The Demise of 3D Touch: Why Apple's Pressure-Sensitive Technology Failed
- Apple introduced 3D Touch with hype, but quietly buried it a few years later—find out why.
- Pressing harder on your iPhone screen was supposed to be revolutionary… but it wasn’t.
- Apple’s 3D Touch: A fancy feature that just didn’t click with users.
Apple’s 3D Touch, once hailed as the next generation of smartphone technology, has quietly faded into obscurity. Introduced with the iPhone 6s in 2015, 3D Touch allowed users to press harder on their screens to unlock additional features, but it never truly took off. The iPhone XR, released in 2018, notably lacked the feature, and by the time the iPhone 11 series hit the market, it was gone entirely. But what went wrong? Let’s explore the reasons behind the downfall of 3D Touch.
Photo via Cult of Mac // Apple 3D Touch: Here's why it failed. A user demonstrates 3D Touch on an iPhone 6s, the first model to introduce the pressure-sensitive feature.
A Clumsy and Unintuitive Experience
The iPhone was designed to be simple and intuitive. Although it has its fans, 3D Touch felt like the opposite for one reason among many: pressing harder on a screen doesn't feel natural, and that’s where the first major problem lies. Instead of effortlessly gliding through tasks, users had to apply just the right amount of pressure, often adjusting their grip mid-action.
As one user noted, "You need to prepare your grip in advance and hold it tight while trying to control the level of press," making the whole experience awkward and, for many, uncomfortable.
Lacking Discoverability and Clarity
One of the core principles of Apple’s design philosophy is clarity. The iPhone’s interface was traditionally clean, easy to understand, and accessible even to non-tech users. 3D Touch, on the other hand, introduced hidden functionality. There was no clear visual indicator of which elements were 3D Touch-enabled. As a result, users were left guessing which parts of the screen could be pressed harder for additional options.
The lack of visual cues meant many users never even realized 3D Touch existed. "There’s no visual sign that an element is 3D touchable, so you need to guess what happens," one observer commented, illustrating the feature's discoverability problem.
Apple never fully addressed this issue. With no clear instructions or guidance on how to use 3D Touch, it quickly became a forgotten feature.
Photo via International Business Times // With 3D Touch, pressing harder on the screen revealed hidden shortcuts and app actions.
There’s no visual sign that an element is 3D touchable.
Limited Use Cases
When it comes to smartphone technology, usefulness is key. And while 3D Touch had potential, it simply didn’t have enough compelling applications to justify its existence. Sure, there were a few neat tricks—like the ability to press harder on a photo to preview it, or using it for quick actions on the home screen—but these conveniences weren’t game-changers.
Even the supposed efficiency gains didn’t hold up. For example, when composing an email:
- Without 3D Touch: Open the app > Tap compose > Start writing.
- With 3D Touch: Force-touch the app icon > Tap quick compose > Start writing.
As pointed out in an analysis of the feature, the number of steps didn’t significantly decrease, making the benefit of 3D Touch negligible in most cases.
A Missed Opportunity
Many speculate that Apple could have done more to promote the feature, but even the company seemed to lose interest over time. Developers, too, didn’t see the point in heavily integrating 3D Touch into their apps when few users knew about it. By the time the iPhone XR was released, Apple began transitioning to Haptic Touch, a simplified version of 3D Touch that uses long presses rather than pressure sensitivity.
The abandonment of 3D Touch wasn’t just a technical decision. As one observer put it, "Developers became less interested in supporting 3D Touch, and even Apple stopped caring about the feature."
The Cost and Complexity of Implementation
Beyond the user experience, the physical technology behind 3D Touch was costly and complicated to implement. The pressure-sensitive layers added both production cost and complexity to the iPhone’s display. Given the lukewarm reception from users and developers alike, Apple may have decided it wasn’t worth the investment.
Looking Back: A Missed Feature, but Not by All
For some, 3D Touch was a beloved feature, and its removal was a disappointment. Tech writer Filipe Espósito summed it up best in a 2021 reflection: "3D Touch was one of the best technologies Apple ever created, and I still miss it." The precise control and quick feedback that 3D Touch provided were unparalleled by the Haptic Touch that replaced it.
Yet, most iPhone users didn’t share that sentiment. Many had never even noticed its presence, and as a result, its removal from subsequent models wasn’t widely mourned. As Espósito noted, "Most users wouldn’t mind having the feature replaced by long presses."
Photo via Macworld // Haptic Touch replaced 3D Touch on newer models, offering a simplified long-press alternative without the pressure sensors.
3D Touch was one of the best technologies Apple ever created, and I still miss it.
Conclusion: A Great Idea That Failed to Take Root
3D Touch was undoubtedly an innovative idea, but ultimately, it was a solution in search of a problem. While it had its fans, its lack of discoverability, limited use cases, and the added cost of implementation doomed it to failure.
In the end, Apple's decision to abandon 3D Touch in favor of simpler, more accessible features like Haptic Touch seems like the right move. Still, for those who experienced the subtle haptic feedback and precision of 3D Touch, it remains a feature worth missing.
Quick Facts:
- Introduced: September 2015 with iPhone 6s
- Discontinued: iPhone XR (2018) and fully removed in 2019
- Replaced by: Haptic Touch, a simplified, long-press alternative
Recommended by the editors:
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