Apple Adds Secret Button to iPhone That You May Not Notice Yet

By Madelaine D. Nov 01 2020, 21:22 PM EST

Your iPhone has a new button, and you may not even notice it.

Apple released iOS 14, the latest version of iPhone software that includes a Back Tap feature. Back Tap adds an excellent new "button" to your iPhone that blurs the line between software and hardware.

Back Tap turns the whole back portion of the iPhone into a giant touch-sensitive button that could double or triple tap to trigger specific functions on your phone.

The Verge reported that there's a possibility that you haven't noticed the secret button yet. Apple slipped Back Tap into its Accessibility menu through the settings.

Apple Adds a Secret Button to iPhone That You May Not Notice Yet — Apple Releases iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: The new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro on display during launch day on October 23, 2020 in London, England. Apple's latest 5G smartphones go on sale in the UK today. The iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available from November 13. Ming Yeung/Getty Images

The secret button's intended purpose is to enable users to have more options to interact with their device,

With settings to open the notification menu, app switcher, or control center, including trigger Siri, take a screenshot, or scroll through an app or webpage, most of Back Tap's options have it.

However, Back Tap also has Apple's incredibly strong shortcut app that can effectively make those new buttons do almost anything.

The secret button is a fascinating kind of switch that is entirely invisible to the naked eye. It is utterly nonfunctional until the owner enables it through software. But can be tasked to interact with, open, or accomplish almost any task on your iPhone with just a quick one tap.

The key to the secret button is software customization. It is imaginable to have a world where Apple limited Back Tap to have preset options focused on making the iPhone UI more accessible.

The company turned Back Tap into a tool of limitless creativity by opening it up to shortcuts. This could let users develop their customized ways of taking advantage of the new button on the back of their smartphone.

The secret button is also an upgrade level of control, which is almost unheard of existing for iOS devices. For instance, Apple enables you to remap the side button for Apple Pay and Siri on an iPhone 12 to send a preset text message to your partner or launch Google assistant; it is incredibly unimaginable.

The software works well, too, and is responsive to whatever Apple's doing to differentiate between regularly holding your phone and an international tap. According to The Verge, it is useful to trigger the control center to toggle system settings immediately.

iPhone 12 off to a great start

According to Fox Business, Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed optimism over the early sales data for its flagship iPhone 12 as the firm reported the fourth-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street's expectations Thursday.

The iPhone sales have long comprised the bulk of the tech giant's revenue. On October 23, the latest model went on sale and is the first Apple smartphone to use 5G network technology.

The flagship phone did not factor into Apple's result for the 4th quarter that ended in September. As per the Refinitiv data, for the fourth quarter, Apple reported adjusted earnings of 73 cents per share that beats the 70 cents expected by analysts.

For the period ending in September and Wall Street's projections, Apple's quarterly revenue was $64.7 billion, making the tech giant top on records.