Astropad Mini, the app that turns the iPhone into a graphics tablet for the Mac, is getting a major update today to add new features to the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. The new version of the app includes support for 3D Touch, enabling pressure sensitive drawing.

When using a finger or a stylus, the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus is able to detect 256 levels of pressure being on the screen, letting users draw thinner or thicker lines based on the amount of pressure that's applied.

3dtouchastropadmini
For those unfamiliar with the Astropad line of apps, they're able to transform an iPhone or an iPad into a professional graphics tablet that can be used with the Mac by mirroring the Mac's display to the iPhone. The iPhone's touch controls are then used for creative tasks like editing photos and creating art with little to no lag. Because the app simply mirrors what's on the Mac's screen, it's compatible with any Mac-based editing app like Photoshop CC and Pixelmator.

The Astropad Mini app for the iPhone is now a free download, as is the Mac app, so the Astropad system can be used by anyone at no cost. The Mac app is available from the Astropad website and the iPhone app is available from the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

nostaws Avatar
123 months ago
This is the first app (to my knowledge) that actually supports 3D touch more than just popping up an alternate menu.

So, I think it warrants a shout out from macrumors.

I wonder how many articles we'll see here letting us know that apps have now got 3D Touch support.

Slow news day, hey? Surely not, Q4 earnings call is today.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mimeArtist Avatar
123 months ago
Equally excited about using the pencil and iPad Pro with astropad... going to hopefully be so useful until photoshop perhaps finally makes it's way to iPad pro properly
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
123 months ago
I wonder how many articles we'll see here letting us know that apps have now got 3D Touch support.

Slow news day, hey? Surely not, Q4 earnings call is today.
This is a biggie. A drawing app that can sense 256 levels of pressure. It really shows off what 3D Touch is capable of.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19 Coming in June With These New Features

Thursday March 20, 2025 2:04 pm PDT by
While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far. visionOS-Like Design In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19. According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app...
iOS 18

Top 5 New Features Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday March 21, 2025 3:26 pm PDT by
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April. Priority Notifications If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 18, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Monday March 24, 2025 3:43 am PDT by
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026,"...
Windows Vista

Apple Might Be Having Its Windows Vista Moment, Says Analyst

Thursday March 20, 2025 6:52 am PDT by
Is Apple experiencing a "Vista-like drift into systemically poor execution?" That was a question posed by well-known technology analyst Benedict Evans, in a recent blog post covering Apple's innovation and execution, or seemingly lack thereof as of late. He is referring to Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system, which was widely criticized when it launched in 2007 due to software bugs,...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 Release Candidate With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music and More

Monday March 24, 2025 10:07 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...