With the amount of options that the smartphones They offer at first sight, they always remain hidden menus that are hidden behind specific actions or gestures. The Context menu of desktop icons is one of them: Each app offers shortcuts that only come up when you long-press on its shortcut. And this happens on both Android and iOS.
With the succession of Android versions We have come across numerous additions that have ended up being very useful, often without being easy to findAnd the same thing happens on iOS: Apple is very fond of adding shortcuts that are only solved when you know the gesture, a discovery that usually happens by chance. Because, did you know that all app icons have shortcuts that make a lot of tasks easier without having to open the apps?
Shortcuts that speed up many tasks
Google introduced the so-called “Action shortcuts” on the icons of the apps with Android 7.1. For its part, Apple did the same with the “Quick Actions“; introduced with iOS 13, almost three years after Android launched it. The operation is similar.
The idea of the gesture hidden in the icons is execute the most common actions in apps without having to open them and search for menus. For example, WhatsApp app speeds up the creation of a new chat or show your regular contacts, the web browser can open a new incognito tab, and so on with almost any app. It all depends on how its developer programs it.
On both Android and iOS the way to execute the gesture is the same: Long press on the application icon until the hidden context menu appears. Just like when you right-click on a computer, you just need to:
- Choose the application you want.
- Long press on the icon. You will see a menu appear after a couple of seconds.
- Select the action you want and the mobile will execute it.
- If you hold down on the icon until the actions appear, and drag your finger, you will move the icon to the area of the desktop you want.
Not all apps offer useful shortcuts (On iOS it is common for developers not to include them), but it’s worth knowing the hidden gesture to discover what options each icon offers. Depending on the shortcut, you can save yourself several steps that you would otherwise have to perform within the application.
Three tricks to get even more out of shortcuts
- On Android you can pin an app shortcut to the desktop. Press and hold on the icon until the menu appears, then press and hold on the action you want: you can move it to your mobile’s home screen.
- On iOS you have to stop pressing when the menu appears. If you hold your finger down the desktop will start to shake to allow you to edit it (or delete applications).
- On Android, and with Nova Launcher, you can create the shortcuts you want. Sesame Shortcuts It is an app for Nova Launcher with which you can add shortcuts to app icons that they do not originally have. You need to install Nova Launcher (it works on other boaters, but there is not as much compatibility as with Nova) and the aforementioned Sesame Shortcuts.
Cover image | Ivan Linares