Apple lets developers create custom Force Touch gestures in El Capitan

Web developers can offer Safari users custom gestures for the Force Touch trackpad in Apple’s new operating system El Capitan. They can then link specific actions to the gestures. At least that’s what TechCrunch writes on Tuesday.

The Force Touch trackpad is included in the recently presented MacBook Pro. The trackpad is pressure sensitive, allowing it to distinguish between soft and hard touches. This offers software the possibility to link specific actions to, for example, a hard touch or a soft click.

According to TechCrunch, Apple’s latest operating system El Capitan allows web developers to access the trackpad through Safari. This means that developers can offer users of the browser customized functionalities in their applications. As far as is known, however, the functionality only works with Safari, the site finally reports.

Apple announced El Capitan Monday at its own WWDC developer conference. The operating system includes improvements to the interface, but a lot of work has also been done under the hood. For example, apps should load 40 percent faster and switching software should be twice as fast.