Press and hold a shortcut to trigger it
You can customize and tweak almost every aspect of Android to your liking. It is only the lock screen where the OS falls short, with even iPhones providing more customization options with widgets and custom clock sizes. Google has been working on addressing this shortcoming, though. Android 13 QPR2 beta revealed some new personalization options coming to Pixels, including the ability to change the lock screen shortcuts. The third beta of Android 13 QPR2 provides more insight into how you can change and activate the lock screen shortcuts.
As previously detailed, Google plans to add a new Shortcuts option under Settings > Display > Lock screen. From here, Pixel owners can change the lock screen shortcuts to one of the pre-specified options. Mishaal Rahman has now posted screenshots revealing how the lock screen settings customization page will look.
You will have to individually select the left or right shortcut button and then assign the action. Google seemingly is not planning on letting you assign custom app shortcuts. Instead, there will be pre-specified options like Do Not Disturb, Device Control, Flashlight, Camera, or None. This is an area where Samsung’s One UI lock screen personalization will trump Google’s implementation. The former lets you assign custom app shortcuts to your Galaxy phone’s lock screen.
As seen on iPhones, you need to press and hold a shortcut to activate it. This is better than a simple tap as it will prevent the shortcut from triggering due to accidental touches.
Alongside the ability to change the shortcuts, Google is also working on letting you use a custom clock on the lock screen. To better reflect these new additions, the company plans to revamp the Wallpaper and style settings menu and split it into two: Lock screen and Home screen.
From the screenshot, it looks like Google is almost done readying its lock screen customization options. So, expect these changes to go live in the next Android 13 Feature Drop releasing in March 2023.
