Google Phone v47 prepares to add Flip to Silence gesture [APK Teardown]

While some of us spend very little time on the phone, it’s still very important that we can make and respond to calls in the most intuitive ways possible. That might involve knowing where buttons are and what direction to swipe, what to look for on a screen, or how some things will react to gestures and button presses. The latest update to the Google Phone app reveals it’s about to get a popular feature for muting call ringers by simply flipping the phone over.

Teardown

Flip to Silence

It’s safe to assume most of us get calls that we’re not going to answer. Regardless of the reason, all that matters is stopping the disruption and getting back to what we’re doing. Virtually all smartphone ringers can be muted by pressing volume buttons, and most OEMs have even implemented a basic flip-to-silence gesture reminiscent to the classic motion of setting a corded phone down to end a call.

Google began testing a different implementation of this gesture with the Pixel 3 that took things a little further. Dubbed “Flip to Shhh,” this version used the same gesture to switch the phone into Do Not Disturb (DND) mode . While DND settings may vary from one person to the next, this was generally less about muting a single call and more focused on shutting out all but the most critical notifications. This began as a Pixel 3 exclusive, but eventually expanded through Digital Wellbeing.

Now Google appears to be putting the more traditional Flip to Silence gesture into operation. New text and a basic settings screen have been included in the latest Google Phone update that describe how it works and a toggle to turn it on.