I've gone ahead and gave a thumbs up on all the posts that express so well the kinds of experience I've had with it. I find I forget to use it because it's not implemented across the other Apple devices I use, namely IPad mini and my older MacBook Pro. And then not all apps make use of it. And half the time when I try it, it doesn't do anything. I don't find it applied or implemented consistently enough to be intuitive yet. I'm glad it exists but I think it needs more time to become indispensable to me.
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3D Touch - your opinion, your usage and future of it
- Thread starter mich070
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I feel like force touch is something that I would be upset with losing. Yeah, it's not necessary. However, I use it all the time for multitasking and icon shortcuts (especially the phone app). I look forward to seeing what Apple plans on doing with the feature.
Can I ask what you use the phone app shortcuts for?
It only shows the first three favourites and the option to add a new contact.
Again, this is another great candidate for showing most dialled/access contacts/functions of the app instead of Apple putting in random options.
Well the reason they are my first 3 is because they are my most frequented. It's just a quality of life thing, being able to access those contacts quickly. Again, I could live without. But I like it a lot. And I think it's the complete opposite of a random option. Though it would make everyone happy if it were completely customizable.
3D touch will probably be a cool feature once every iOS device has it but as fragmented as it is now, why would developers put effort into it?
Thanks for the response, your use case makes sense. I would prefer it dynamically generate the shortcuts based on your most frequently used contacts, but I guess manually sorting your favourites to allow the top 3 of your choice show in the 3D Touch menu makes sense.
The phone app shortcuts aren't random, you're right. Other ones, like Reminders, definitely seem to be.
Settings>wifi when I'm connecting to my camera for image transfer. Saves a hell of a lot of time.
These questions/replies show exactly (for me) why 3D Touch should be far more than it is but "cannot".
- Shows the top 3 - what if you have more than 3? What if they have multiple phones?
- Favorites - shows the Call/Message/Internet options then allows it to break down into the selections...
- Contacts shows the option of adding a contact or your card info.
- Actual Contact - show the same as Favorites
- Inside a Contact - only the Contact pic does anything and it's the same as favorites
I've looked at Phone, Contacts, Reminders, Email, etc... It is like Apple dropped 3D Touch off for our use however didn't really look at what it does vs. what apps (stock and 3rd party) do. It isn't that Apple needs to advance 3D Touch, rather they need to decide what they want 3D Touch to actually be and align it to what the apps do. The current "it sort of works" functionality leads me away from it. Why partially use it in place of something that currently works better? Give me a valid demonstrable reason. Then you top it off only rolling it out for limited models for specific product lines?
Definitely a feature released well before its' time. I'm just not sure that time will ever come.
/endrant
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I use 3D touch for two actions: switch between apps instead of double pushing the home button and move the cursor when typing something on the keyboard.
I really miss those gestures when I use the iPad and I'm looking forward to having 3D touch on it.
I seldom use 3D touch for quick actions on the application icon, it is handy if I need to call my wife or set an event on the calendar, but I never use it on apps like twitter or facebook or mail and it is something I don't miss when working on a device without 3D touch.
Peek and pop are cool ideas, but I don't find myself addicted to them. I usually open an email the old way, so a message, and most of the times I can delete or make read an email with a simple swipe since I don't need to peek on the message. It can be useful with links, but iOS 9 introduced the "back to..." previous app, so even if I open a link in Safari I can go back to where I was. Using the peek gesture with links, if the network is not fast, means to continue pressing the screen waiting for the page to load, not so convenient
I really miss those gestures when I use the iPad and I'm looking forward to having 3D touch on it.
I seldom use 3D touch for quick actions on the application icon, it is handy if I need to call my wife or set an event on the calendar, but I never use it on apps like twitter or facebook or mail and it is something I don't miss when working on a device without 3D touch.
Peek and pop are cool ideas, but I don't find myself addicted to them. I usually open an email the old way, so a message, and most of the times I can delete or make read an email with a simple swipe since I don't need to peek on the message. It can be useful with links, but iOS 9 introduced the "back to..." previous app, so even if I open a link in Safari I can go back to where I was. Using the peek gesture with links, if the network is not fast, means to continue pressing the screen waiting for the page to load, not so convenient
As ridiculous as it may sound, the app switcher and trackpad are almost worth it in themselves, for me.
