Back in Android 7.1.2, Google added a “move” to the Nexus 5X that let you swipe down on the phone’s fingerprint reader to expand the notification shade. It later came to the Nexus 6P and was carried forward on the Pixel line as a “Gesture” and has been one of the more unique combinations of hardware and software that we’ve seen in Android. Here’s the thing – I never use it. I’d much rather Google add a different gesture, one that allows us to do something as simple as scroll within an app.
For me, checking notifications is done constantly throughout a day, yet I don’t know that I’ve ever reached for the fingerprint reader to check on them. It’s not that the gesture doesn’t make sense for doing that, it’s that I typically am holding my phone with one hand and have the other hand there to easily reach up to the notification area to check. Plus, if you swipe down the notification shade with the fingerprint reader, what are the chances you won’t then need to reach up with your off hand to do something? Pretty slim I’d imagine. I also find that I reach up there anyway, because most notifications now pop-down over whatever I’m doing and I quickly dismiss them that way. So again, it’s easier for me to manage notifications with my off hand rather than with a gesture that starts on the back of my phone.
But scrolling, now that’s something I could get behind.
Imagine reading a book or an article or a Droid Life review and being able to casually sit back with your phone in one hand, while scrolling with the rear-placed fingerprint reader. Or consider how much time you spend scrolling with your off hand or thumb while in apps like Twitter and Instagram. Think of this move as turning your fingerprint reader into a trackpad of sorts. This would allow you to continue doing all that I just mentioned without interruption from that off hand or the thumb on the hand you are holding the phone in. I think that sounds amazing.
Now, there are some 3rd party apps that can give you this functionality (and then some). Of course, they aren’t made by Google or built into the system, so they require you give them permissions (like accessibility) and none have rated/reviewed exceptionally well. If Google were to build scrolling in as a gesture, then we sort of eliminate all of that.
I know I could be in the minority, but I’d use scrolling constantly with all of the time I spend in Chrome, Google News, Twitter, and Instagram.
Be sure to check out all of past Android Feature Request ideas!
This idea is very promising. I have long been frustrated by the lack of a simple “page down” option for android. 🙁
Here’s a feature request for Google, fix location services on the Pixel 2 XL
So long as it’s an option…I might be the odd one out here, but I actually like the fingerprint gesture as is and have no issues using my thumb to scroll one-handed
Yes, I’d definitely like scroll capability and trackpad like functionality as well. How about for moving the cursor, double tap to zoom on web pages or for the selfie camera, long press for top of the page etc.
Wonderful idea Kellen 😀
Samsung has had this for years….. /s
I kid I kid…
I don’t use the fingerprint reader to access notifications either. Could be because I always forget that feature exists and/or could be because I have the smaller Pixel and can pretty easily reach the top of the phone one-handed. Either way, I think I’d like the scrolling option more than the notification one.
Awesome idea. Never thought of that but that could be truly be useful. I do a bit too much scrolling through FB/Instagram and this would be a nice addition.
I’m sure Google will put this suggestion right up there with SMS support for Allo.
The Motorola Atrix 4G let you scroll with the fingerprint reader… in 2012 ;-p
BRING IT BACK
I liked the gesture on my Nexus 5X. But I’m missing it on my V30 since LG doesn’t seem to feel the need to put it on their phones
Better yet,
They could make the entire glass shade on the back touch sensitive. That would allow for multi-finger gestures (using your index and middle finger). One-handed scrolling, zooming, tab switching, etc.
Could be kind of cool actually
Didn’t the PSP or PS Vita have that?
But that would be a “capacitive button” and we all know how people on D-L feel about those…
+1
I wish moto would have made that one of the FP Nav options on the moto Z2 series. i loved the back multi and home on FP scanner, why not a scrolling option.
As long as there’s an option to keep it the way it is now.. my wife and I both use swipe for notifications daily. I mean it’s the ONLY way I pull down my notification shade.
For whatever reason, it’s just never been something that sticks in my mind to do. But a few times in recent days, I’ve been like “LET ME SCROLL, MY FINGER IS RIGHT THERE.”
Hah, yeah, the scrolling would be great too. Would be awesome if we could make both work.
You should try to force yourself to give the notification thing a go too. It took a few days for it to stick for me, but now I can’t live without it. It makes one hand use very comfortable — and it is easier to action (usually just swipe them away) because you don’t need to reach the whole way to the top.
That isn’t to say it’s not just as easy to use a second hand (like your article suggested), but rather, you don’t feel like you need to anymore.
Just wondering do you use the Pixel or the XL version? For me its a necessity because the XL is larger, the swipe down for the notification shade is like 90% of the way I expose it.
Motorola did this with an old phone where it had a dedicated scroll pad on the back of the phone. It was a low end model and the feature didn’t take off because it was implemented poorly.
I use this on the S9+ to pull down the notification shader and while I love that, I really miss the scrolling the 6P had. You get my vote!