It looked like Google was planning to add double-tap gesture support for Pixel phones during the initial releases of the Android 11 Developer Preview. Now, it appears the feature may arrive as part of Android 12.

The double-tap could allow Pixel users to summon Google Assistant, it could also be used for different tasks such as dismissing a timer or snoozing an alarm, as per reports.

Android 12 double-tap feature would include the ability to adjust the sensitivity to only recognise ‘firm' taps.

"Alternatively, users can disable the double-tap feature," says a report. Users can also use the gesture to take a screenshot, pause or resume media playback, open the recent apps view, and open the notification panel.

The double-tap gesture was originally slated to take over from the old Active Edge squeeze gesture on the Pixel 4 phones – noticeably missing from the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5 – but was found to be too sensitive to work properly. Now it seems that those issues have been overcome.

Considering the first Android 11 Developer Preview arrived in mid-February last year, one can expect the Android 12 preview to follow the same pattern.

To recall, a similar gesture feature was added to the iPhone with the release of iOS 14 called Apple calls Back Tap for screenshot, open Control Center, and more.

*Edited from an IANS report