Google Testing New Double-Tap Gesture on Back of Pixel Phones for Launching Camera, Assistant, and More

[cmaier]

And as a user I should care about any of this besides the first two points because ... ? That’s what developers are being paid for. With that logic a iPhone still wouldn’t support copy paste or mms as it did or didn’t in the past 🙂

You should care about all of these things because all of these things inevitably affect the user. Do you like it when there are bugs in your software?
If you prefer a device with a zillion “options” go buy android.

 

[Mr. Awesome]

and you wouldn’t be able to control your volume. Sounds fun.

maybe the power button can open Twitter and tweet whatever your last photo taken was. And the letter “e” on the keyboard can dial your mom on the phone. And tap and hold on the phone icon can mean volume up.

As funny as your post is, I think he meant that the volume buttons would do that when the phone was off/not playing media.

 

[WWPD]

Google is surprisingly eager to capitalize on the PS Vita rear touchpad's lack of success.

PS Vita...Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time..

 

[CarlJ]

Who is this feature for? For peeping toms to secretly take pictures in the subway by unsuspectingly tapping the backs of their phones?

Really? That's the first place your mind goes? Creepy.
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As funny as your post is, I think he meant that the volume buttons would do that when the phone was off/not playing media.

So then I can't control the volume of alerts without going into Settings?

 

[The Game 161]

Wow how useful...he quicker to just click the camera surely

 

[Puppuccino]

I'm not convinced of this at all. It's reminiscent of Samsung and their hold the phones back to back to transfer a photo.

The vast majority won't even know this exists. Double tap the back, or single tap a button on the screen. I know which one is more user friendly.

 

[CarlJ]

Personally, I'd like to see Apple put an action button between the volume up/down buttons - I think some iPods used to have this. Make it work like the middle button on wired headphones - play/pause, track forward/back, double/triple taps for forward/back, hold for Siri - this last could free up the "hold for Siri" function on other buttons for some new functionality - maybe put "open camera" there.

 

[RyanInBinary]

The specific mention of Google Assistant, seems to me like that will be their go to, if these tests are a success. Yet another way to activate it. They’re trying to get people using it all the time for everything. They already have, “Hey Google”, “Okay Google” voice commands, a swipe gesture, and the phone squeeze.

also, I feel like it’s worth mentioning because people talk about the camera feature on this so much... why does the lock screen still have two dedicated options for the camera launch? Both the camera button and a left-swipe open the camera. Maybe send us some of those custom lock screen options? Or widgets on one side and notifications on the other?

 

[cmaier]

As funny as your post is, I think he meant that the volume buttons would do that when the phone was off/not playing media.

If it's not playing media, the volume buttons control the ringer
The phone screen turns on as soon as you pick up the phone

So in what situations would the volume buttons be available for this? When it is locked but screen is on, and not playing media, and not on call? In that one situation the buttons do something different. Sounds easy to remember.

 

[Ciclismo]

Officer: "Which one is your phone?"
Me: Double-taps back of phone.
Also me: Accidentally sends dick-pics to all contacts.

 

[cmaier]

"Which one is your phone"
Double-taps back of phone.
Accidentally sends dick-pics to all contacts.

Because you and the person asking which is your phone are naked?

 

[Ciclismo]

Because you and the person asking which is your phone are naked?

Sure, why not? Hey, it's Friday night, anything is possible.

 

[cmaier]

Sure, why not? Hey, it's Friday night, anything is possible.

So a bunch of you sitting around naked, with all your phones in a pile.

Apple should plan for that scenario.

 

[poematik13]

Android phones are peasant garbage

 

[mrkite77]

I'll wait until I can try it until I pass judgement. I found the squeeze gesture to be too awkward to be useful, but being able to scroll the fingerprint sensor to pull down the notification shade is super convenient.

 

[mi7chy]

Pretty clever for one handed use without doing hand gymnastics especially on larger phone and risk of dropping it. Best of all it doesn't require new hardware and works with existing devices.

 

[techfreak23]

Just another gimmick to add to their phones. Didn’t learn with that squeezing tech they had at one point?

 

[mistasopz]

On my pixel right now, I can just double-tap the power button and the camera immediately loads and I can take pics. Without the unlock, I can only look at pics I took during that session. It can also be disabled.

 

[locoboi187]

and you wouldn’t be able to control your volume. Sounds fun.

maybe the power button can open Twitter and tweet whatever your last photo taken was. And the letter “e” on the keyboard can dial your mom on the phone. And tap and hold on the phone icon can mean volume up.

Looks like you've never used a feature like this before.

When I used to be jailbroken years ago, you could still control the volume by pressing the volume up or down button. But if you hold the volume down button or hold the volume up button you could do things like skip or repeat a track.

 

[cmaier]

Looks like you've never used a feature like this before.

When I used to be jailbroken years ago, you could still control the volume by pressing the volume up or down button. But if you hold the volume down button or hold the volume up button you could do things like skip or repeat a track.

Ah. So instead we are just giving up the ability to mute by pressing and holding the volume button.

Sure, that makes sense.

Oops - hang on. The 1990’s is calling. They want me to add this: ”Not.”

 

[44267547]

I'll wait until I can try it until I pass judgement. I found the squeeze gesture to be too awkward to be useful, but being able to scroll the fingerprint sensor to pull down the notification shade is super convenient.

The ‘squeeze gesture’ never fully was adopted because it was awkward to use. Sure, it’s unique to the user experience, but how useful is it when consumers can’t even remember how to use it, let alone understand its full capability? (Rhetorical).

 

[DeepIn2U]

How about shake to open specified app?

like iOS’ horrible shake to delete text? I’m sure you’ve seen just how silly that is not to mention a slippery surface smartphone being shaken vigorously and out of the hand to be crushed on the floor.

 

[rom3o]

So instead we are just giving up the ability to mute by pressing and holding the volume button.

Is there a setting for this? Because when I activate ‘Change with buttons’ the volume only goes down to the lowest level but not into silent mode.

 

[cmaier]

Is there a setting for this? Because when I activate ‘Change with buttons’ the volume only goes down to the lowest level but not into silent mode.

Um no settings. Definitely turns off the volume. In fact when they took away the mute switch on iPads that was the official method to replace it.

 

[doctor-don]

My complaint with a lot of these unusual methods of turning on a phone and starting various apps is that when my phone is in my pocket while I am working in the yard, things have been changed that usually require access from the system settings. I have made a phone call or two, changed my wallpaper, changed the volume, started the camera, etc. Ridiculous behavior from a phone that should have been OFF except to receive phone calls and texts from family members.