Nexus 6p (android 6.0.1) - Change home button long press behaviour?

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I just recently got a Nexus 6p. I have been using smasung for years but wanted to try something a little different.

One problem I have found that bugs me is that on the nexus how the home button works. If you press the home button and hold it down (the circle at the base of the screen in the middle) it will load some google search app I think it is voice search or something.

Dose anyone know a way I can customise that functionality to open an app of my choice on a long press?

Thanks in advance
 

Soundtallica

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Dec 4, 2015
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That's Now on Tap, which is a new feature introduced in 6.0. It reads the content that's on your screen currently and brings up relevant info based on what it sees. For example, if it sees Ashton Kutcher's name on your screen, it'll bring up a Google Now card with his website, social media accounts, etc. It's actually pretty useful in situations like texting when the person/people you're talking to suggests a restaurant to eat at that you haven't been to before. Long press the home button, and it'll pop up information about the restaurant right there.

As for customizing the long press of the home button to do something else, that's impossible unless you root. If you want to root though, the easiest way would be to install Xposed Framework and the GravityBox module, which allows you to change the long press of all three navigation buttons to do whatever you want. You could even assign double taps of each button to do something else. I know unlocking your bootloader and rooting is intimidating to many people, but fortunately you have a Nexus, which are the easiest phones to do so on. Just Google the instructions and follow them, and you should be fine.
 

JaaayJ

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Apr 18, 2016
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Hi.. it is me that asked the question... had to register to respond....

@Soundtallica - Thanks for trying to help but I think I must have explained myself badly as you appear to not be talking about the same thing I am... though I am a noob so maybe I am just not seeing that functionality you are talking about by not using it correctly.

Either way I have found a solve.

SOLUTION

  1. Go to GooglePlay and download the free "HOME BUTTON LAUNCHER"
  2. Go into SETTINGS/APPS
  3. Click the cog icon
  4. Click "default apps"
  5. Click "assist and voice input"
  6. Click "assist app"
  7. SELECT "Home Button Launcher" from the list.

Now when you long press the home button it will load the launcher. This is a small windows box that you can populate with as many apps as you like. A kind of quick link to a folder of apps if you like but in the settings for HOME BUTTON LAUNCHER you can set it to automatically load an app if it is the only app added to the list.

This effectively means that you can now set LONG PRESS on your home screen to instantly load any app of your choice.

Problem Solved!

side note - I use Nova Launcher )have for a long time. If you use Nova Launcher you can go SETTINGS/HOME and select NOVA LAUNCHER from that list. Then in the Nova Launcher-Settings/Gestures and Inputs click on the HOME button and select an app to launch or some other options you find there.

This will effectively mean that pressing the HOME button when you are already at home will launch an app of your choice through NovaLauncher, and LONG Press will also launch an app or app draw of your choice. This dose not affect the default functionality of pressing home to go to the home screen and minimise the current app to background.

For example I have the home button long press bring up my sms app and clicking home when I am already at home launching my browser.

If you do not use Nova Launcher, I am not sure what app will populate the list in settings/home... but I am sure there would be other small apps you could find similar to Home Button Launcher that are not entire desktop ui like Nova launcher dose.
 

terminator y2k

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Nov 12, 2015
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Hi.. it is me that asked the question... had to register to respond....

I wasn't looking to change the home button long press default action but I saw this and I tried. Worked easily! I just set it to open Google Maps. Thanks!

*6P 64gb Graphite (AT&T)*
*iPad Air 2 64gb Space Gray (AT&T)*
 

rawraj

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May 30, 2017
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I used to do this in my phone. When i Long pressed it it would lock my screen(as I have the screen lock app installed)
After I reset my phone I just cant seem to find how to set it.
I think I had set it in lollipop but now on Marshmallow same version as you I cannot see any option on how to set it up. Googling is not helping either.
I am sure this can be done without an app and it can launch screen lock app. Unless marshmallow changed something.