In last year’s Android 11 Developer Preview, Google announced a new tap gesture for their Pixels series smartphones. What seems like a new add-on feature to earlier Google Pixel models is now a reality. Google is reportedly working on bringing the “Columbus” feature to Pixel phones with Android 12.
The name “Columbus,” is taken from the 2019’s Hollywood movie Zombieland: Double Tap, where “Columbus” is the name of the character, and double-tap is his rule to kill zombies. Pretty dramatic! Isn’t it?
How to use the double-tap gesture on Pixel?
The double-tap gesture incorporates the Google Assistant and makes it more accessible to users. Many smartphone companies tried their hand to add a dedicated Google Assistant button to their devices in the last five years or so. Some smartphones added the button between the volume rockers and the power button, and some models added the button near the speaker grill. In contrast, others added an inbuilt swipe feature to trigger the Google Assistant with a single swipe.
Leaving the button technology in the past, Google Addressed the issue with the “Columbus” feature that triggers the Google Assistant when you double-tap on your smartphone’s backside. It works similarly to the swipe feature but instead of swiping the screen, tapping two times at the back of the smartphone will activate Google Assistant.
How is the double-tap gesture useful for Pixel owners?
There are plenty of customizable options in Pixel smartphones. From exceptional cameras to unibody design, Google Pixel comes at par with Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. With the update of Android 12 and Google’s plan of reviving the ‘Columbus’ feature, Pixel devices will be better and interesting than Pixel 4 and 4 X performance in the Asian market.
Anyway, there are many things you can do with the double-tap feature, and as a stock Android device, you can customize the double-tap feature up to your convenience. Some of the things you can do with the double-tap feature are:
● Activate Google Assistant instantly.
● Take screenshots.
● Stop/resume/pause media player.
● Open notification bar.
● Take photos and videos.
● Snooze alarms.
● Collapse status bar.
● Dismiss timer.
Conclusion
Like iPhones, Pixel smartphones have their way of processing things and settings. While Google is yet to fully reveal what and how much can be customized with the double-tap feature, some smartphone companies are already using this technology. Apple’s iOS 14 update adds new functionality to the Apple logo that allows users to tap on the logo to take photos, screenshots, and do more than enough with just a finger. Google’s take on the tap feature might feel a little late, but this might be the only option to revive the brand from its crippling sale decline for the last two years.