Last year, in the first versions of the Android 11 Developer Preview, we discovered that Google was developing a new dual-tap gesture for Pixel phones. Now it looks like Google is bringing the Columbus gesture back to Pixel phones with Android 12.
The gesture has the code name “Columbus”, a reference to a character from the movie Zombieland and his famous “double-tap” rule. By default, this gesture is intended as another easy way to reach the Google Assistant, but it could also be set internally to different actions. We also found it to be a quick way to fire up a timer or snooze an alarm.
At the time, we believed that this ‘Columbus’ gesture would replace the ‘Active Edge’ push gesture that the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 all lack. However, when Android 11 was fully released for Pixel phones, the Columbus double-tap was nowhere to be found.
According to information provided by 9to5Google, Google is working to revive Columbus on Google Pixel phones with Android 12 as the ‘Double tap’ gesture. By tapping quickly on the back of your phone, you can do one of the little hands:
- Activate Google Assistant
- Take a screenshot
- Pause / resume media play
- Open the notification screen
- Open the recent application view
One bit of feedback we shared when Columbus first arrived in the Android 11 Developer Preview was that the gesture was a little too sensitive. With the new version coming with Android 12, you can adjust your phone just to recognize it firm tap backwards. Or, like other gestures on Android and Pixel phones, the Columbus double-tap can be completely turned off.
The first Android 11 developer preview arrived in mid-February last year. If Android 12 follows the same pattern, we can only take a few weeks to get our hands on the Double Tap gesture again. That said, Columbus has been removed from Android 11 non-stop, and it is still quite possible that it can be retrieved from Android 12.
Dylan Roussel contributed to this article
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