Reprogram Squeeze in Pixel 2: Make it do whatever!
It’s no new news that the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL comes with a built edge squeeze functionality that calls out Google Assistant when the Pixel 2 /XL is held tightly. This functionality is called: ACTIVE EDGE.
But, the downside, is that you can’t use the Active Edge functionality to do something else, other than, summon Google Assistant. Thus, the purpose of this post. Find a way to bypass the restriction, and make the Active Edge do whatever!.
Thanks to the Button Mapper app for android created by XDA team dev flar2. With this you can easily remap and reprogram the Squeeze function in Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL to something else, even without root enabled.
When another function is enabled it takes several steps to assign another function to use the Active Edge service. And you first have to launch the Button Mapper application before opening another task all due to the restriction by Google.
Going back into time you could remember when we use the Bixby button to do something else. But, again, both the Bixby button fuction remapping and the Squeeze function in Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL isn’t yet official. So all of the hacks are back doors and not official by the makers.
How to reprogram Active Edge(Squeeze) in Pixel 2/XL to perform another function
Preliminaries:
NB:
- First, get a computer/laptop
- Second, download Button Mapper app, given in the link below.
Step 1:
- First Download Button Mapper v.0.53 or later in Google Play Store
- Ensure you have Enabled Active Edge feature inside of your Pixel 2 /XL
- Install the Button Mapper
- Open the Button Mapper application
- Enable Button Mapper Accessibility Service by going to the bottom and hitting the Snackbar.
- Tapping on Go, takes you to Button Mapper menu
- Enable the Button Mapper: Accessibility Service
- This redirects you to the Button Mapper app.
- Go to Buttons header
- Go to Active Edge and then select it
- Hit Customize
- Next, it will prompt you to run a script on your PC. To achieve this we set Android Debug Bridge for PC. Which leads us to the next step.
Step 2:
- Pick up your Pixel 2 /XL, go to Settings>>System>>About Phone
- Next tap on Build Number several times, until Android Developer option pop up
- Go back again to Settings>>System>>Developer Options
- Setup ADB debug on your computer/mac/pc
- Open up a command prompt or terminal application and type inside adb shell sh /data/data/flar2.homebutton/keyevent.sh
- Above command, triggers script to grant Button Mapper application permission
- Allow to grant permission
- Tap on restart Button Mapper application, will restart the application
- After restarting, go to Button Mapper, and tap on Active Edge in Button header side
- Customize it and choose the type of function/action you want it to do
Voila!, you have now reprogrammed/remapped the Active Edge function on Pixel 2 /XL. This means whenever you use the squeeze feature, it will summon what ever function you have customized earlier rather than Google Assistant.
Disclaimer:
Actually, in the real sense it’s not actually reprogramming that occurs when one replace the Squeeze-Google Assistant feature on Pixel 2 /XL to do something else. But, the developers created the hack such that both Google Assistant and any other function assigned to the Squeeze function, comes up simultaneously when the Squeeze is used, in such a way that, Google Assistant works behind the scenes and can’t be noticed.
This solution or hack isn’t perfect, but, for the time being is the only solution that works out there which remaps the Squeeze function in Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL to other operations. Like to open Camera, Notepad, Flash Light, Browser apps, Games etc.
Below is a video from XDA forum, Showing how Button Mapper works in real time how to customize it just in case you missed something in the steps given above. Sure!, when another method comes up, we’ll update in no time.
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