Fine, Pixel pals: We’ve discussed a lot of buried treasures it is possible to dig up on your own oh-so-Googley phone, thanks mostly to Android 12’s arrival. But there’s one fancy new function you may make even more useful with an instant little bit of crafty customization.

I’m talkin’ concerning the Quick Tap system released on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro  month and in addition available these days on the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G last.

Quick Tap, in the event you haven’t yet discovered it, is really a splendid new shortcut system linked to physical presses of one’s favorite phalange. You arrange it once, it is possible to simply tap twice on the trunk of one’s Pixel’s body to trigger a particular action on the telephone.

Nifty, no? I think so sure. It is a smart time-saver and an excellent way to generate your personal fast-access shortcut to whatever function you need. The nagging problem is merely that the set of available options will be annoyingly limited as of this moment, and what’d function as most practical and logical shortcut for that setup – specifically for those folks with the brand new Pixel 6 models – is lacking in action.

As with the majority of things on Android, though, where there is a will, there is a way. And I’ve think of a super-simple method for improving the Pixel’s Quick Tap feature and rendering it do the main one obvious, impossibly helpful factor it will not do now.

Continue reading, and I’ll explain.

The Pixel Quick Tap limitation

We’ll get to it: The lacking function I’m fussing about may be the plain and simple capability to silence your phone within the Pixel’s new tappity-tapping shortcut system. It’d be considered a welcome option for Quick Tap on any Pixel, really, but there is a reason it’s particularly pertinent for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

The newest Pixel gadgets, y’see, no more have the handy mute shortcut every Pixel before ’em has enjoyed. On Pixels past, an instant press of the charged power and volume-up buttons would silence your phone super fast. It’s always been easy and simple and most convenient solution to shoosh your phone at a second’s observe, without needing to futz around with any menus or on-screen options.

On the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, though, Google removed that option. The good reason, it seems, is definitely that it conflicts with the awkward new setup where the devices’ power button now pulls up Google Assistant automagically. Because of that, the energy and volume-up combo is among the most solution to summon the standard power menu that truly lets you turn off or restart your device.

It’s a tiny mess, frankly, and much more when compared to a little silly. After all, c’mon: It’s known as the power button – not the Assistant button! But it is also just one more indication of how hard Google’s attempting to place Assistant anywhere and everywhere and ensure it is as frictionless as you possibly can to work with.

(On the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, exactly the same setup can be acquired – but unlike on the newer Pixel 6 models also, if you opt not to possess your power button pull up Assistant, the old power-volume-up muting shortcut works. On the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, it seriously isn’t present at all, regardless of what you do.)

Now, for the fix.

The Pixel Quick Tap expansion

By default, the brand new Pixel Quick Tap system are designed for six different functions:

JR

Why silencing your phone isn’t section of that list is beyond me. But with about 20 seconds of tweaking, good golly, we are able to change that.

The secret ties into that final Pixel Quick Tap option – the main one to open an app on your own phone. Also it revolves around a basic-as-can-become and free application from the Play Store known as completely, appropriately rather, Mute .

After much experimenting and searching, I stumbled onto this random little gem and realized it had been the perfect response to our pressing problem. It generally does not look like much, also it hasn’t even already been up-to-date in almost five years. But don’t allow that toss you. For the current purposes, it really is exactly what we have been in need of.

All you’ve gotta do is install the app and open it once. You will be prompted to permit Mute to modify one’s body settings – a permission it obviously needs whether it’s gonna have the ability to silence your phone for you personally. The app doesn’t need any permissions or types of access, also it can’t even access the web. All it does, literally quite, can be silence your phone whenever it’s activated.

See where we’re choosing this? The next thing is to start your Pixel’s Quick Tap settings – by heading in to the System portion of your Pixel’s settings, then tapping “Gestures” accompanied by “Quick Tap” (again, available only on the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 5, and Pixel 4a 5G).

Make certain the toggle near the top of the screen is upon and active. Next, choose the “Open app” option at the bottom of the list, then tap the gear-designed settings icon alongside it and choose “Mute” from the set of choices that arises.

Head to your house screen back, and that is it: Now, you double-tap the trunk of one’s Pixel anytime, you’ll feel a short vibration and visit a small visual confirmation that Mute has been activated. Your phone’s media and ringer volume will shoot completely right down to zero, and Android’s USUALLY DO NOT Disturb mode will undoubtedly be activated. Double-tap again, , nor Disturb will return back off while your volume settings pop back around their previous levels.

Doesn’t get easier than that.

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