Your Pixel Shortcut Quick Tap — don’t forget to use it
In the early days of smartphones, Pixel Shortcut Quick Tap there were many buttons both below the screen and on the sides. Most of these physical buttons have been taken out of modern designs to make them simpler. This makes it harder to set up hardware-based shortcuts.
The new Pixel Shortcut Quick Tap Technology, on the other hand, has found a way to add a shortcut without adding any extra buttons. This cool, hidden, and customizable keyboard shortcut isn’t turned on by default. The feature is called “Quick Tap,” and you use it by tapping twice on the back of the phone.
What is Quick Tap and how do I activate it?
Google started testing the double-tap gesture on Pixel Shortcut Quick Tap at the beginning of 2020. The Pixel 5 and 4a 5G, which run Android 11, were the first devices to have it built-in. Since then, Android 12 brought the feature to the Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6XL.
When you double-tap the back of your Pixel, you can use Pixel Shortcut Quick Tap to choose one of many different things to do. I liken it to knocking on a door and having something open in response. You can set that to take a screenshot, open Google Assistant, play or pause media, or open any app or action in that app if you remember what launcher app shortcuts are. Its biggest flaw is that it only works when the device is unlocked and being used.
To set up Quick Tap, go to System > Gestures > Quick Tap in your Pixel’s settings. Turn on the feature, then choose the option that works best for you. You can also make the shortcut only work with Pixel Shortcut Quick Tap. I would suggest that you don’t turn that on at first and then watch to see if the action is often turned on by accident. If that happens, you can change the setting for stronger taps. If that doesn’t happen, you don’t need to change anything else.
What are the best shortcut ideas for your Pixel?
With Quick Tap, you can do almost anything. But since it only works when the phone is already unlocked and being used, you have to think of it as more than just a shortcut. It lets you do something quickly while using other apps. (Otherwise, it would be the same as a shortcut on the home screen.) So, what would be the best way to use it?
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Since a Pixel has more than one way to open the Assistant or take a screenshot, I wouldn’t use this extra shortcut for those things. Media pause/play is a good choice, but only if you don’t use Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. Now that those options have been ruled out, it’s time to talk about apps and what you can do with them.
My favorite way to use it is to show my immunization record. This is possible because the French track-and-trace app (available on Google Play) has a shortcut for health passes right inside the app. Quick Tap is a great way to get to your QR code if your country’s app works the same way and you have to show it everywhere you go.
Let it open your favorite password manager or two-factor authentication app is another cool idea. When you want to log in to a service, a double-tap is much easier than looking for the app. Setting Google Maps or CityMapper’s Quick Tap to take you home or to work is also a great way to save time if you commute often. Those who like to get things done will love adding a reminder or task to Google Calendar.
Workaholics might like that it can be set to open any channel in Slack or any account’s inbox in Gmail, while social butterflies will love how well it works with Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more. Or, you can be the boring person who puts it on the calculator or clock. Hey, I’m not judging you completely.
What have you set up Quick Tap to do on your Pixel?
I love how Quick Tap can be used in many different ways and how easy it is to use. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it only has one double-tap shortcut.
Google should let us turn on triple taps and, why not, even quadruple taps. That will give Pixel Shortcut Quick Tap users a lot more shortcuts to choose from, and as someone who likes to save time, I’d use every single one of them.
FAQs
How does Pixel Shortcut Quick Tap work?
Quick Tap is set to take a screenshot by default, but you can change it to open Google Assistant, pause or play media, open your Recent Apps menu, show the notification shade, or even open a custom app.
Does Pixel have a double tap?
Yes, Google did finally bring it back. You might not be able to use double-tap on every device, but it does work on Pixel 4 devices and later. Open the Settings app and look for the System section to set it up. Then choose gestures and choose how you want to use Quick Tap.
How do I find the settings for the short-cut widget?
Touch the “Widgets” tab at the top of the screen when the “Apps” screen comes up. Swipe to the left to move through the widgets until you get to the “Settings shortcut.”
