Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
A hidden feature in Android 16 QPR1 offers a new, faster way to reorganize your Quick Settings tiles.
Instead of dragging and dropping, you can double-tap a tile to select it and then tap its new position to move it.
This method is more precise and avoids the awkward scrolling and accidental drops common with the old way.
Google rolled out the Android 16 QPR1 update to Pixel devices last week, bringing the company’s new Material 3 Expressive design to the masses. The Quick Settings panel saw the biggest changes, not only in its design but also in its functionality. Notably, the tile editor screen has been completely revamped; tiles are now grouped into categories and feature one-click shortcuts for adding or removing them. Repositioning tiles still works the old-fashioned way: just long-press a tile, then drag and drop it into its new spot. However, Android 16 QPR1 also added a second, hidden method for moving tiles that makes organizing the Quick Settings panel much easier.
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Once you open the Quick Settings tile editor in Android 16 QPR1 or later, you can double-tap any tile to select it. This highlights the tile and changes the text at the top to read, “Tap to position tile” instead of “Select tiles to rearrange and resize.” You can then tap an empty or already-occupied spot where you want to place the tile, and Android will move it there instantly.
Here’s a video demonstrating this new method in action:
As you can see, this new method is faster and more precise for organizing the Quick Settings panel. It saves you from having to awkwardly scroll while dragging and dropping tiles, which can be an issue with a crowded panel. It can also prevent you from accidentally dropping a tile in the wrong spot, which often happens as other tiles shift around while you’re dragging.
While this new method for moving tiles is a nice addition, it’s not very discoverable. We had no idea this was possible until a reader told us about it. Nowhere else in the Quick Settings panel does a double-tap do anything, so it wasn’t an interaction we even thought to try. In any case, we’re glad to know about this feature, and we hope it helps Pixel users better customize their Quick Settings panel.
Thanks to Sourajit Karmakar on Telegram for the tip!
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