Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Pixel phones may soon get a “double tap to turn off screen” gesture in the Android 16 QPR1 update.
- A new toggle for this gesture is expected to appear in the Settings app under System > Gestures.
- However, this double tap gesture will reportedly only function on the lock screen, not the home screen.
Reaching for the power button to wake your phone can be awkward if it’s on a table or stand. To address this, many Android phones let you double tap the screen to turn it on. Many of these phones also support the reverse — double tapping the screen to turn it off — which is convenient when you’re finished using your device. Pixel phones, however, currently lack this handy screen off gesture, but Google could finally add it in the first quarterly release of Android 16.
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While digging through the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release, we found new strings in the Settings app that suggest a “double tap to turn off screen” page will soon appear under Settings > System > Gestures. The page will have a toggle for enabling this new double tap screen off gesture, which allows you to “double tap an empty space on the lock screen to turn off the screen.”
Code
Double tap to turn off screen
Double tap an empty space on the lock screen to turn off the screen. The page isn’t live yet in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, but here’s what it’ll look like when it goes live:
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Back in April, we reported that Google was working on a double tap screen off gesture for Pixel phones. While we managed to get the gesture working then, it wasn’t clear if Google would provide a user-facing setting. With the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release, however, we now know a toggle for this feature will indeed appear in the Settings app.
Unfortunately, we’ve also learned that this double tap screen off gesture will only work on the lock screen, not on the home screen. This is disappointing because it means the gesture’s primary use will be turning off the screen after checking lock screen notifications. Some third-party Android launchers do let you double tap the home screen to turn it off, so consider exploring those if you want that broader functionality.
Although the double tap screen off gesture appears ready, we don’t know exactly when it will roll out. It’ll likely go live in a future beta or with the stable release of Android 16 QPR1. When it does go live, we’ll be sure to let you know.
