I added one of the best Pixel feature to all of my Android phones — here’s how

At a glance:

• Tap, Tap brings double‑tap and triple‑tap back gestures to any Android phone
• Supports over 50 actions, custom requirements and "gates" to prevent false triggers
• Installation requires side‑loading the APK and granting overlay, accessibility and battery‑optimization permissions

What tap, tap does differently

Tap, Tap is essentially a community‑driven port of Google’s Quick Tap feature that originally ships only on Pixel devices. While Quick Tap lets you assign a single action to a double‑tap on the back of the phone, Tap, Tap expands the concept in three major ways. First, it recognises both double‑tap and triple‑tap gestures, effectively giving you two distinct input patterns. Second, each gesture can trigger a chain of actions that run in a defined order, provided you set up specific requirements—known as "gates"—for each action. Finally, the app ships with a catalogue of more than 50 built‑in actions ranging from flashlight toggles and screenshots to launching Google Maps with turn‑by‑turn directions.

The flexibility of Tap, Tap shines when you combine multiple actions under one gesture. For example, a double‑tap can be configured to toggle the flashlight when the lock screen is visible, skip a music track while playback is active, and fall back to taking a screenshot when no other conditions match. The triple‑tap can be set to play the previous track or open a navigation app, depending on whether music is playing. This conditional logic mirrors the behaviour of advanced automation tools while remaining accessible to everyday users.

Getting the app and initial setup

To try Tap, Tap you need to side‑load the APK from its GitHub releases page. After downloading the latest version, enable "Allow from this source" in the Android Settings > Apps > Special app access. Once installed, launch the app and follow the onboarding wizard, which asks for a handful of permissions. The most critical are:

1. Disable battery optimisation – prevents Android from killing the service in the background.
2. Display over other apps (or "Appear on top" on Samsung devices) – lets Tap, Tap capture tap events even when another app is foreground.
3. Accessibility service – required to listen for the back‑tap gesture and to execute actions that need system‑level privileges.

Each permission is granted through the standard Android UI: Settings > Apps > Tap, Tap > Advanced > Display over other apps, and Settings > Accessibility > Tap, Tap. The process is largely the same across manufacturers, with only minor wording differences on Samsung and OnePlus devices.

Customising actions, requirements and gates

After the permissions are in place, the main configuration screen appears. Turn on the global "Enable Tap, Tap" toggle, then choose either Double Tap Actions or Triple Tap Actions. You can add an action by tapping the Add Action button and browsing categories such as System, Media, Communication, or Apps. Selecting an action may prompt additional permissions; for instance, toggling the flashlight asks for camera access.

To make the gesture context‑aware, tap Add Requirement for each action. Requirements are grouped into categories like "App state", "Device state" or "Input method". A common gate is the "Keyboard" requirement, which blocks the gesture while the on‑screen keyboard is active, reducing accidental triggers. You can also set a "Screen lock" requirement to fire an action only when the device is locked. The order of actions matters: the first matching requirement runs, and any action without a requirement should sit at the bottom of the list as a fallback.

Advanced features: Shizuku, rooting and sensitivity tweaks

Tap, Tap unlocks even deeper system actions when paired with the open‑source Shizuku service or a rooted device. With Shizuku, the app can change system settings, invoke hidden APIs, or access app‑specific menus that are otherwise unavailable. Root users can go further, enabling actions like toggling airplane mode or modifying Do Not Disturb profiles.

The app also offers granular sensitivity controls. Because many users switch phone cases frequently, you can adjust the tap‑sensitivity slider for each case to avoid false positives. Additionally, setting the device size calibrates the detection algorithm, helping the app differentiate deliberate taps from accidental bumps. These settings live under the Settings tab and are essential for a smooth experience on larger phones or devices with curved backs.

Community outlook and future possibilities

While Tap, Tap already covers a broad set of use‑cases, the author of the article hopes Google will integrate the most popular features into native Quick Tap on future Pixel releases. The piece also notes that Samsung’s Good Lock module provides a similar back‑tap capability, but Tap, Tap still outperforms it by offering more gestures, multi‑action chains, and custom gates.

Industry observers, including Android Authority’s Ryan Haines, argue that a standardized back‑tap API across Android OEMs could become a new “action button” for the platform, akin to Apple’s Action Button on iPhone 15 models. Until such a standard appears, third‑party solutions like Tap, Tap remain the most versatile way to bring Pixel‑grade shortcuts to the broader Android ecosystem.