Google may have kept one of Android 11’s most intriguing features under wraps on the update’s first preview. Originally discovered by XDA Developers, Android 11 has a new gesture code-named ‘Columbus’ that can be triggered by double-tapping the back of Google Pixel phones. The gesture allows users to easily perform a handful of actions like launching the camera app or invoking the Google Assistant by simply tapping the rear of a Google Pixel twice. At the moment, it can be linked to a range of essential actions including dismissing a timer, controlling media playback, silencing an alarm or an incoming phone call, and more. On top of that, XDA Developers says you can even configure it to launch an app of your choice. The Columbus gesture sounds like the sort of feature you will end up accidentally triggering while holding the phone or when it’s lying in your pocket. To prevent that from happening, Google will reportedly engineer a couple of flags or “gates” to ensure you’re actually trying to use it. For instance, it will check whether the phone is connected to a power outlet. In addition, Google may bundle a slider to tweak  the sensitivity of the feature, just as it does with the Google Pixel’s Active Edge ability. As per 9to5Google, this feature gathers data from the phone’s gyroscope and accelerometer sensors to detect the taps — which is why Google will likely be able to bring it to all the Google Pixel models. In a demo video shared by XDA Developers, the Columbus gesture also seems to work through phone cases such as Google’s own Fabric models. It’s unclear when Google will roll this out. Early tests suggest it’s still in relatively early stages and there’s still a lot of work left, especially with how accurately it senses the consecutive taps. Android 11 itself is in early stages for now and there’s a good chance Google may drop  this feature before it ever makes it to the public. Besides, except for the first-gen models, Google Pixel phones already have features such as Active Edge that are able to trigger quick actions. We expect to hear more about Columbus gestures and the rest of the Android 11 features in May at Google’s I/O developer conference. Android 16 is due to release in June this year and its first quarterly update will include lock screen widgets. Expected in late summer, the update will bring the lock screen widgets already available on Pixel Tablets to other tablets and Android 16 phones. Support for the lock screen will be turned on for all widgets by default, though there will be a disable option for developers. This means you’ll be able to display important information front and center on your lock screen. If you click a widget that opens an app, you’ll need to unlock your phone before it completes its action but this will still be a lot faster than opening your phone and finding the app manually. Google has started rolling out the second beta update of Android 16 for supported Pixel devices. There are not many user-facing features arriving with this build, but Google is making a few framework changes that will enhance the camera experience for users in the near future. The most notable change is a new hybrid auto exposure system arriving with the Camera2 API upgrade. So far, users have only had access to rudimentary controls in the auto-mode for capturing stills and videos. For deeper controls, there was no other option than digging into the cluttered Pro mode. Four weeks into the first month of the year, one thing is clear about smartphones in 2025: this is going to be an extremely competitive year. Whereas some phone makers used to wait until February or March to launch their flagships for the first half of the year, the early launch of the Snapdragon 8 Elite last year has seen all companies launch their products early. Honor launched the Magic 7 Pro two weeks ago, followed by Samsung with the Galaxy S25 series last week. Before both of these, however, was the launch of the OnePlus 13, a phone that I think is setting the standard for smartphones in 2025 in so many ways.

Google may have kept one of Android 11’s most intriguing features under wraps on the update’s first preview. Originally discovered by XDA Developers, Android 11 has a new gesture code-named ‘Columbus’ that can be triggered by double-tapping the back of Google Pixel phones. The gesture allows users to easily perform a handful of actions like launching the camera app or invoking the Google Assistant by simply tapping the rear of a Google Pixel twice. At the moment, it can be linked to a range of essential actions including dismissing a timer, controlling media playback, silencing an alarm or an incoming phone call, and more. On top of that, XDA Developers says you can even configure it to launch an app of your choice. The Columbus gesture sounds like the sort of feature you will end up accidentally triggering while holding the phone or when it’s lying in your pocket. To prevent that from happening, Google will reportedly engineer a couple of flags or “gates” to ensure you’re actually trying to use it. For instance, it will check whether the phone is connected to a power outlet. In addition, Google may bundle a slider to tweak  the sensitivity of the feature, just as it does with the Google Pixel’s Active Edge ability. As per 9to5Google, this feature gathers data from the phone’s gyroscope and accelerometer sensors to detect the taps — which is why Google will likely be able to bring it to all the Google Pixel models. In a demo video shared by XDA Developers, the Columbus gesture also seems to work through phone cases such as Google’s own Fabric models. It’s unclear when Google will roll this out. Early tests suggest it’s still in relatively early stages and there’s still a lot of work left, especially with how accurately it senses the consecutive taps. Android 11 itself is in early stages for now and there’s a good chance Google may drop  this feature before it ever makes it to the public. Besides, except for the first-gen models, Google Pixel phones already have features such as Active Edge that are able to trigger quick actions. We expect to hear more about Columbus gestures and the rest of the Android 11 features in May at Google’s I/O developer conference. Android 16 is due to release in June this year and its first quarterly update will include lock screen widgets. Expected in late summer, the update will bring the lock screen widgets already available on Pixel Tablets to other tablets and Android 16 phones. Support for the lock screen will be turned on for all widgets by default, though there will be a disable option for developers. This means you’ll be able to display important information front and center on your lock screen. If you click a widget that opens an app, you’ll need to unlock your phone before it completes its action but this will still be a lot faster than opening your phone and finding the app manually. Google has started rolling out the second beta update of Android 16 for supported Pixel devices. There are not many user-facing features arriving with this build, but Google is making a few framework changes that will enhance the camera experience for users in the near future. The most notable change is a new hybrid auto exposure system arriving with the Camera2 API upgrade. So far, users have only had access to rudimentary controls in the auto-mode for capturing stills and videos. For deeper controls, there was no other option than digging into the cluttered Pro mode. Four weeks into the first month of the year, one thing is clear about smartphones in 2025: this is going to be an extremely competitive year. Whereas some phone makers used to wait until February or March to launch their flagships for the first half of the year, the early launch of the Snapdragon 8 Elite last year has seen all companies launch their products early. Honor launched the Magic 7 Pro two weeks ago, followed by Samsung with the Galaxy S25 series last week. Before both of these, however, was the launch of the OnePlus 13, a phone that I think is setting the standard for smartphones in 2025 in so many ways.