Lesser-Known 3D Touch Features: Peek and Pop Safari Tabs, Keyboard Trackpad, and More - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Lesser-Known 3D Touch Features: Peek and Pop Safari Tabs, Keyboard Trackpad, and More

The launch of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus brought a new range of gestures to the iPhone, introducing 3D Touch. 3D Touch adds a pressure dimension to the traditional multi-touch controls on iOS devices to enable Peek and Pop, Quick Actions, pressure-sensitive drawing, and more.

Because 3D Touch is an entirely new feature, it can be difficult to adjust to all of the available gestures and to find the hidden things that can be done with it. In the video below, we've rounded up some of the neatest 3D Touch abilities including a Peek gesture to view all Safari tabs, useful third-party Quick Actions, and cursor control.


3D Touch is limited to the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus at the current time, but there have been rumors suggesting Apple is planning to expand it to additional devices in the future. Scaling it up to work with a larger screen has reportedly introduced some problems that Apple will need to work through before introducing 3D Touch on future iPads, but we can expect to see it in the upcoming iPhone 7.

In a MacRumors Twitter poll conducted in December, 40 percent of 8,100 entrants said they don't use 3D Touch, while another 25 percent said they use the feature only occasionally. As a new feature, it takes some time for longtime iPhone owners to get used to incorporating new gestures into their daily usage routines.


If you have additional favorite apps with useful Quick Actions or other notable use cases for 3D Touch, make sure to comment. For more information on using 3D Touch, make sure to check out our how to.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

November 20 to Mark the End of an Era at Apple

Wednesday November 11, 2026 7:51 am PST by
Apple has announced that the long-running Apple Support Community discussion forums for user-to-user tech support will be permanently closing on Friday, November 20. The forums have existed in some form for nearly 30 years, so it is the end of an era. Effective immediately, the Apple Support Community forums are in a read-only state, with new posts no longer being accepted. The final message ...
johny srouji

Apple's Johny Srouji Eyed to Replace Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang

Thursday November 12, 2026 4:29 am PST by
Apple's chief hardware officer Johny Srouji is being considered as a potential successor to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as the chipmaker's board prepares to remove its co-founder, according to Semafor. Citing a person familiar with the matter, the publication identified Srouji as one of the people under consideration for Nvidia's top job. It is unclear if Srouji has yet been approached or...
airpods 5 new blue

Apple Releases New AirPods Firmware

Tuesday November 10, 2026 12:11 pm PST by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, AirPods 5, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware has a build number of 9B47, up from 9A348/9A350. Apple has been beta testing the new firmware for the last several weeks. In a support document, Apple merely mentioned the new firmware contains "bug fixes and other improvements." Firmware updates can be downloaded...

Top Rated Comments

Corrode Avatar
141 months ago
3D Touch on the Trackpad is so annoying. It works the first time you try it, but when you lift your finger, the cursor often moves. When you go to deep press again to activate the cursor, it doesn't work, so then you just have to long press on the text to fix the cursor placement, negating the benefits of 3D Touch.

Apple- please fix this! It's clearly software that's moving the cursor as I lift my finger (something that doesn't happen while traditionally long-pressing), and preventing me from re-activating the 3D Touch cursor a second time.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
141 months ago
You missed an extra feature with the App Switcher shortcut. If you press hard on the side and swipe across the whole screen, it quick swaps you back to the previous app.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
141 months ago
3D touch is still new and there is really no use for it as of yet, at least until apple comes out with the new IOS version.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
141 months ago
I use it everyday to switch between apps.
In the beginning I thought it's inconvenient for app switching, but now after so many months I don't double tap the home button at all. 3D touch app switching is great.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
141 months ago
3D Touch on the Trackpad is so annoying. It works the first time you try it, but when you lift your finger, the cursor often moves. When you go to deep press again to activate the cursor, it doesn't work, so then you just have to long press on the text to fix the cursor placement, negating the benefits of 3D Touch.

Apple- please fix this! It's clearly software that's moving the cursor as I lift my finger (something that doesn't happen while traditionally long-pressing), and preventing me from re-activating the 3D Touch cursor a second time.
I'm using Notes all the time, I'm making lists of clients. I need to edit those lists a lot, 3D touching the keyboard is very unreliable for me. It works the first time I do it, but then I want to move the cursor and it doesn't change to trackpad mode, it starts typing the letter I had my finger on. No matter the force I apply.

