Technologies
My Favorite Hidden iPhone Shortcut To Turn On The Flashlight (And More)
This simple pro iPhone tip will save you time and fumbling.

My iPhone‘s flashlight isn’t just a tool I casually fire up if something accidentally rolls under the couch, it’s a feature I use daily to light up the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night, scan my backyard when animals make weird sounds and… OK, yeah, find something I’ve lost under my couch. And since I use the iPhone flashlight so often, I’ve turned on a tool deep in the iOS settings menu that makes it faster to light up the torch — no more fumbling with the lock screen for the flashlight icon or unlocking the phone first.
I don’t exaggerate when I say this hidden iPhone feature has changed the flashlight for me.
Don’t miss: Here’s How to Track Any Flight From Text Messages on Your iPhone
Back Tap for the iPhone is an accessibility feature that Apple introduced with iOS 14,. It lets you quickly perform certain actions — say, taking a screenshot or launching your camera — by simply tapping the back of your phone. Essentially, it turns the entire back of your iPhone into a button.
This is an important benefit for all kinds of people, and for me, enabling Back Tap has let me turn it into a customizable button to quickly trigger the iPhone flashlight. I’ll tell you exactly how to set it up for yourself, and you can of course customize Back Tap to trigger other actions.
Also, if you want to learn more about other iPhone and iOS features, check out these 10 next-level iOS 16 features and how to find the «secret» iPhone trackpad.
How to set up Back Tap on iPhone
Whether you want to link Back Tap with your flashlight, camera or launch a different iPhone app, the path through your iPhone settings begins the same way.
On your compatible iPhone (iPhone 8 or later), launch the Settings application and go to Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. Now you have the option to launch your action (in this case, your flashlight) with either two or three taps. Although two taps is obviously faster, I would suggest three taps because if you fidget with your phone, it’s easy to accidentally trigger the accessibility feature.
Once you choose a tap option, select the Flashlight option — or a different action if you prefer. You’ll see over 30 options to choose from, including system options like Siri or taking a screenshot, to accessibility-specific functions like opening a magnifier or turning on real-time live captions. You can also set up Back Tap to open the Control Center, go back home, mute your audio, turn the volume up and down and run any shortcuts you’ve downloaded or created.
You’ll know you’ve successfully selected your choice when a blue checkmark appears to the right of the action. You could actually set up two shortcuts this way — one that’s triggered by two taps and one that’s triggered by three taps to the iPhone’s back cover.
Once you exit the Settings application, you can try out the newly enabled Back Tap feature by tapping the back of your iPhone — in my case, to turn on the flashlight. To turn off the flashlight, you can tap on the back of your iPhone as well, but you can also just turn it off from your lock screen if that’s easier.
For more great iPhone tips, here’s how to keep your iPhone screen from dimming all the time and cancelling all those subscriptions you don’t want or need.
Technologies
Peloton’s Friday the 13th-Themed Workouts Let You Try to Escape Jason, the Iconic Killer
The company is collaborating with the companies behind the hockey-masked slasher to light a fire under your next workout.
Do you have what it takes to be the final survivor in your favorite horror movie? Or are you too unfit to outrun the murderous slasher from Friday the 13th?
Peloton’s new collaboration with the companies behind the hockey-masked movie murderer, Jason Voorhees, brings the campy horror of Camp Crystal Lake to your exercise routine.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
The exercise company joined forces with Jason Universe and Horror, Inc., the original owners of the Friday the 13th film franchise, to assemble three classes inspired by the infamous movie killer. Instructors, appropriately dressed as camp counselors, run themed exercises based on trying to survive Jason’s rampage.
The first class, a 30-minute ride with instructor Camila Ramón, runs from the Peloton studio to Camp Crystal Lake. As cyclists get closer to their final destination, it becomes clear that they’re riding for their lives.
The second class is a 30-minute boot camp with instructor Rebecca Kennedy, focused on improving muscle strength. Kennedy starts with a normal routine before transitioning into training about how to escape the creepy camp.
The session concludes with a 10-minute meditation with instructor Denis Morton focused on breathing techniques that help with «facing your demons and finding calm in scary times.»
Immersive storytelling meets exercise
The new series of exercises is a clever bit of storytelling that blurs the line between reality and fiction. This Jason-themed narrative feels like Peloton’s attempt at an alternate reality game.
«We’re so excited to bring this haunting series to our Members, unlocking a new way for our community to experience a physical journey like never before,» said Ramón. «Reimagining the Jason Universe and Camp Crystal Lake onto our platform allows us to explore a new type of immersive storytelling.»
If you want to survive Jason’s latest killing spree, you’ll have to train hard. While the killer usually ambles forward at a glacial pace, he always seems to show up just when someone gets too comfortable. The original Friday the 13th movie came out 45 years ago, so Jason has decades of slasher experience under his moldering belt.
