Guide
A reward without unlocking your phone
Touchward answers one link, touchward://reward, and anything that can open a link can fire a tap. Here is how to put it on the Action Button, on Back Tap, on Android's Quick Tap, and on the volume buttons.
The link that does the work
Touchward registers one link: touchward://reward. Opening it launches the app and fires a tap, buzz and all. Anything on your phone that can open a link can therefore give you a reward, which turns out to be a lot of things.
iPhone: the Action Button
- Open the Shortcuts app and tap the plus to make a new shortcut.
- Add the action Open URLs and type
touchward://rewardinto it. - Name the shortcut something short, like Reward, and tap Done.
- Go to Settings, Action Button, swipe to Shortcut, and choose the one you just made.
From then on, pressing and holding the Action Button fires a tap. You did the thing, you squeeze the phone, it buzzes back, and you never unlocked it.
iPhone: Back Tap, for phones without an Action Button
- Make the same shortcut as above.
- Go to Settings, Accessibility, Touch, Back Tap.
- Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, scroll to the Shortcuts section, and pick your Reward shortcut.
Two taps on the back of the phone now fire a reward. Triple tap is a little less prone to going off in your pocket.
Android: Quick Tap or a button remapper
On Pixel phones, Settings, System, Gestures, Quick Tap lets a double tap on the back run an action. On other phones, a button remapper or automation app that can open a link will do the same job. Either way, point the action at opening touchward://reward. The exact menu names vary by phone, so if you get stuck, tell us which phone and we will write it up.
While the app is open: the volume buttons
With the unlock, either volume button counts as a tap while Touchward is on screen. Turn it on in the app's settings. It is the fastest route of all when the app is already in front of you, and it means a reward without looking at the screen.
Why bother
Because the whole point is that the reward arrives right after the action. Unlocking the phone, finding the icon and opening the app is a five-second gap, and the research says the gap is where the effect leaks out. A button on the side of the phone closes it.
Questions people ask
Does the shortcut need the unlock?
No. The touchward://reward link and the Shortcut it powers are free. Volume button taps, which work while the app is open, are part of the unlock.
Does the app have to be open?
The link opens the app and fires the tap, so no. Volume button taps are the exception: they work while Touchward is on screen.
Can I fire it from a widget or the lock screen?
Not yet. A home screen widget or lock screen control is on the list, so the tap is one gesture away. Until then, the Action Button and Back Tap are the fastest routes on iPhone.
Which iPhones have an Action Button?
iPhone 15 Pro and later, and every iPhone since the iPhone 16 line. Older iPhones can use Back Tap instead, which is in Accessibility settings.
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