Technologies

Want to Open an iPhone App Without Touching the Screen? Here’s How

You can launch any app and perform other useful functions just by tapping the back of your iPhone.

If you don’t have an iPhone 16, you might think you’re missing out on the new Camera Control button that lets you quickly open the camera app. Luckily, if you have an iPhone from the past few years, there’s already a hidden «button» that can open the camera — or any other app. To access it, all you need to do is tap the back of your device.

The feature is part of the Back Tap tool in your iPhone’s accessibility settings. Once enabled, it can trigger almost anything your phone can do, from turning on the flashlight to opening Shazam before a song ends. You can even set it to open the Control Center, take a screenshot or run a custom Shortcut with two or three quick taps. It’s fast, discreet and surprisingly powerful once you set it up.

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 limited to just 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

Everyone Should Have Exactly 3 Pairs of Headphones, and These Are My Picks. Here’s Why

For everyday use, exercising and lengthy listening time, three is the perfect number for a headphones collection. Let me explain.

When people ask you what your «big three» are, they might be asking about your sun, moon and rising astrological signs. But when I ask my friends the same question, I’m not trying to determine their horoscope. Instead, I’m curious what their headphones and earbuds collection looks like.

After more than a decade working as a technology journalist, I’m in the fortunate position of having what most people would consider to be too much tech in my house. I make a real effort to keep it to a minimum and try not to accumulate any unnecessary gadgets. But with headphones, I’ve come to the conclusion that everyone needs at least three pairs. No matter how hard I’ve tried, I can’t pare this number.

See also: Best Earbud and Headphone Deals: Bag Big Savings on Models From Apple, Sony and Others

First, there are the everyday earbuds. These are the ones that can slide into your smallest bag or your pocket and travel everywhere with you — on your commute, on your errands and on shopping trips.

Second, there are the over-ear, luxury headphones. These need to have that heady combo of great noise cancellation, audio quality and battery life, combined with a level of comfort that means you could easily wear them for an entire long-haul travel day.

Finally, if you’re serious about fitness, you need dedicated workout headphones. Could you wear either of the above pairs to go on a long run? Sure, and plenty of people do. But for the sake of longevity and your sanity, having a sweat-proof, durable pair of headphones that won’t budge may save your sanity in the short term and save you money in the long run.

If you’re trying to make one pair of headphones work in every scenario, you might feel frustrated that none are able to truly deliver the experience you want across the board. This is where my theory comes into play. It really doesn’t matter which headphones you choose for each of these purposes, but I do believe they are distinct categories with little crossover.

And what are my big three? They may not be the same as your,s but these are the headphones I absolutely can’t live without right now.

My everyday earbuds: OnePlus Buds 3

I will die on the hill that you shouldn’t spend more than $100 on your everyday earbuds — the kind that you will drop, accidentally bash and at some point, inevitably, lose. So much about buds comes down to personal preference on how they actually feel when tucked inside your ears.

Personally, I’ve settled on the OnePlus Buds 3, which list right at $100. They’re aesthetically pleasing in a pale blue that matches my preferred fashion color palette, and I find them to be supremely comfortable. I’ve been using them for a good six months, and I don’t have any of the usual niggles I have with earbuds — by which I mean they don’t fall out of my ears or have any random, weird sound glitches.

Soundwise, I enjoy the heavy bass and find the ANC to suit my needs as a frequent traveler on public transportation. With 10 hours of battery life, plus an additional 44 hours in the case, these buds have never let me down. They’re not necessarily anything special, but I keep reaching for them even though I have other options at my disposal.

My luxury over-ear headphones: Dali IO-8

At the other end of the spectrum, my favorite luxury headphones have transformed my longest travel days into periods of prolonged sonic bliss. I wear the Dali IO-8 headphones through airports, on plane journeys, all the way through to checking into my hotel. They also come with me on my daily hot girl walks.

With 30 hours of battery life and decent ANC, they allow me to move through the world in my own little bubble. Not only are they truly the most luxurious and comfortable headphones I’ve ever used, they also provide me with glorious sound.

You can switch between two modes: hi-fi and bass. I usually stick with the former. No matter whether I’m immersed in an audiobook, bopping away to Paramore, spacing out to Sigur Ros or getting lost once again in the depths of Taylor Swift’s back catalog, the $1,100 Dali IO-8s deliver.

