Android 12 may bring double tap on back gesture support

The double-tap could allow Pixel users to summon Google Assistant, it could also be used for different tasks such as dismissing a timer or snoozing an alarm

New Delhi: In the initial releases of the Android 11 Developer Preview, it looked like Google was planning to add double-tap gesture support for Pixel phones and now, it appears the feature may arrive as part of Android 12.

The double-tap could allow Pixel users to summon Google Assistant, it could also be used for different tasks such as dismissing a timer or snoozing an alarm, reports 9To5Google.

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Android 12 double-tap feature would include the ability to adjust the sensitivity to only recognise ‘firm’ taps.

“Alternatively, users can disable the double-tap feature,” the report said on Sunday.

Users can also use the gesture to take a screenshot, pause or resume media playback, open the recent apps view, and open the notification panel.

The double-tap gesture was originally slated to take over from the old Active Edge squeeze gesture on the Pixel 4 phones – noticeably missing from the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5 – but was found to be too sensitive to work properly. Now it seems that those issues have been overcome.

Considering the first Android 11 Developer Preview arrived in mid-February last year, one can expect the Android 12 preview to follow the same pattern.

To recall, a similar gesture feature was added to the iPhone with the release of iOS 14 called Apple calls Back Tap for screenshot, open Control Center, and more.