What if your phone turned on its flashlight as soon as it sensed a hand in its pocket? A bug in Android 16 Beta 4 turns lock shortcuts into clickbait. Goodbye serenity, hello untimely activations.
The latest beta of Android 16 had a nasty surprise in store for testers: the lock screen shortcuts (flashlight, camera) are now activated with the slightest touch. Gone is the long, reassuring press introduced with Android 14, replaced by a single click, as sensitive as a gamepad button. Enough to trigger untimely.
According to feedback on Reddit and tests by 9to5Google, this unexpected change affects some devices running Android 16 Beta 4. Result: the flashlight turns on when sliding the phone into your pocket, or the camera launches when picking it up. A headache for users used to long-pressing to avoid mistakes.
Also read – Android 16 will bring a touch of color to Settings, discover the new interface
A throwback... Unintentional?
In 2023, Android 14 required a long press on lock shortcuts, precisely to limit accidental activations. A common-sense measure, welcomed by clumsy users. But with Beta 4 of Android 16, this safeguard has disappeared on some models. Worse: a long press no longer triggers anything.
Confusion reigns. Is this a bug or an intentional change? 9to5Google notes that the problem does not affect all devices tested. Out of six smartphones, only two were affected. I thought my phone was possessed, laughs one user on Reddit, whose flashlight lights up with every touch.
Google has not yet commented on the subject. Developers are leaning towards a software error, but others fear a deliberate choice. In both cases, the ergonomic setback is notable. "It's like removing airbags under the pretext that the seatbelt is enough," compares a designer on condition of anonymity.
While waiting for a fix, testers have found A workaround: disable lock screen shortcuts. A radical solution, but effective. It remains to be seen whether Google will reinstate the long press in the stable version... or if this is a deliberate change by the company.
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