How to Fix iPhone Back Tap Not Working

For iPhone users, the Back Tap is among the best features to debut alongside iOS 14. It lets you access key functions, accessibility options, and shortcuts just by pressing the back of the iPhone. Back Tap only relies on the iPhone’s accelerometer, so it works on almost all iPhones running iOS 14.

But as with any new feature, you may come across cases where Back Tap may not work as expected. If you are having trouble getting the feature to work on your iPhone, the fixes below should help.

Upgrade to iOS 14

Back Tap is only available on iOS 14 and later versions of iPhone system software. If you can’t find the feature listed under Settings> Accessibility> Touch, you might have an older version of iOS installed on your iPhone.

To confirm, go to Settings> General> About. If iOS 13 or earlier version of iOS appears next to Software Version, go back to the previous screen and select Software Update to upgrade to iOS 14 or newer.

Check compatibility

If you have iOS 14 or later installed and you are unable to locate Back Tap, you may have an iPhone that does not support the feature. Devices that cannot use Back Tap include:

• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone SE (1st generation)

Point: You can check your iPhone model by going to Settings> General> About> Model name.

Check faucet settings

Back Tap only works if you link it to a system function, accessibility option, or shortcut as a double or triple tap. To configure it, go to Settings> Accessibility> Touch> Press Return. Then press Double Tap and Triple Tap to start binding actions. Check out our walkthrough How to iPhone Back Tap for more details.

Delete the case

Are you having trouble getting Back Tap to sign up? Also, do you have a case? The feature works even if your iPhone is inside of it, but a particularly large case can prevent iPhone from detecting your taps. If it does, remove it and check if that helps. If so, you might want to consider upgrading to a slimmer case.

Try different bindings

With Back Tap, you can use system related features like Spotlight search anywhere. But, some bindings – such as Shake to Undo – may not register unless there is no reason to. Try to link something else – if that works, there is probably nothing wrong with the functionality.

Force restart iPhone

If Back Tap fails to register despite everything being configured correctly, try force restarting your iPhone. This can help correct any software anomalies preventing you from using the feature.

To force restart on an iPhone with Face ID, press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.

If you’re using an iPhone with Touch ID, press and hold the Home and Power buttons together for a few seconds to force restart the device.

Update iOS

Are you still having issues with Back Tap? If you’re still in the early stages of the iOS 14 release cycle, be sure to install the latest iOS updates as they become available. Back Tap is still a relatively new feature, and the latest updates can help fix bugs or other issues that prevent it from functioning normally. Go to Settings> General> Software Update to install the latest iOS updates.

The latest updates also introduce a host of other stability fixes and security improvements, making it a habit to install them.

Reset iPhone

Corrupt or damaged settings can also prevent Back Tap from working on your iPhone. Try resetting them to see if that helps. This will restore your iPhone to default settings without deleting any data in the process.

Note: A settings reset will restore all system related settings and erase all saved Wi-Fi networks from your iPhone. Expect to spend some time reconfiguring your iPhone afterwards.

Go to Settings> General> Reset and tap on Reset all settings to start the reset procedure. After the reset, dive into the Accessibility screen, set up Back Tap and try to use the feature. In most cases, this should work.

Back Tap Evolution

This is how you can fix Back Tap on your iPhone using the solutions mentioned above. These are bound to work unless you are on an unsupported device, which means there is no recourse but to upgrade. But as great as Back Tap is, we wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you have several other reasons to upgrade to a newer iPhone.