Contact-specific vibrations could soon arrive on Pixel devices
With Android 16’s new Calling Playing cards, Pixel customers have lastly tapped right into a stage of contact customization that iPhone customers have had entry to since 2023’s iOS 17. Nonetheless, there’s room for extra enchancment.
Calling Playing cards are nice when you will have a view of your cellphone’s show, however Google needs to provide you extra methods to customise contacts, particularly for cases when your cellphone is not proper in entrance of your eyes.
For what it is value, that’s partly potential by assigning necessary contacts distinct ringtones. Nonetheless, relying on the place you’re, your cellphone won’t at all times be set to common. For these conditions, Google needs to provide you a further approach of recognizing who’s calling, and it might achieve this by borrowing one more characteristic from iOS and One UI.
First highlighted by the oldsters over at Android Authority after digging into model 4.63.22.800982376 of the Google Contacts app, your Pixel would possibly quickly allow you to set customized vibration patterns for particular person contacts. For what it is value, Apple has supplied this performance for the longest time, whereas Samsung began providing it in 2021 with One UI 3.1
Here is what the code reveals
Though the characteristic could not be manually enabled, code strings discovered throughout the construct supply a reasonably clear glimpse into Google’s plans. References like “vibration_name” and the flexibility to mix “ringtone_and_vibration” counsel that the characteristic will doubtless exist inside present contact settings. It might supply customers the choice to pick totally different ‘default’ vibrations for contacts, i.e., vibration patterns already accessible on system.
Then again, setting a ‘vibration identify’ would possibly counsel iOS-like performance, the place customers can create their very own customized vibration patterns after which give them distinctive names.
If and when the characteristic rolls out, will probably be a compelling addition for individuals who primarily preserve their cellphone on vibrate. Within the meantime, if you would like to check out what the performance would possibly really feel like, you may try third-party apps like BuzzKill.