I use 3D Touch more than I realize myself. But mostly just the Quick Actions, followed by Peek and Pop. Yes, I use Peek and Pop, but not everywhere. I use it in Mail for most of the times. Would use it in Safari and Facebook, unfortunately many websites have this huge cookies warning that make it impossible to get a good 'peek' at the content. So I don't use that as much as I do with Mail. Last, but not least I often use it to switch between apps.
3D Touch has a lot potential and I think its implementation is good as well. However, considering many of the comments here I think Apple has to utilize it even more. And I by myself would like to see some changes too. For example, the ability to force press on a shortcut in Control Center to access advanced settings for it. Or that the user can choose what a hard press should do. Like, when you press hard on a word, that it provides you with the definition. Just how it works in OS X. I absolutely love that feature and it would be a great addition for iOS.
3D Touch has a lot potential and I think its implementation is good as well. However, considering many of the comments here I think Apple has to utilize it even more. And I by myself would like to see some changes too. For example, the ability to force press on a shortcut in Control Center to access advanced settings for it. Or that the user can choose what a hard press should do. Like, when you press hard on a word, that it provides you with the definition. Just how it works in OS X. I absolutely love that feature and it would be a great addition for iOS.
Do you use Force Touch on the Mac?
I love FT for OS X and use it frequently for Quick Look (not applicable to iOS) but also for Safari. What I like though is that in Safari the pop out window says active so I can scroll. I played around with a 6S a few weeks ago when I went to pick up my iPad Pro and was genuinely surprised that all of the force touch gestures become useless when you life up your finger. So if I 3D-Touch a link in Safari, I get a small preview that's probably 40% header with my finger right in the middle of my view. I lifted my finger to scroll somewhen and the window vanishes. Is this configurable (I doubt it.)
How is that useful? You "Peek" at an email but your finger is in the way of the text or webpage? Unless you're just searching for a image at a glance, that seems pretty lame. The home icon shortcuts are nice, but I don't see the huge benefit. Developers have also been somewhat slow. It makes sense on the Apple Watch and is useful in OS X, but on the iPhone. Eh.
As for the future of 3D Touch, I'm hoping Apple will introduce a feature that allows us to hard press the screen while its sleeping to wake it up. Along with future Touch ID in-screen technology that has been discussed in the past, this would allow for an all around better iPhone design with a larger screen with less bezels and no home or sleep/wake button necessary.
As for current iPhones, they could at least add the ability to hard press the screen while it's sleeping to give us a quick look at the clock / notifications, similar to what you can see on certain Android devices.
As for current iPhones, they could at least add the ability to hard press the screen while it's sleeping to give us a quick look at the clock / notifications, similar to what you can see on certain Android devices.
I saw this thread and remembered reading some thoughts from professional, and widely-read, Apple authors this week:
First, Jason Snell over at MacWorld:
http://www.macworld.com/article/3053628/apple-phone/the-trouble-with-3d-touch.html
Then John Gruber's reaction and comments:
http://daringfireball.net/linked/2016/04/08/snell-3d-touch
Both are worth the read.
First, Jason Snell over at MacWorld:
http://www.macworld.com/article/3053628/apple-phone/the-trouble-with-3d-touch.html
Then John Gruber's reaction and comments:
http://daringfireball.net/linked/2016/04/08/snell-3d-touch
Both are worth the read.
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Super nice articles! I couldn't agree more or I can't put more than these arguments and explanations on the table. I really hope that Apple is gonna change it in a way that we are going to be able to use it on a daily basis and also to make it easier and faster
I use it for checking battery. That's it. Oh, and the appswitcher sometimes, just to show it off.
This CAN become a great feature... But it needs an iteration or two, plus OS-wide implementation.
For now, it's more of a gimmick to me.
This CAN become a great feature... But it needs an iteration or two, plus OS-wide implementation.
For now, it's more of a gimmick to me.
Like other users I use 3D Touch to move the cursor. I have also gotten used to toggle the Bluetooth (specially now that I'm using the ttesport contour Bluetooth game controller), I ise it to go to my Safari favorites, I use it at work to put my 15 min break timer, I ise it from time to time to switch between apps, I use it on maps to pop up business names, and to send a text message to choose the user.
I do not use and see the benefit of the 3D Touch and wish Apple had never actually implemented it. Give me an iPhone with less bezels, less ugly (antenna bands, protruding camera lens) than the gimmicky 3D touch.