All three of the new Jason-themed Peloton classes are available to members now. A commemorative limited edition T-shirt featuring Jason Voorhees is also available on Peloton’s apparel website. The scariest thing is its price — $49.
Technologies
Amazon Prime’s $2.5 FTC Settlement: Learn Who’s Eligible and How Much Payouts Will Be
The online retail giant will soon begin paying misled customers who subscribed to Amazon Prime.
If you thought your Amazon Prime signup process was a little confusing, it’s not just you. The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Amazon in 2023, alleging that the retail giant misled customers in marketing Prime subscriptions to its customers. In September, Amazon agreed to pay a $2.5 billion settlement, one of the largest in US history.
The FTC said $1.5 billion will go into a fund to repay eligible subscribers, with the remaining $1 billion collected as a civil penalty. And while Amazon did not admit to wrongdoing, it’s still making changes to how it presents the service. The settlement requires Amazon to add a «clear and conspicuous» option to decline Prime during checkout and to simplify the cancellation process.
«Amazon and our executives have always followed the law, and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers,» Mark Blafkin, Amazon senior manager, said in a statement. «We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership, and to offer substantial value for our many millions of loyal Prime members around the world.»
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Why did the FTC file a lawsuit against Amazon?
The FTC filed suit against Amazon accused the company of using «dark patterns» to nudge people into Prime subscriptions and then making it too hard to cancel. The FTC maintained Amazon was in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act.
«Specifically, Amazon used manipulative, coercive or deceptive user-interface designs known as ‘dark patterns’ to trick consumers into enrolling in automatically renewing Prime subscriptions,» the FTC complaint states.
Who’s eligible for Amazon’s payout?
Amazon’s legal settlement is limited to customers who enrolled in Amazon Prime between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025. It’s also restricted to customers who subscribed to Prime using a «challenged enrollment flow» or who enrolled in Prime through any method but were unsuccessful in canceling their memberships.
The FTC called out specific enrollment pages, including Prime Video enrollment, the Universal Prime Decision page, the Shipping Option Select page and the Single Page Checkout. To qualify for a payout, claimants must also not have used more than 10 Amazon Prime benefits in any 12-month period.
Customers who signed up via those challenged processes and did not use more than three Prime benefits within one year will be paid automatically by Amazon within 90 days. Other eligible Amazon customers will need to file a claim, and Amazon is required to send notices to those people within 30 days of making its automatic payments.
Customers who did not use a challenged sign-up process but instead were unable to cancel their memberships will also need to file claims for payment.
How big will the Amazon payments be?
Payouts to eligible Amazon claimants will be limited to a maximum of $51. That amount could be reduced depending on the number of Amazon Prime benefits you used while subscribed to the service. Those benefits include free two-day shipping, watching shows or movies on Prime Video or Whole Foods grocery discounts.
Customers who qualify for the payments should receive them by Dec. 24.Customers outside the US aren’t eligible for the payout.
Technologies
These Already Affordable ANC OneOdio Headphones Are Even Better at $26 Off
They’re one of our favorite noise-canceling pairs for less than $100, and you can snag some for a record-low $64 right now.
Though you could easily drop $300 or even more, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get yourself a decent pair of headphones these days. There are some excellent budget-friendly options out there that still have plenty to offer, and right now you can snag one of our favorite pairs of 2025 for even less. Amazon has knocked $26 off the OneOdio A10s, which brings them down to a record-low $64. Though this deal could expire at any time, so be sure to get your order in soon.
These over-ear OneOdio headphones earned a spot on our list of the best noise-canceling pairs under $100 thanks to their sturdy design and superior comfort. According to CNET audio expert David Carnoy, they also «sound surprisingly decent and have reasonably good noise canceling with a transparency mode.» Plus, they boast an impressive 50-hour battery life and have a 3.5mm aux port for wired listening as well.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK
-
$300 (save $51)
-
$299 (save $151)
-
$220 (save $180)
Why this deal matters
Having earned a spot on our list of the best budget noise-canceling headphones, the OneOdio A10s are already a decent value at full price. So a chance to grab a pair on sale — let alone for a record-low price — is a serious bargain. They have a sturdy design, impressive sound and decent noise-canceling capabilities, which is a solid set of features for less than $70.
Though there are plenty of other excellent headphone deals available now, if you’re on the hunt for a different pair.
Join Our Daily Deals Text Group!
Get hand-picked deals from CNET shopping experts straight to your phone.
By signing up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to receive recurring marketing messages at the phone number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Msg & data rates may apply. View our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
-
Technologies3 года ago
Tech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies3 года ago
Best Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies3 года ago
Tighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года ago
Verum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года ago
Black Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 года ago
Google to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies4 года ago
Olivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года ago
iPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow