![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Google-Pixel-Tablet-In-Hand-2024-2-of-4.jpg\"\/ "\\"Google")
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C. Scott Brown \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
Right after blowing our minds with the new AI-powered Voice Translate feature on the Pixel 10<\/a>, Google went and dashed our hopes of seeing a new Pixel Tablet<\/a> anytime soon. The company told Bloomberg that it has \u201cpaused development on a tablet overhaul until it figures out a meaningful future for the category,\u201d which sure sounds like Google has given up on tablets once again. That\u2019s a huge shame, though, because Android has gotten way better on tablets since Google introduced the first-gen Pixel Tablet. And with the next big Android release in December, it\u2019s poised to get even better, thanks to a slew of new PC-like features.<\/p>\n You\u2019re reading the Authority Insights Newsletter, a weekly newsletter that reveals some new facet of Android that hasn\u2019t been reported on anywhere else. If you\u2019re looking for the latest scoops, the hottest leaks, and breaking news on Google\u2019s Android operating system and other mobile tech topics, then we\u2019ve got you covered.<\/p>\n Subscribe here<\/a> to get this post delivered to your email inbox every Saturday.<\/p>\n Over the past couple of years, Google has been improving Android\u2019s support for peripherals like keyboards, mice, and touchpads. This effort was partially aimed at tablets with keyboard cases \u2014 a setup Google planned to launch itself<\/a> before scrapping the Pixel Tablet 2. In fact, the company had also planned a keyboard case for the original Pixel Tablet but canceled it before launch over quality concerns.<\/p>\n However, these improvements aren\u2019t just for tablets. They\u2019re part of Google\u2019s long-term goal to have Android running on PCs in an effort to combine Chrome OS and Android<\/a> into a single platform. To fulfill this ambitious goal, Google has been rapidly implementing new PC-like keyboard and mouse features, many of which will go live in the second quarterly release of Android 16<\/a>. These include the ability to create custom app launch shortcuts, set corner shortcuts similar to Hot Corners on macOS, and control how the mouse cursor behaves when scrolling.<\/p>\n Custom keyboard shortcuts for launching your favorite apps<\/p>\n For years, Android has offered a variety of keyboard shortcuts to control system actions or launch applications. Although Android 16 let you customize the key combinations<\/a> for these shortcuts, it didn\u2019t let you create new ones; you were limited to the predefined list. For instance, if you wanted to launch an app other than Calculator, Calendar, Chrome, Contacts, Gmail, Maps, or YouTube \u2014 the seven apps with built-in shortcuts \u2014 you were out of luck.<\/p>\n Thankfully, that\u2019s no longer the case in Android 16 QPR2. While digging through Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1<\/a>, I spotted a new \u201c+Add shortcut\u201d button at the bottom of the \u201cApp shortcuts\u201d list in the keyboard shortcuts menu. Tapping this button opens the customization menu as before, but now with the added ability to assign a custom keyboard shortcut to any app on your device.<\/p>\n For example, I was able to map \u2018Meta + Ctrl + T\u2019 to launch the Linux Terminal app<\/a>, which didn\u2019t have a predefined shortcut.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s a 10-app custom shortcut limit, this new feature will still be immensely useful for anyone using a physical keyboard with their Android device. However, this customization menu is only accessible on tablets \u2014 more specifically, on devices with screens larger than 600dp. That means if you want to use it on your phone, say, to customize the Clicks Keyboard<\/a> to launch your favorite app, you\u2019ll need to temporarily change your screen\u2019s density. Fortunately, that\u2019s easy to do by adjusting the \u201cminimum width\u201d<\/a> in developer options.<\/p>\n Custom corner shortcuts to quickly show notifications and more<\/p>\n MacBooks have a feature called Hot Corners that allows users to perform certain actions when they move the cursor to a corner of the screen. I recently revealed that Google has been working on its own version of this feature called Action Corners<\/a>, and it is now live in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1.<\/p>\n In Android 16 QPR2, you can configure Action Corners by going to the new \u201ccustomize corner shortcuts\u201d page under either Settings > System > Touchpad or Settings > System > Mouse, depending on whether you have a touchpad or a mouse connected. On this page, you can assign a unique action to each of the screen\u2019s four corners: bottom-left, bottom-right, top-left, and top-right. These actions include going Home, opening recent apps, expanding the notification panel, or expanding the Quick Settings panel.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a short video demonstrating the new \u2018Action Corners\u2019 feature on Android:<\/p>\n This feature will save you time on tablets and PCs, as you\u2019ll be able to multitask, check notifications, or change settings more quickly.<\/p>\n Fine-tune mouse scrolling and button press behavior<\/p>\n Android 16 QPR2 also brings a plethora of new settings for adjusting the button and scroll behavior of external mice. The new scrolling-related features include a toggle for cursor acceleration, a toggle to reverse the scroll direction, and a toggle for controlled scrolling (accompanied by a slider to adjust the scrolling speed). The new button-related features include a toggle to swap the primary and secondary mouse buttons and a handful of new autoclick features.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a list of every mouse-related setting in Android 16 QPR2, followed by a side-by-side comparison with Android 16 to show how much has been added:<\/p>\n Mouse settings in Android 16 QPR2 (Beta 1)<\/p>\n Cursor acceleration (new!) Cursor size Autoclick shortcut (new!) Reverse scrolling (new!) Finally, Android 16 QPR2 introduces a small upgrade to the three-finger touchpad tap gesture introduced in Android 16 QPR1<\/a>. You can now configure the gesture to open any app of your choice. While this isn\u2019t as powerful as the new keyboard app shortcuts because it\u2019s limited to a single app, it\u2019s still handy to have another way to launch an app.<\/p>\n While I\u2019m happy that Google is working to make Android better on PCs, these new features make the company\u2019s cancellation of the Pixel Tablet 2 all the more frustrating. A new Pixel Tablet would have been great, and not just because of these keyboard and mouse improvements. Since the original Pixel Tablet\u2019s launch in 2023, Google has introduced several awesome features that would have greatly improved the out-of-the-box productivity experience on a sequel. These include lock screen widget support, a new smart home control screen saver, and desktop windowing \u2014 not to mention all the revamped tablet apps.<\/p>\n An upgraded Pixel Tablet 2 with more RAM and the Tensor G5<\/a> would have been amazing. It could have run full-fledged desktop Linux apps<\/a> much faster, even on external displays. But it seems the poor sales of the original Pixel Tablet deflated Google\u2019s enthusiasm for a follow-up, so it\u2019s up to brands like Samsung and OnePlus to carry the mantle. Fortunately, all the keyboard and mouse improvements I mentioned will be available to other brands, though we likely won\u2019t see them incorporated into their software until Android 17<\/a>.<\/p>\n Want more?<\/p>\n Authority Insights is more than a newsletter \u2014 it\u2019s the hub for all our best content. If you care about Android, you won\u2019t want to miss any of our other exclusive reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t have time to read them all? Subscribe to our Authority Insights Podcast<\/a> to hear me and my co-host, C. Scott Brown, break down our top stories of the week.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s top Authority Insights\n<\/p>\n Google has a ton of new Android features in store for Pixel users\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here’s all the new features for Pixels in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Android will finally fix your messy home screen by forcing apps to use themed icons<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Lock screen widgets are finally live on Pixel phones in Android 16 QPR2<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Google is expanding a key anti-theft feature to make your apps more secure<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Google finally lets you customize icon shapes on your Pixel’s home screen<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Android finally lets you control your Pixel phone’s flashlight brightness<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Transferring eSIMs and sending RCS messages will soon be easier and safer between iOS and Android\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Texting between Android and iPhone could soon get a major security upgrade<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Switching from iPhone to Pixel 10? It’ll soon be easier to transfer your eSIM<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Google Maps wants to make it easier to revisit places and plan new trips\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Can’t recall that caf\u00e9 from Tuesday? Google Maps has a new feature to jog your memory<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n This upcoming Google Maps feature could be a game-changer for group planning<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Translating text on Android will soon become much faster\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Google Translate prepares speed vs accuracy modes for translation<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Circle to Search’s translation feature is in for a massive upgrade<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Other top stories\n<\/p>\n When it rains, it pours. Good thing the Pixel 10 has an IP68 rating.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I’ve used the three Pixel 10 slab phones, and I’ll say this: Don’t judge a book by its cover<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Google will throttle your Pixel 10’s battery, and there’s nothing you can do about it<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Google killed this feature so the Pixel 10 could have Qi2 wireless charging<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Following Made by Google, is it time for companies to retire live smartphone launch events?<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n If Google\u2019s hardware doesn\u2019t excite you, maybe this will\u2026\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The dual-screen Android gaming handheld you’ve been waiting for has a temptingly affordable price<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Amazon could shake up the tablet market with a higher-end model running real Android<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n I can finally retire the Nest app\u2026\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Google Home finally adds full temperature scheduling for older Nest thermostats<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n![\"Keyboard](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Keyboard-shortcuts-menu-in-Android-16-QPR2.jpg\"\/ "\\"Keyboard")
![\"Adding](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Adding-custom-keyboard-shortcut-to-launch-app-in-Android-16-QPR2.jpg\"\/ "\\"Adding")
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![\"Custom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Custom-keyboard-shortcut-to-launch-app-created-in-Android-16-QPR2.jpg\"\/ "\\"Custom")
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\nPointer speed
\nSwap primary mouse button (new!)
\nCursor & touchpad accessibility<\/p>\n
\nCursor color
\nAutoclick (Dwell timing)<\/p>\n
\nDelay before click (new!)
\nClick area (new!)
\nIgnore minor cursor movement (new!)
\nUse left-click as the default action (new!)<\/p>\n
\nControlled scrolling (new!)
\nScrolling speed (new!)
\nCustomize corner shortcuts (new!)<\/p>\n![\"Mouse](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Mouse-settings-in-Android-16.jpg\"\/ "\\"Mouse")
Mouse settings in Android 16![\"Mouse](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Mouse-settings-in-Android-16-QPR2-Beta-1.jpg\"\/ "\\"Mouse")
Mouse settings in Android 16 QPR2 (Beta 1)<\/p>\n![\"Android](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Android-16-QPR2-hero-image-3-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Android")
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<\/a>![\"google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/google-nest-thermostat-review-google-home-app-temperature-dial-1.jpg\"\/ "\\"google")
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