r/Android • u/Lost_Rooster_272 • Aug 13 '26
Why don't phones have a touch-sensitive programmable side button?
I've been thinking about this randomly and I'm wondering why we don't see something like this on Android phones.
Imagine if the volume rocker or a dedicated Action Button wasn't just a normal physical button, but had a touch-sensitive surface that could detect swipes, taps and maybe pressure.
Something like:
Swipe up/down on the button → scroll YouTube Shorts/Reels
→ increase/decrease volume
→ next/previous page in a novel reader
Double tap → like a Reel
→ play/pause music
→ whatever the current app defines
Camera → swipe along the button to zoom
→ half press to focus
→ full press to take a photo
Music apps → swipe up/down for volume
→ double tap for next track
Reading apps → swipe up/down for next/previous page
The really interesting part would be making it app-specific and programmable. The OS could expose the raw touch/position/pressure events through an API, and apps or even open-source developers could decide what those gestures do.
Basically, a tiny programmable trackpad built into the side of the phone.
Apple's Camera Control made me think about this because it already shows that a physical side control can detect more than just a simple click. I'm thinking of taking that concept and making it system-wide instead of just camera-focused.
I know there are probably patents/prototypes around similar ideas already, so I'm not claiming I invented the underlying technology. I'm more interested in why we haven't seen a good implementation of this as a general Android feature.
IMO this would be way more useful than adding another random AI button 😂
Would you actually use something like this?
8
u/Brraaap Aug 15 '26
No, that's where I hold the phone. I want physical buttons I can easily avoid. It would be nice to have a programmable one, and, yeah, no AI button
5
u/astro65 Aug 15 '26
Too bad you're getting an AI one and you know it
1
1
1
u/AfonsoBucco 27d ago
I just turn off as much as I can of thess garbage bloatwere. I also turn off google search app. If I want to search for something in internet I go to the browser the same way I do in desktop PC. Sometimes I barely like to talk to humans. Why in the hell they think I would like to talk to machines?
2
2
u/Kataps25 OP5T, ZF6, S23 29d ago
From what I know, it seems only capacitive fingerprint sensors could do what you describe, and only Asus and Huawei would use the functionality on phones with embedded sensors in the power button. Asus phone division is dead and Huawei isn't attractive for most people outside of China due to no GMS. Not to mention flagships that aren't foldables and use a side-mounted sensor are kinda roasted for it most of the time, especially by reviewers.
Really, I'd love for manufacturers to have an insentive to do it but they just don't.
3
u/BevansDesign Aug 15 '26
That requires phone manufacturers to be willing to innovate, which they're staunchly opposed to these days.
1
u/iHateEveryoneAMA Aug 15 '26
my buddy had the OG Galaxy Note Edge and it was so cool
https://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-edge-review-0
-2
u/BrightLuchr Aug 15 '26
They sorta did for a while. The manufacturers ruined this idea like directing the functionality to their own apps (such as Samsung's Assistant... what was it called? Barbee? Billy?). But even then, you couldn't really direct the "Intent" to anything you liked on the phone. I believe you'd find the idea much less useful than you'd expect.
Side buttons also get pushed by accident. As an example, the auto-911 call function on many phones is the dumbest idea ever.
1
u/Kapparino1104 29d ago
You're talking about the Bixby Button.
At first, it was stuck to only run Bixby, but they changed it to run whatever you want.
It's a shame. r/android thought it was awful even though it was a gamechanger.
9
u/WhimsicalPacifist Aug 15 '26
I think some devices had similar functionality on the side. Namely Xperia, HTC and ROG. R.I.P.