The new Pixel Launcher has a feature called App Shortcuts, which are very similar to Apple’s 3D Touch. There are no pressure sensitivity levels and you just need to long press an app’s icon to access the shortcuts. The latest Android 7.1 update allows you to pin Google Pixel’s app shortcuts on the home screen for faster access.
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At the moment, most of the apps that support App Shortcuts, are Google’s stock apps, although the list of third-party apps is also expanding.
How to pin Google Pixel’s app shortcuts on the home screen
Nevertheless, you can access the App Shortcuts for any supporting app the same way. By long-pressing on the app’s icon. A pop-up menu will open, providing quick access to some of the app’s essential features.
Once you open the app shortcuts menu, long-press on a shortcut then drag it on the home screen. This is how you pin Google Pixel’s app shortcuts on the home screen. It’s easy, right?
You can pin as many app shortcuts as you need. You can even pin the same shortcut repeatedly. App updates won’t remove any of your pinned shortcuts, but if somehow a feature that was previously available in one of them is significantly changed or removed, the shortcut can be disabled.
For now, App Shortcuts are only available on the new Pixel and Pixel XL phones, and for Pixel C, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P devices enrolled in the Android Developer Preview program. As a result, third-party apps are slow to implement support for app shortcuts, but this will change as soon as Android 7.1 starts to become available for other devices.
Which of the apps you rely on have the best App Shortcuts and what new apps you would like to see supporting them next?
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