It makes selecting text worse, not better.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smacrumon Avatar
141 months ago
3d touch-- PART useful and (very much) PART poorly executed marketing gimmick in my opinion. I guess 3d touch makes sense for detecting the varying level of touch input which can be used in creative ways for example a piano keyboard app that adjusts the sound of a note played based on the touch pressure. The user doesn't have to think much about the gestures in that case and the technology makes sense. The problem though is 3d touch input isn't entirely intuitive compared with a simple swipe, tap or pinch gesture. A lack of consistency in the use means it isn't easy to discover what lurks beneath the pop or peek. Users can't be expected to force press everything on their screens with the hope something might pop. I think explanations of the technology haven't been well communicated either. Apple is adding features without a level of deep consideration of whether it is really needed or not. No one wants to see iOS turned into bloatware. Simplicity and restraint is the key and what has made Apple different, remember.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Launches Two Products Today
Apple Launches Two Products Today
43 minutes ago
Hands-On With the New Apple TV 4K and Siri AI
Hands-On With the New Apple TV 4K and Siri AI
11 hours ago
Siri AI Coming to Older Apple TV 4K Models in tvOS 27.2.1
Siri AI Coming to Older Apple TV 4K Models in tvOS 27.2.1
11 hours ago
HomeView Launch Kicks Off as First Orders Reach Customers
HomeView Launch Kicks Off as First Orders Reach Customers
12 hours ago
Apple Continues to Move Up iPhone Duo Delivery Dates
Apple Continues to Move Up iPhone Duo Delivery Dates
15 hours ago
Apple Explains How HomeView Keeps Camera Data Private
Apple Explains How HomeView Keeps Camera Data Private
16 hours ago
Apple Releases Updated HomeView Software 27.2 Before Launch
Apple Releases Updated HomeView Software 27.2 Before Launch
16 hours ago
Apple Adds Samsung Foldables to Trade-In Program
Apple Adds Samsung Foldables to Trade-In Program
19 hours ago
Apple Sports App Now Features UFC
Apple Sports App Now Features UFC
19 hours ago
Trump Says Tim Cook Should Be Nvidia CEO as Jensen Huang Resigns
Trump Says Tim Cook Should Be Nvidia CEO as Jensen Huang Resigns
19 hours ago
Apple Releases Emotional 2026 Holiday Ad Featuring MacBook Neo
Apple Releases Emotional 2026 Holiday Ad Featuring MacBook Neo
20 hours ago
Apple's Official iPhone 18 Pro Cases and Watch Bands Get Big Discounts on Amazon
Apple's Official iPhone 18 Pro Cases and Watch Bands Get Big Discounts on Amazon
20 hours ago
Nintendo to End 'Sign in With Apple' Support in January
Nintendo to End 'Sign in With Apple' Support in January
20 hours ago
Walmart Black Friday Sale Begins With Early Deals on TVs, Laptops, and More
Walmart Black Friday Sale Begins With Early Deals on TVs, Laptops, and More
20 hours ago
Apple Says HomeView Software Update Coming Next Month With Siri Fix
Apple Says HomeView Software Update Coming Next Month With Siri Fix
21 hours ago
Review: Is Apple's All-New HomeView Smart Home Hub Worth $299?
Review: Is Apple's All-New HomeView Smart Home Hub Worth $299?
21 hours ago
Apple Home Collection: Select Accessories Available to Order This Friday
Apple Home Collection: Select Accessories Available to Order This Friday
21 hours ago
'Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble' to Leave App Store This Month
'Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble' to Leave App Store This Month
22 hours ago
Apple's Johny Srouji Eyed to Replace Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
Apple's Johny Srouji Eyed to Replace Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
23 hours ago
Apple Support Community Deserved a Proper Goodbye
Apple Support Community Deserved a Proper Goodbye
1 day ago
Apple on Fatal Vehicle Crash Near Apple Park: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'
Apple on Fatal Vehicle Crash Near Apple Park: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'
2 days ago
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
2 days ago
Google Says Gemini App Rolling Out on Apple CarPlay Starting Today
Google Says Gemini App Rolling Out on Apple CarPlay Starting Today
2 days ago
Is It Worth Buying a Ceramic Apple Watch?
Is It Worth Buying a Ceramic Apple Watch?
2 days ago
Samsung Early Black Friday Event Brings Major Sales to Frame TVs and More
Samsung Early Black Friday Event Brings Major Sales to Frame TVs and More
2 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Max Wins Battery Test Involving 32 Smartphones
iPhone 18 Pro Max Wins Battery Test Involving 32 Smartphones
2 days ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Hits Record Low $69.99 Price Ahead of Black Friday
AirTag 2 4-Pack Hits Record Low $69.99 Price Ahead of Black Friday
2 days ago
Rumored Apple Smart Glasses Mentioned in Supplier's Earnings Briefing
Rumored Apple Smart Glasses Mentioned in Supplier's Earnings Briefing
2 days ago
Make Apple Watch Listen for Sounds Like the Doorbell
Make Apple Watch Listen for Sounds Like the Doorbell
2 days ago
Apple Chip Supplier TSMC Approves $1 Billion AI Investment
Apple Chip Supplier TSMC Approves $1 Billion AI Investment
2 days ago