3D Touch

Barclays: 2019 iPhones to lose 3D Touch, full-screen Touch ID on 2020 models & iPhone SE 2 with iPhone 8 hardware in the works

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2019

One analyst has made a number of predictions for the upcoming iPhones calling for the removal of 3D Touch from all 2019 models. He says iPhones released in 2020 may adopt acoustic fingerprint sensors behind the whole display area which would allow for a full-screen Touch ID feature. And there's also talk of the iPhone SE successor based on iPhone 8 hardware possibly being released in early 2020.

ShortcutEnabler brings iPhone X-inspired camera and flashlight shortcuts every handset’s Lock screen

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 9, 2019

If you own any of Apple’s notched handsets, such as the iPhone X, XR, XS, or XS Max, then you’re already familiar with the two small shortcuts that appear on the bottom left and right of your Lock screen for the Flashlight and the Camera.

These shortcuts are incredibly useful in a pinch, and yet Apple never thought to provide them for users of older, non-notched handsets. Fortunately, you can now change that with the help of a free jailbreak tweak called ShortcutEnabler by iOS developer NoisyFlake.

How to prioritize app downloads or updates on iPhone

Sandy Writtenhouse ∙ Updated January 24, 2024

When you’re downloading more than one app at a time on your iPhone, it can seem like it takes forever. You might be setting up a new device and have tons of downloads or let your updates pile up on the App Store and are downloading them at once.

Not all apps take priority when you’re downloading either. You might really want an email app available before a game. Luckily there is a way to speed up downloads or updates for specific apps by prioritizing them, and here’s how.

SmartRotate: a video-friendly Rotation Lock for your iPhone

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 20, 2019

While iOS’ built-in Rotation Lock feature can be an asset at times, there are also instances where it tends to be a real pain in the fanny. Case in point: when you begin watching a video and your handset won’t rotate into landscape mode until you manually turn Rotation Lock off.

iOS developer LaughingQuoll understood the problem with this implementation by Apple and set out to come up with a better solution. The result? – A new jailbreak tweak called SmartRotate has now been released.

Add a splash of color to your Home screen’s 3D Touch shortcuts with ColorShortcuts

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 4, 2019

I often take advantage of the 3D Touch-based shortcuts on my Home screen to access vital features in my favorite apps, but I’ll be the first to admit that Apple’s native implementation of these menus looks somewhat bland out of the box.

Fortunately, a jailbreak tweak called ColorShortcuts by iOS developer Cole Cabral can fix that. Just as you might have inferred from the tweak’s name, ColorShortcuts will permit jailbreakers to colorize their 3D Touch menu shortcuts however they’d like.

Update for Sileo beta adds 3D Touch support, fixes app crashing issue

Anthony Bouchard ∙ February 13, 2019

On Tuesday, the Sileo Team pushed another minor update to the Sileo beta preview on Tuesday with some new features and enhancements, bringing it up to version 0.7b2.

Citing the Sileo Team’s official announcement on Twitter Tuesday evening, this update adds full support for 3D Touch gestures via the Home screen and in the app, enabling you to access shortcuts and take advantage of peek-and-pop in the app itself:

Could this be the year Apple nixes 3D Touch for good?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 22, 2019

Is 3D Touch going to be phased out for good from this year's upcoming iPhone models in favor for its inferior tap-and-hold replacement, dubbed Haptic Touch?

WSJ: 2019’s iPhone XS Max will rock 3 rear cameras, XR’s successor to gain 2 rear cameras

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 11, 2019

The Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that it has learned from people familiar with Apple's roadmap that the company plans on releasing three new iPhone models in 2019, with a refreshed iPhone XS Max picking up a triple-lens setup out the back and a second-generation iPhone XR gaining two rear cameras instead of one.

Another 3D Touch replacement: iOS 12.1.1 lets iPhone XR expand alerts with Haptic Touch

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 8, 2018

iPhone XR makes up for the omission of a 3D Touch display with Haptic Touch, which is basically a long-tap paired with Apple's precise haptic feedback produced by the built-in Taptic Engine mechanism. Now, Apple's colorful handset launched without a 3D Touch replacement for expanding rich notifications but an iOS 12.1.1 update will bring this action to Haptic Touch.

Goodbye 3D Touch? Apple to deepen support for iPhone XR’s Haptic Touch in iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 24, 2018

iPhone XR lacks the 3D Touch feature but its replacement, dubbed Haptic Touch, pairs the familiar tap-and-hold gesture with the vibratory haptic feedback. Currently limited to a handful of places where 3D Touch is used, most notably the Flashlight and Camera shortcuts on your Lock screen, Haptic Touch is definitely coming to more place in iOS in the near future.

Better3DMenus lets you customize your 3D Touch menus

Anthony Bouchard ∙ October 12, 2018

Most modern iPhones support 3D Touch, a means of pressing firmly on your display to reveal additional options or features at a glance. Using a 3D Touch gesture on a Home screen app icon exposes a bevy of shortcuts for that specific app.

As useful as these 3D Touch menus can be, Apple doesn’t let you customize their appearance out of the box. Fortunately, a new free jailbreak tweak called Better3DMenus by iOS developer dpkg_ picks up the slack.

Apple cut down on iPhone XS Max OLED display cost by taking out some 3D Touch components

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2018

That massive 6.5-inch OLED panel adorning a 256-gigabyte edition of the new iPhone XS Max amounts to nearly one-fifth of the phone's total bill of materials, according to estimates by TechInsights in their teardown of the handset.