How to Fix 3D Touch not Working on iPhone 7/8/X/11/12

My 3D Touch is not working

I have an iPhone 7 but 3D Touch is not working even when 3D Touch option is on. My phone is fully updated? Please give me some advice. Thank you.

- Question from Apple Community

3D Touch is a technology for iPhone screen, which was officially released in September 2015. Although its original purpose is to make iPhone better, many iPhone users encounter kinds of problems when they are using 3D Touch. Therefore, this passage will tell you what 3D Touch is and how to fix 3D Touch not working on iPhone 7/8/X/11/12.

Part 1. What is 3D Touch?

3D Touch technology is just like Force Touch, but it’s better than Force Touch. It makes it possible that when you are pressing an app icon, you will be given more than one action to perform on the app.

Part 2. Why is 3D Touch not working on iPhone 7/8/X/11/12?

3D Touch is such a sensitive function that any minor errors on iPhone may lead to 3D Touch not working. And the main reasons are as follows.

▪ iPhone gets stuck due to amounts of files. Sometimes, when useless files take up most of the memory, your iPhone will get stuck, which makes you fail to access 3D Touch.
▪ The version of your iPhone is not compatible. 3D Touch can be available only from iPhone 6s to iPhone XS Max. If the version of your iPhone is not one of them, you cannot enjoy 3D Touch.
▪ Your iOS is outdated. You may find 3D Touch not working on iOS 16/17/18. That’s because some functions will be shut off if you don’t update iOS.
▪ Your touch screen is not sensitive enough. If your iPhone screen is broken or your iPhone has a screen replacement, the sensitivity of your screen might be influenced.

Part 3. How to fix 3D not working on iPhone 7?

After learning about what 3D Touch is and why 3D Touch not working, it’s time to fix it. There are 8 methods below for you and wish you can get rid of this trouble with one of them.

Method 1. Force restart your iPhone

Making your iPhone force restart is the easiest and most common way to solve problems from applications like 3D Touch not working. Sometimes, the app cannot work well because your iPhone gets stuck or one of your apps doesn’t run normally. The methods of rebooting iPhone depend on the type of your iPhone.

iPhone 8 or later: Press the volume + button and then quickly release. Press the volume - button and then quickly release it. Press the power button for seconds until you see the logo of Apple.
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: Press both the power button and volume - button for seconds until you see the logo of Apple.

Method 2. Make sure you have enabled 3D Touch

If force restarting iPhone doesn’t work, you have to make sure whether you have enabled 3D Touch. Follow the steps to make it.

Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > 3D Touch > Toggle it on if it is off. 

Method 3. Release your iPhone storage

The more files stored in your iPhone, the more slowly your iPhone will run. Hence, it is the slow response of your iPhone that makes 3D Touch failing to work well. It is suggested to free up the storage space.

Follow the steps to make it. Go to Settings > General > Locate and tap iPhone Storage. How many storage spaces you left can be seen here. You can delete some unnecessary applications here to get more available storage space for 3D Touch.

Method 4. Adjust 3D Touch sensitivity

The light sensitivity of 3D Touch may make it not working. It’s effective to adjust its sensitivity. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > 3D Touch > Drag the icon to Light, Medium, Firm as your need. 

Note:
◆ If your iPhone has a screen replacement, 3D Touch may not be available anymore. 
◆ If your new screen is not an original accessory, the fingerprint sensor may be serialization after screen replacement, so that some functions will disappear such as 3D Touch.

Method 5. Press the screen hard

Some users press iPhone screen lightly for fear of damaging it, which is also one of the reasons why 3D Touch not working on iPhone. You should press the certain application or notice and hold until 3D Touch pops up.

Method 6. Update your iPhone to the latest iOS version

An outdated iOS always leads to some troubles. If it is possible, you can update your iPhone to the latest iOS to get rid of this issue. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Click Install Now to update iOS.

Tips:
▪ Keep the battery of your iPhone fresh or charge your iPhone during the process of updating.
▪ Sometimes updating the software may cause a lag if your iPhone has been used for a long time.

Method 7. Reset all settings on your iPhone

Resetting all settings on your iPhone will clear any personalized settings that may stop you from enabling 3D Touch, and it won’t erase any data on your iPhone. To reset all settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings. You will be asked to enter your screen password to confirm the action.

Method 8. Factory reset your iPhone

Hopefully, 3D Touch not working on iPhone can be solved by one of these seven methods. If not, you have to factory reset your iPhone. There is one thing you have to keep in mind that factory reset the iPhone will erase all the data. It’s highly suggested to backup your iPhone before all the operations. You can go to Bonus tip to have a try.

To factory reset your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Click Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your password to make it.

Bonus tip: Backup and restore iPhone with AOMEI FoneBackup

AOMEI FoneBackup is a popular and professional tool to backup and restore iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It provides not only a simple interface and design to handle it readily but also a fast speed to backup my iPhone.

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Conclusion

There are 8 methods about how to fix 3D Touch not working on iPhone 11/12/13/14/15. When 3D Touch doesn’t work well, you’d better check the relevant settings. If you can’t fix it, at least, backup and restore iPhone via AOMEI FoneBackup can help you out of it.