Google Pixel phones may soon let you turn off the screen with a double tap — no power button needed

Google is reportedly working on a new gesture for its Pixel smartphones that would allow users to turn off the screen by double-tapping on the home screen or lock screen. The feature was discovered in the code of Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3, suggesting the company is actively developing it.

Currently, Pixel devices — from the Pixel 6a to the Pixel 11 — require pressing the physical power button to turn off the display. This can be inconvenient when the phone is placed on a table or a stand. While many other Android phones already support double-tap to wake or sleep the screen, Google has not yet implemented this functionality on its own devices.

The discovered code strings describe the feature as: "Double-tap an empty area on the home screen or lock screen to turn off the screen." This means users would be able to put the display to sleep without reaching for the power button. It is not yet clear when the feature will become active for end users, but the discovery confirms that development is underway.

The new gesture would complement existing Pixel-specific gestures, such as Flip to Shh, which silences notifications when the phone is placed face down on a flat surface. The double-tap feature is expected to arrive in a future Android update, possibly as part of a stable release of Android 17 or a later version.