One of the features that didn’t get to launch with Android 7.0 – and is rumored to be launching with Google’s new Pixel smartphones as features of Android 7.1 – is what the tech blogs are calling “Launcher Shortcuts”. Basically, it’s the capability to open a small shortcut menu by swiping an app which gives you choices of things you can do within the said app. Sounds like a useful feature, only that Google still has to confirm if this is even arriving with Android 7.1. But don’t worry, Action Launcher will make this available for you via a feature called “Quickcuts”.
Chris Lacy, developer of Action Launcher says that he was able to incorporate this feature into Action Launcher because “many of the hooks required to use these shortcuts already exist in the latest versions of Google’s apps”. Quickcuts will now be available via an update rolling out to Action Launcher today.
The caveat is this, that not a lot of apps are optimized to use this feature because this is an API that is still officially unannounced. There are some Google apps that are able to use this though, so you can test this feature out using Google Photos, Play Books, Play Movies & TV and Play Music. Action Launcher also includes Quickcuts capability for Gmail, Twitter and YouTube.
If you already use Action Launcher, make sure you are updated to the latest version. Creating Quickcuts is a breeze, or so Lacy says. “You just swipe on a compatible Quickcut icon, and voila, any launcher shortcuts defined by an app will automatically display.”
SOURCE: +ChrisLacy
