Sunday, June 12, 2016
Apple iPhone 6S 3D Touch tips and tricks
Apple's pressure sensitive display technology was announced in September 2015 on the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, going by the name 3D Touch.
Thanks to the technology, the displays on board the latest iPhones don't just recognise gestures like tap, swiping and pinching, but force too, allowing for clever shortcuts into and within various apps.
Pressing and holding icons will launch menus and the pressure at which you press also affects what you see and the selections you are offered. Here are just a few things 3D Touch allows you to do and some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus everyday.
Don't miss the slo-mo moment
A deep press of the Camera app, followed by a slide of your finger down to the Record Slo-mo option will make sure you don't miss any crucial cat moments.
Go back in time
No, sadly Apple has not invented a time machine but you can reminisce about what you were doing a year ago. A deep press on the Photos app will allow you to select One Year Ago, taking you to all the images you took 12 months previous.
Sketch away
The Notes app doesn't just have to be for writing shopping lists, it can also be for sketching them. Deep press on the Notes app, hit the New Sketch option in the menu and draw away.
Start Timer
Whether you want make sure you get a perfectly boiled egg, or ensure you hold a plank for 30 seconds, there's a deep press for that too. Unsurprisingly, it's the Clock app you need to deep press this time, no pun intended, followed by Start Stopwatch in the menu.
Take a selfie
Just as you can start recording Slo-mo video with a deep press of the Camera app, you can also take a selfie. Gives you a couple of extra seconds to get the perfect one at least.
Mark your location
Ever lost your car in a carpark? If yes, this is the shortcut for you. A deep press on the Maps app will allow you to mark your location down to the inch so you'll never forget where you parked again.
VIP access
If your inbox is inundated with emails, put the ones that matter to you into the VIP list. Following this, a deep press of the Mail app will show you the VIP section and how many unread messages you have in it without opening the app.
Call a favourite
Need to call one of your top three favourite contacts quickly? A deep press of the Phone app will allow you to call them with another tap, as well as create a new contact.
Record meetings or classes
Perfect for the times when your attention span may not be working at full capacity. A deep press of the Voice Memos app will allow you to select New Recording, meaning that Monday morning meeting or lecture will be recorded for you to play back later. Warning, it is not likely to be any more interesting the second time round.
Private browsing
Search history is great, sometimes. For the times you'd rather not have everything recorded, a deep press of the Safari app will bring up the option of New Private Tab. Your browsing history won't be saved and the website you visit is asked not to track you.
Redeem an iTunes gift card
If you've been lucky enough to receive an iTunes gift card, deep pressing the iTunes Store or Apple Store app will bring up a menu, one of the options of which is Redeem enabling you to spend away.
Access your recent books
Want to carry on reading your book on your commute? A deep press of the iBooks app will bring up a menu giving you access to your recent books, as well as the search feature.
Create the perfect photo
There are several third-party apps that also support 3D Touch, with YouCam Perfect being one of them. This app allows you to touch up your photos, as well as take photos. A deep press on the YouCam app will take you to straight to the camera or the editing screen depending on your selection.
Upload a photo to Facebook
Just taken a new profile picture for Facebook? Deep press the Facebook app and tap the Upload Photo/Video option. The Facebook menu also offers a search option, status upload option and the option to take a photo directly.
Get yourself home missing the traffic with Waze
Need to get home quickly after work and avoid as much traffic as possible? Deep press on the Waze app and hit Drive Home. The app will then navigate you home the fastest way possible providing you've previously set your home address in the app. There is also the option to Drive to Work in the menu, along with searching an address and sending your location.
Send a Tweet
Want to send a quick Tweet? Deep press the Twitter app and hit New Tweet to get your 140-word thought out super quickly. The menu also offers the option to send a new message and search.
Log your water intake on Fitbit
For those who use Fitbit to monitor their activity, you can use a deep press to quickly add your water intake. It's also possible to log food and weight, as well as track an exercise.
Scan a barcode on MyFitnessPal
If you're calorie counting and logging through MyFitnessPal, 3D Touch comes in very handy. A deep press on the MyFitnessPal app will allow you to Scan a Barcode to instantly log what you're about to eat. The menu also has an option to log food and weight, as well as search for restaurants.
Upload a photo to Instagram
Just like Facebook, Instagram also has 3D Touch built in allowing you to upload your latest picture with a deep press and a tap on New Post. The Instagram 3D Touch menu also consists of viewing activity, searching and viewing direct messages.
Start a new WhatsApp chat
Good old WhatsApp supports 3D Touch too, allowing you to start a New Chat, Take a Photo or Video, Search or visit your Starred Messages. We'd love it to do what messages does and pull up your latest three contacts instead though - that would be very helpful.
Continue watching with Netflix
Want to carry on watching the next episode of House of Cards on your commute? No problem. A deep press on the Netflix app will give you a Continue Watching option taking you straight to where you want to be. There's also the option to visit Trending Now, your lists and Search.
Get yourself somewhere with Citymapper
Citymapper is an amazing app for getting you around and 3D Touch makes doing that just a little bit faster. A deep press on Citymapper will give you the option to Get Me Somewhere, Get Me Home, Nearby Stops and Share My Location on WhatsApp. Simples.