Android 16 Could Finally Let You Remap Keyboard Shortcuts

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

While some people are skeptical of Google’s plans to turn Chrome OS into Android to compete with the iPad, I’m personally really excited because of what it means for the future of Android. Under this effort, Google is working to make Android a viable desktop operating system, similar to Chrome OS. That requires them to improve how Android handles input accessories, such as physical keyboards. Google is now planning to allow customization of keyboard shortcuts in Android 16.

Android has an extensive set of keyboard shortcuts that let you navigate the UI, open the app drawer, take a screenshot, and perform many other actions. These shortcuts are listed in Android’s keyboard shortcut menu, which is due to be redesigned for large screen devices in the next quarterly release of Android 15.

By default, Android doesn’t allow remapping existing shortcuts. While many hardware remap apps are available for Android, they can only remap buttons detected through the Android Accessibility API. Furthermore, these remap apps typically don’t work while the screen is off. They also require a persistent background service, which could be killed when the device is low on memory. The only way to properly remap keys is to edit the key layout file that Android uses to map key presses to Android key codes. However, this requires root access.

A future Android release may finally include a native keyboard shortcut customization menu. We found evidence of a native keyboard shortcut customization menu in the Android 16 Beta 1 release, though it’s not yet functional. It appears Google will add a button to the existing keyboard shortcut menu to launch a new customization mode. This mode will allow you to assign shortcuts to key combinations that are not already in use. Here are the strings we spotted in the code that hint at this new feature:

Customize keyboard shortcuts  Press key to assign shortcut  Customize  Done  Press key to assign shortcut  This will delete your custom shortcut permanently.  Remove shortcut?  Shortcut cannot be set.  Key combination already in use. Try another key.  Press key  Cancel  Key combination already in use. Try another key.  Set shortcut  Action or Meta key icon  Plus icon

We don’t know how extensive the customization will be, as we haven’t been able to activate the feature yet. Ideally, Android will allow for remapping every available shortcut to any desired key combination. Adding entirely new shortcuts would also be a welcome addition, though there’s no indication of that being planned currently.

We also don’t know when Google plans to release this new feature. While it’s possible the tool will be available in the official Android 16 release, this remains uncertain. Regardless, Google must continue to improve keyboard and mouse support if it wants Android to be taken seriously as a desktop OS, and adding new features like customizable keyboard shortcuts is a good step towards that goal.

Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at news@androidauthority.com. You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it’s your choice.