Rumor: Android gets ‘double tap on back’ function

Google is said to be working on a feature for Android 12 that allows users to double-tap the back of their device to activate various functions. Google tested that last year, but then the function was not in the final version.

The function is internally called Columbus, 9to5Google reports. The feature was already available in a preview version of Android 11, but has been removed for the final release. In the meantime, Apple did put the feature in iOS 14. Now it’s coming back, with the change that users can set how hard users have to tap on the back to perform a function.

Users could assign five functions: pause or resume audio, take a screenshot, pull down the notification bar, open the multitask menu, or activate the Google Assistant. Users will be able to choose one of those options in the settings when activating the function.

Similar to iOS, the feature uses a combination of the accelerometer and gyroscope to check if users tap the back twice. Having to do it twice should rule out the possibility of it happening by accident.

The feature may come on Pixel phones as a replacement for the squeeze feature that was included for several years. Squeezing the side of a Pixel 2, 3, or 4 instantly summons the Google Assistant. Users of other Pixel phones should swipe at an angle from a corner of the screen for the same result.

In recent weeks, rumors have been coming out about new features for the next version of Android. For example, there would be app pairs for multitasking and the OS could automatically compress unused apps. In previous years, Google always announced the first developer version in the winter. It is unknown if that will also happen this year.