Google Expands Pixel Double-Tap-to-Sleep in Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3

Q: Will this long-awaited home screen gesture finally make the physical power button obsolete for future Pixel devices?

No. Even if Google ships double-tap-to-lock on future Pixel phones, it would reduce reliance on the power button, not eliminate it. The evidence from Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3 shows Google is actively developing a gesture that would let users double-tap an empty area on the home screen or lock screen to turn the display off. The presence of a dedicated settings page strongly suggests this is being prepared as an optional user-facing feature. That would make locking the phone quicker and could cut wear on the physical button. But the power button still serves functions a tap gesture cannot fully replace. It is needed to power the phone on from a shutdown state, force a restart if the system freezes, and access hardware-level recovery actions. On Pixel phones, it also remains tied to configurable shortcuts such as the power menu or Assistant, while emergency and boot functions still depend on physical controls. The broader Android direction supports coexistence, not replacement. Google is expanding gesture controls, lock-screen shortcuts, Quick Tap actions, and on-screen power options, but it has not moved away from keeping a physical fallback. That is standard smartphone design because software gestures do not work when the system is unresponsive or the battery is fully depleted. So if the feature launches, it will likely make everyday locking more convenient and make the power button less frequently used. It is very unlikely to make the button obsolete on future Pixel devices.

3 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Aug 17

Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3 includes updated code strings showing Google is still developing a Pixel double-tap-to-sleep gesture and may broaden it before release.
New text changes the feature from working on the lock screen only to turning off the display from an empty area on either the home or lock screen.
Google also added strings for a dedicated settings page, including options to find the feature and enable or disable the gesture.
The gesture was first spotted in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 in June 2025, but it still has not shipped and may never reach a public release.