Android 16 Beta 2 Power Button Shortcut For Google Wallet Now Live

The Google Wallet app can now be opened with a new shortcut in Android 16 Beta 2. The new method means the Quick Settings button is no longer the fastest way, though it might come as an unnatural change to ditch the camera shortcut.

For years, the power button has been tied to opening the camera. On the majority of Android devices, a double-click opens the camera, and a further click takes a picture. This is the way it has always been!

In Android 16 Beta 2, it looks like Google is now widely allowing users to open Google Wallet by using the power button shortcut. In the Settings app, users can change that shortcut on the “Gestures” page. As long as the double press function is on, it can be tied to opening Google Wallet with two successive taps. This feature is now live on Google Pixel devices running the latest beta.

This was expected since it was hidden in the first Android 16 beta, though that needed to be enabled manually. The addition of the setting means it should launch with the first public release of Android 16.

This could open the door for other wallet apps to use the power button shortcut, or it could simply be tied to Google Wallet. Either way, it opens the door for the power button to be used instead of the Quick Settings and lock screen shortcut.