The feature could soon arrive to Nexus 6P

Feb 2, 2017 10:12 GMT  ·  By

Google started rolling out Android 7.1.2 Nougat beta to Pixel and Nexus devices a few days ago and a Reddit user found an interesting new feature on the build. Apparently, owners of Nexus 5X phones running Android 7.1.2 Nougat can use a new fingerprint gesture feature.

Redditor SpannerPhantom revealed that notifications on Nexus 5X phones running Android 7.1.2 can be opened by swiping down on the fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone. The feature is said to soon arrive to Nexus 6P smartphones as well.

The developer preview of Android 7.1.2 Nougat is currently available only to Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus Player, and Pixel C devices, and a beta version for Nexus 6P is expected to arrive soon.

Google did recently say that the Android 7.1.2 version is an “incremental maintenance update focused on polishing and refinements,” but users would be pleased to see the new fingerprint gesture feature, which is available under the Settings menu, in the Moves section.

Users can check out four Moves gestures on their phones

Google introduced fingerprint gestures with the Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones, while many Nexus users wanted to see similar features for their phones as well, especially since the fingerprint scanner is the same as on Pixel devices.

The final version of the Android 7.1.2 maintenance update will roll out in a couple of months, when hopefully all Nexus and Pixel users will be able to use fingerprint gestures to open notifications.

There are many Moves that users can access, including a gesture that quickly opens the camera by pressing the power button twice. This feature works from any screen. Users can double-twist the phone in Google Camera in order to switch in and out of selfie mode or simply pick up their phones in order to open notifications. These gestures can be enabled and disabled in the Moves menu.