Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The December 2025 update for Pixels, which introduces Android 16 QPR2, has improved the responsiveness of the Quick Tap gesture.
- Users report consistent success triggering actions with double-back tap, as compared to the hit-and-miss before.
- You can enable the feature or change its function under Settings > System > Gestures > Quick Tap to start actions.
December 2025 has been an exciting month for Pixel fans. Google not only rolled out the much-loved Android 16 QPR2 release in the stable branch, but it also quashed a ton of bugs with the update. Beyond what Google announced, users also reported that the update quietly restored the screen-off fingerprint unlock feature. Google didn’t announce this either, but as it turns out, the company may have also improved the double-tap back panel gesture.
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Pixel phones have had Quick Tap functionality for a long time. Quick Tap lets you double-tap the back of your Pixel phone to execute a chosen command. You can set it to access your digital assistant, play or pause media, see recent apps, show notifications, toggle torch, open any app, or take a screenshot. Most users have set it to take a screenshot, as the double-tap-back gesture is easier than holding the volume down and power buttons.
With the December 2025 update that introduced Android 16 QPR2, Reddit users now report that the double-tap back gesture works significantly better than it did previously. One Reddit user even managed to achieve 10 consecutive successful triggers, which is a big improvement. We can confirm it on our end as well — Quick Tap triggers flawlessly after the update
Are Quick Tap gestures working better on your Pixel after the December update?
257 votes
Yes, the December update has made Quick Tap easier and consistent to trigger.
49%
No, I have not noticed any improvements.
26%
I don’t use Quick Tap on my Pixel.
25%
If you’re still not able to trigger the gesture consistently, comments mention that you have to be “holding the phone and looking at it” for it to work, rather than just grabbing your phone. It may also be worth checking that you don’t have the “Require stronger taps” setting toggled on for the lighter touches to work.
You can set up the double-tap on the back gesture on your Pixel by navigating to Settings > System > Gestures > Quick Tap to start actions, and toggling it on. You can choose from any of the options presented, as shown in the screenshots above.
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