Custom lock screen shortcuts are something that a lot of other device OEMs have figured out by now, but for Google Pixel owners, it’s not a feature that’s available. That may be changing though, as with Android 13 QPR2 Beta 3, the next Pixel feature drop update, it seems that Google is finally toying with the idea of introducing custom lock screen shortcuts for its smartphones running Android 13.
As shown in the above screenshots (from Mishaal Rahman on Twitter), you will be able to set a custom shortcut on both the left and the right side from the Wallpaper & Style UI settings. You can choose to launch the camera, launch device controls (though the option is grayed out), or toggle do not disturb mode. To interact with them, you hold down on the buttons that appear on your lock screen, exactly like you would on an iPhone. Mishaal shared a video of the feature in action below.
However, there’s no guarantee that this feature will actually roll out with Android 13 QPR2, if at all. The above options aren’t accessible in the most recent build either and were accessed through other means. Google tests features that don’t always make it to final builds, and it could be the case that this feature is shelved in the future. It’s a good sign though that Google may be providing a feature that other OEMs (such as Samsung) have offered for a while. It may be the case that Google recognizes that it’s a little bit behind the times, so it would be a bit strange if the company were to kill off this feature and not release it.
We’ll