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Psst. Here’s a little secret: Your favorite Pixel phone is overflowing with incredibly useful shortcuts that could save you endless seconds every day. And odds are, you aren’t using any of ’em.
Don’t feel bad. It isn’t your fault. Google’s famous for sneaking all sorts of hidden shortcuts into its software, and Pixel phones in particular are pulsating with powerful possibilities that are just begging to be uncovered.
So crack your phalanges, stretch out those suspiciously sticky fingers, and get ready. You’re about to see a whole other side of your Pixel — one that’ll change the way you think about Android and make you faster than ever at getting around your phone.
Internalize these 12 movements, then take your Pixel superpowers to the next level by signing up for my Pixel Academy e-course. It’s a seven-day email adventure that teaches you tons of pro-level Pixel secrets, and it’s completely free for my favorite Android Police pals.
Pixel swipe secret #1: The home screen zap-back
First things first, on your home screen: The next time you’re on one of your Pixel’s secondary home screen panels — as in, a panel to the right of the primary one, where you see the date and the weather and all that fun stuff — try swiping upward from the very bottom of your screen.
No matter how many panels you have or which one you’re looking at, that gesture will zap you immediately back to your primary home screen panel in one zippy movement (so long as you’re using the standard Pixel Launcher and the current Android gesture system).
Who knew, right?!
Pixel swipe secret #2: The notification knock-knock
Next, whenever you ever need to peek in at your notifications from your home screen, remember this: Swiping downward anywhere in the main home screen area will cause your notification panel to appear.
No need to ever reach up to the tippy-top of your screen again.
Pixel swipe secret #3: The camera settings shortcut
Here’s a fun one: Whenever you’re snapping photos in your Pixel’s Camera app, swiping downward anywhere in the main viewfinder area will summon the camera’s pop-up quick settings. And once that appears, swiping downward again or swiping upward (your choice!) will cause the settings to be dismissed.
Feel free to throw in a casual “Accio settings!” while swiping, if you really want to impress people.*
* Legally required disclaimer: Approximately zero people will actually be impressed by this.
Pixel swipe secret #4: The camera sharing step-saver
While we’re hanging’ out in Pixel camera-land, take note: Swiping up on the image preview circle in the lower-right corner of the camera interface will activate your Pixel’s super-handy fast-share menu.
From there, it’s just one more tap to send that most recent image or video directly to anyone via any app in the list. (And if there’s an app you’d like to use that isn’t listed, by the way, try tapping the plus sign within that same menu. So long as an app is designated as a sharing-capable service, you’ll see it appear in a series of options that can be activated and added into the list for future access.)
Pixel swipe secret #5: The camera mode-shifter
Your Pixel phone has some magnificently useful modes for capturing images and videos — y’know, Portrait, Night Sight, Panorama, Bananarama, and so on. (All right, so that last one might only exist in the event of a rare time warp and/or the ingestion of large amounts of peyote. But you get the idea.)
And guess what? There’s an extra-easy way to switch from one camera mode to another without having to reach to the very bottom of your screen and futz around with those miniature-sized options.
So here it is: Swiping left or right anywhere in the main viewfinder area within the Pixel Camera app will shift you from one shooting mode to the next. Just keep swiping in either direction, and you’ll continue progressing through the various available modes (with or without dated 80s pop references involved).
Pixel swipe secret #6: The video shortcut shuffle
Show of hands: Who among us realized you could capture a video in your Pixel Camera app simply by pressing and holding your finger to the viewfinder button — the solid-white circle in the bottom-center of the screen?
If you do, make a mental note of this: Anytime you’re recording a video on your Pixel with that long-press viewfinder shortcut, swiping your finger up on the screen will cause your video to zoom in, while swiping your finger to the left will lock in the video recording and keep it going even when you let go.
Pixel swipe secret #7: The zoom zoomer
You don’t have to be a rapidly aging aardvark like me to find yourself squinting at small text on your phone and barking out an ever-expanding assortment of disapproving grunts. So etch this into your steamy ol’ noggin and remember it:
Anytime you’re looking at something in Maps, Photos, and certain other apps on your phone — including even Chrome, when a website hasn’t been optimized for the mobile environment — double-tapping and then immediately swiping up or down on the screen will let you zoom in and out.
Pixel swipe secret #8: The smart device slide
This next swipe is one of my favorite hidden Pixel tricks of all. You know that Device Controls menu that lets you adjust different connected smart devices associated with your account — the one that first showed up in the Pixel power menu in Android 11 and then turned into a Quick Settings tile in Android 12?
Well, the next time you pull that puppy up, try swiping horizontally on some of the tiles instead of just tapping ’em. With tiles that control devices like lights, where you can adjust the specific level in addition to just turning the associated item on or off, sliding your finger to the left or the right on the tile will fine-tune the item’s level without requiring you to open up any extra menus or control panels.
Setting the mood right has never been so simple.
Pixel swipe secret #9: The Overview up-and-down
Swiping up from the bottom of your screen pulls up your Pixel’s Overview menu, with Android’s current gesture system — but as an exceptionally smart and shiny-toothed Android Police reader, you obviously already knew that.
Here’s a far less commonly known swipe possibility within that Overview environment: When you’re staring at any card in your phone’s Overview area, in addition to tapping on the card to open the associated app, you can keep the swipe momentum going to interact with the card in different ways.
Specifically, swiping down on any card in the Pixel Overview area will cause the associated app to open, while swiping up on the card will close the app and dismiss it from the list.
Swiping up and down repeatedly, meanwhile, will make the app bounce around and make you momentarily giddy.
Pixel swipe secret #10: The app-switch fast-flip
Speaking of Android’s gesture system, it’s worth reminding yourself that swiping your finger to the right alongside the bottom of your screen will always flip you instantly back to your most recently used app — whether you’re starting from another app or even starting from your home screen.
Swiping your finger back to the left in that same area within about six seconds will then plop you right back where you started, kinda like an Android equivalent of the classic Windows Alt-Tab shortcut.
Pixel swipe secret #11: The app-viewing arc motion
In addition to that basic horizontal swipe and the upward-aiming Overview-opening swipe we were talking about a second ago, your Pixel has a helpful hidden gesture that lets you look at a bunch of your recently used apps together for a nice big-picture view of what’s present.
The secret is swiping upwards in an arc motion, starting at the bottom-left area of your screen and moving toward the right — like this:
That way, you can get an overview (get it?!) of what apps are in your recent history and hop directly to any of ’em without having to either open up the full Overview interface first or just swipe blindly and hope you land on the right thing.
Pixel swipe secret #12: The Android menu slip-‘n’-slide
Last but not least in our Pixel shortcut list is a long-standing Android gem that’s present and relevant as can be on your favorite Pixel phone.
I won’t keep you waiting: Anytime you’re eyeing one of those three-dot menu icons in the upper corner of an app, try swiping downward on it instead of pressing it. In lots of places — including common Google apps like Chrome, Calendar, and Gmail — that’ll combine three steps into one by opening up the menu while simultaneously allowing you to scroll through it and then make your selection without any extra taps or actions.
You just keep swiping downward as the menu opens, stop when you land on the item you want, and then let go — and, poof! Your wish is granted.
Remember: There’s lots more where this came from. Come join my completely free Pixel Academy e-course for seven full days of experience-enhancing Pixel knowledge — from Pixel-specific camera sorcery to out-of-the-way options for eliminating common phone annoyances, next-level tweaks for adding advanced smarts into your smartphone’s screen, and oodles of other practical time-savers.
The power’s already in your hands. All you’ve gotta do is learn to embrace it.
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