Apple tests faster haptic duration speed in the latest iOS 17 Beta

The release of the second iOS 17 Beta to developers on Wednesday includes a new setting that will make iPhone users feel the phone’s haptic feedback kick in faster than on iOS 16. Haptic feedback is considered an Accessibility feature which means that the settings can be found by going to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Haptic Touch. There you will see a box with two options: Fast and Slow. You can adjust how soon after you long-press on the screen you’ll see a content preview, action, or a contextual menu.

On iOS 16, as we said, there are just two options, Fast and Slow. The latest iOS 17 Beta release adds a third setting so the options are Fast, Default, and Slow. Tap the setting you want and an arrow will appear on it. The new Default setting is equivalent to the Fast setting in iOS 16. In the iOS 17 Beta, selecting Fast gives you an even faster duration for the haptic feedback compared to the same setting in iOS 16 which means that things take place at a faster pace.

Whether you change the duration speed in iOS 16 or the iOS 17 Beta, you can test out the duration of the haptic speed you choose by long-pressing on the image of a flower under the heading  “Touch Duration Test.” Note the difference in each setting with the time it takes the image of the flower to reach its full size after you feel the haptic feedback.

To reiterate, there are currently two haptic feedback duration options in iOS 16 which are Fast and Slow. The latest iOS 17 Beta has three: Fast, Default, and Slow. The Fast in the iOS 17 Beta is faster than the Fast available in iOS 16 and the Default in the iOS 17 Beta is equivalent to the Fast setting in iOS 16. Got it?

Of course, some changes that are made during a Beta are tested and rejected before reaching the final version of the software. So there is no guarantee that Apple will keep the new faster haptic duration speed in the final version of iOS 17. If it does, you’ll have to test it out for yourself to see whether it gives you a faster and improved iPhone experience.