My workout headphones: Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

There’s no two ways about it: I’ve tried other workout headphones and I keep coming back to Beats. I’ve been known to tie up my running shoes and be halfway out the door, then calling the whole run off because I can’t find my Powerbeats.

I’ve been a fan since the earliest Powerbeats model but the latest Powerbeats Pro 2, priced at $249, are my favorite workout headphones yet. Once in, they simultaneously feel glued to my head with a tight seal in my ear, while also being so light and comfortable I forget they’re there. This is an essential combination when you’re exercising, as the last thing you want to do is deal with any discomfort or annoyance that might distract from your workout.

CNET’s resident audio expert, David Carnoy, rated the Powerbeats Pro 2 an 8.8 out of 10, noting the improved sound quality and good noise canceling. As someone who’s long been a fan of this line, I have to agree, and I’d go so far as to say this latest upgrade has made running to my favorite high-energy tracks more enjoyable than ever.

If you happen to be looking for more headphone models for running, extended listening sessions or everyday use, here are more of Carnoy’s top picks among the many headphones he’s tested.

Technologies

Look to the Sky: Bright Fireballs Appear During the Perseids Meteor Shower

Look up, and if you’re lucky, you could see dozens of meteors in the sky each hour.

Skygazers rejoice, the summer isn’t finished with delivering meteor showers to feast your eyes on. Last week saw dueling meteor showers taking over the sky, but the most popular meteor shower of the year won’t hit its peak until next week. The Perseids meteor shower is about to give you a real light show, provided you’re far enough away from light pollution to see it.

Perseids are known for their bright fireballs and plentiful meteors. The show started on July 17, and will run through Aug. 23.

The reason the Perseids meteor shower is so popular is twofold. First, it takes place in the summer, so going outside and watching it is less uncomfortable than other large meteor showers like Quadrantids, which takes place in wintery January.

The other reason is that it’s one of the most active meteor showers of the year. During its peak, the meteor shower is known to rain down as many as 100 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society. These not only include your typical shooting stars, but also a higher chance for fireballs, which are meteors that explode as they enter orbit. Per NASA, fireballs tend to last longer than standard shooting stars and can come in a variety of different colors.

Perseids come to Earth courtesy of the 109P/Swift-Tuttle comet. Earth’s orbit around the sun brings it through Swift-Tuttle’s tail every year. The comet itself takes 133 years to orbit the sun. Its last perihelion — the point at which it’s the closest to the sun — was in 1992. It won’t be back until the year 2125. Until then, it leaves behind an excellent tail of dust and debris to feed us yearly meteor showers.

How to catch the Perseids meteor shower

The best time to view the Perseids is during its peak, which occurs on the evenings of Aug. 12 and 13. During this time, the shower will produce anywhere from 25 to 100 meteors per hour on average. However, since the shower officially lasts for over a month, you have a chance to see a shooting star on any given evening, provided that you’re far enough away from light pollution.

Thus, if you’re planning on watching this year’s Perseids during their peak, you’ll want to get out of the city and suburbs as far as possible. According to Bill Cooke, lead of NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office, folks in the city might see one or two meteors from the meteor shower per hour, which is pocket change compared to what those outside city limits might see.

Regardless, once you’ve arrived at wherever you want to watch the meteors, you’ll want to direct your attention to the radiant, or the point at which the meteors will appear to originate. Like all meteors, Perseids are named after the constellation from which they appear. In this case, it’s Perseus.

Per Stellarium’s free sky map, Perseus will rise from the northeastern horizon across the continental US on the evenings of Aug. 12 and 13. It’ll then rise into the eastern sky, where it’ll remain until after sunrise. So, in short, point yourself due east and you should be OK. Binoculars may help, but we recommend against telescopes since they’ll restrict your view of the sky to a very small portion, which may hinder your meteor-sighting efforts.

The American Meteor Society also notes that the moon may give viewers some difficulty. Perseids’ peak occurs just three days after August’s full moon, so the moon will still be mostly full. Thus, it is highly probable that light pollution from the moon may reduce the number of visible meteors by a hefty margin, depending on how things go.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Aug. 2

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 2.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

The Mini Crossword today sure covers a lot of ground! We’ve got tech, math, perfume and history on tap. My favorite clue is the punny 8-Down. I’ll try that one out the next time I’m at an art museum. Keep reading for an assist with today’s Mini Crossword. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.