the moon’s orbit aligns just right with the Earth’s tilt. As most astronomers can tell you, the moon rises and sets from different points of the horizon based on the time of year, the Earth’s tilt and the moon’s orbit. 

In short, the moon’s path through the sky is as long as it’s going to get. This phenomenon isn’t specific to June 2025. In fact, people will be able to view it for most of the year. However, once it’s gone, it’ll be 18.6 years before it shows up again. 

Another interesting tidbit about major lunar standstills is that the moon will be rising and setting on parts of the horizon where the sun will never go. This was noted by researchers at English Heritage, who are currently studying the notion that Stonehenge lines up with this once-in-a-generation event. 

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