Smartphone feature updates can have unintended consequences. You just never know how changing one small detail could impact the overall experience of the average user.
For example, the December update for Android 16 saw the operating system greatly improve the Quick Tap feature, which had been considered a bit unreliable over the last few years. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Well, as a result, I’ve been accidentally taking screenshots and turning on flashlights more often than all the baby boomer parents combined.
Luckily, I found a solution that has cut back on these embarrassing habits.
I spent hours customizing Android 16 and only these changes actually mattered
My favorite Android 16 customizations after trial and error
The history of Quick Tap
A storied one indeed
The Quick Tap feature launched in 2021 as part of the Android 12 update, and it was widely considered a gimmicky flop for the Google Pixel brand.
Users reported the feature being virtually “unusable” in any meaningful way, with inconsistent sensitivity requirements and regular bouts of inoperation.
At the end of last year, though, Android 16 QPR2 was released, and along with it, a substantial improvement to Quick Tap.
The feature was injected with new life, providing users with a more responsive, reliable tool that actually works.
The accidental Quick Taps begin
None of them without consequence
An improvement in responsiveness for the Quick Tap feature is all well and good for those of you non-fidgeters in the world.
Unfortunately, it turns out, I’m a nervous smartphone user and I tap my fingers on the back of my smartphone a lot more than I thought.
On top of that, I often rest my phone against a shelf on my desk, which is apparently the exact height of the Quick Tap sensor on my smartphone, so I’ve been doubling and even tripling up on home page screenshots every day.
I tried to pick a Quick Tap function that was less consequential should it accidentally activate again, but all of them created their own problems.
The flashlight makes it look like I’m taking a picture, playing or pausing media could be awkward on public transit, and accessing your digital assistant could accidentally cancel a meeting or two before you realize it’s been activated.
Stronger taps required
The fix I needed
As is often the case, Google has made plans for this exact situation. Well, maybe not this exact situation, but certainly one very similar to this situation.
If you go to the Quick Tap settings page and scroll to the bottom of the page, you’ll find a single, lone toggle labeled Quick Tap strength. The setting asks you if you want QuickTap to “require strong taps.”
I rejoiced when I discovered this setting. I turned it on and realized that this would indeed be my savior, making the Quick Tap feature more difficult to accidentally press, requiring a more deliberate double tap to activate the feature.
How to turn on Quick Tap on Android 16
If you dare
If you aren’t afraid of looking like a novice with your accidental screenshots and flashlights, turning on the Quick Tap feature is pretty easy, but we’ll help you get started anyway.
Go to the Settings menu and scroll down until you find the System option. Click that, and then select Gestures. Then click the first option, Quick Tap to start actions, which shows a simple toggle to turn it on.
Then, pick what Quick Tap actually does. You have quite a few options other than taking a screenshot or turning on your flashlight.
You can access your digital assistant, play or pause media, show notifications, see recent apps, or open a specific app of your choosing.
And don’t forget to toggle on the Require stronger taps button at the bottom, lest you suffer the same fate as me.
Quick Tap for life
I’ll leave it on forever
Another surefire way I could have prevented myself from accidentally taking screenshots or turning on my flashlight would be to disable the Quick Tap feature entirely.
I rarely remember to use it on purpose because it’s such a newly functional feature, so its almost sole purpose has been accidental.
I’m not going to turn it off, though, because these kind of new features sneak up on you in terms of everyday use.
I used to open my phone with biometrics, scroll to the camera app, and then click it to open my camera.
Years after leaving the double-press-the-power-button feature on, though, I started using it and I never went back.
Maybe now that my accidental screenshot problem has been solved, I have paved the way to actually use Quick Tap for its intended purpose. Only time will tell.
