How To: Launch apps and shortcuts by shaking your Android device

There are various apps on the market that allow you to launch apps and shortcuts by shaking your Android device. Moto X actually has this functionality included. However, new apps are coming in strong with improved features regarding this matter, and GravityGestures is one of them.

The app is currently in beta, and if you’d like to use it, you will need to enroll as a beta tester. This is a simple and painless process, which I’m going to detail below, along with how to install and use GravityGestures.

Quickly launch apps and shortcuts by shaking your Android device

With GravityGestures, you can assign actions to four gestures. To begin with, you will need to sign up as a beta tester here.

Go ahead and press the ‘Become a tester‘ button, but make sure you’re signed into the Google account you use on your Android device before you do this. Then you will be able to access the download link below, from where you can install the app.

Download GravityGestures (Google Play)

launch apps and shortcuts by shaking your Android device

Open the app, and you’ll be taken through a welcome tour which explains how you need to move your phone in order to trigger the gestures.

After the guided tour completes, you will be taken to the main screen, where you need to enable the app’s service. Then, you can tap on the cog icon to open the settings panel and customize GravityGestures.

From this screen, you can enable (or disable) a number of options like allowing the app to recognize gestures even when the screen is turned off, and make the phone vibrate each time you use a gesture to trigger an action. The Sensibility option is also very important and I recommend you adjust it to prevent accidental triggering.

On the app’s main screen, tap the + button to add and define a new gesture. Then you can choose between an X, Y, Z rotation gesture or a shake gesture.

Once you do that, you will be able to select an action. As you can see, the action can open an app, shortcut, or website, place a call, jump to the Settings app, enable WiFi or Bluetooth or even use your phone’s LED flash as a torchlight.

GravityGestures lets you create up to 4 gestures, so as you can see, it is an easy solution that allows you to launch apps and shortcuts by shaking your Android device or by rotating it on one of the axes.

And if you want to use these gestures while the screen is off, you need to cover your phone’s proximity sensor for a second before using any of them to enable the GravityGestures service.

Follow us on  Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to stay up to date with the latest apps, games, guides and everything Android, iOS and Windows Phone.