Apple introduced 3D Touch technology on the iPhone 6S in 2015 and removed it on the iPhone 11 models in 2019. The company later removed support for the feature, even for iPhones that supported it, with the release of iOS 13 and iOS 14. In 2026, there is no indication that Apple will even bring back 3D Touch or even implement it on a new iPhone model.
3D Touch was one of those interesting technologies that never caught up. Even though Apple heavily promoted this interaction layer, which relied largely on “peek and pop” keys based on how much pressure you would apply to the screen when interacting with an app or UI element, it was never fully implemented by developers, and people weren’t aware of it. For example, I can’t count the times I showed someone a 3D Touch interaction on an iPhone 8, iPhone X, or iPhone XS years ago, and they said, “Wow, I didn’t know my iPhone could do that.”
Although Apple has never given an official answer as to why it abandoned 3D Touch technology, it is possible that production costs, in addition to lack of usage, did not make this feature attractive enough to expand to newer models. Instead, the company focused on adding a bigger battery, an always-on display, and ProMotion technology.
Should Apple bring back 3D Touch?
I was a big enthusiast of 3D Touch, like many peers in the industry. However, like the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, it seems like it was something that only interested a very niche audience, and pursuing it wasn’t a good move. Truth be told, some of the most useful 3D Touch features are still available on today’s iPhones via long-press interactions. You can long-press a link to see a preview, long-press an app icon to get quick shortcut actions, or do the same to preview a photo or video.
One thing that disappeared was gaming gadgets. One of my favorite games on iOS, Alto’s Adventure, supported 3D Touch interactions and you could turn a flying suit on or off using this added feature. Aside from this game (and others that I’m sure offer something similar), there was no reason for Apple to keep this technology.
Apple even decided to remove a similar feature on new Apple Watch models, Force Touch, which was popular among users. Although many were unhappy with Apple’s decision at the time, customers eventually got used to the new gestures introduced with watchOS 10 and moved on with their lives.
Camera Control could meet the same fate as 3D Touch
On the iPhone 16 and 17 models, Apple introduced Camera Control, which is a button located below the side button and allows you to control your iPhone’s camera. It uses similar technology to 3D Touch, as there are different types of tap actions that users can perform to switch between camera settings, lenses, etc. With Camera Control, users can swipe to adjust balance, zoom, photographic style, exposure, etc., and by double-tapping with moderate pressure, they can switch between these settings.
Two years after Apple introduced this technology, I still find the use of slide and medium double-clicks on Camera Control to be quite unreliable and, apparently, I’m not alone. Rumors suggest that Apple will tweak the camera control on the iPhone 18. One reason could be production costs, as the company is already facing a global memory shortage crisis. However, The Information also states that Apple wants to remove the capacitive layer on newer models because users have never figured out how to properly use the feature.
This is why Camera Control would not have slide features and users would only get pressure sensitivity when taking photos. If Apple follows the trend of previous features, it’s very likely that even camera control will become a more streamlined experience for the sake of consistency, even if it means losing an extra layer of interaction.
