Your Android phone has secret 'Shhh' mode that you unlock by flipping it as Google shares hidden tricks list

03/27/2025 11:47 AM

MILLIONS of Android phones have a special ‘Shhh’ mode that you can only unlock by flipping it.

It’s one of a list of “secret” gestures revealed by Google that give you quick ways to activate certain features.

Normally turning things on or off on an Android phone means pushing buttons or navigating through menus.

But gestures are snappy ways to get stuff done without the faff of going using a menu.

One feature flagged up by Google is the “Flip to Shhh” mode.

Google explains: “To quickly turn on Do Not Disturb, place your phone face down on a flat surface.”

All you need to do is flip it over, and your Android phone will sense that it’s in Shh mode.

And that’ll stay active for as long as the Android phone is face down.

This will silence your phone and avoid pinging you with notifications.

So it’s a great option for a meeting – and is far faster than manually navigating to Do Not Disturb.

The idea is that you could quickly flip the Android phone over in a flash, which is useful when you need to silence it with very little notice.

It’s worth noting that all Android phones work slightly differently.

So while Google guarantees that Flip To Shh works on all Google Pixel 2 devices and later, it might not work on your own Android phone.

BONUS ANDROID TRICKS

Google says that there are some other handy gestures worth trying too.

For instance, another handy feature is Quick Tap.

This basically turns the back of your phone into a button.

“You can take a screenshot or play and pause media with 2 taps on the back of your phone,” Google explains.

“You can also show notifications or open an app.”

To set it up, just go to Settings > System > Gestures > Quick Tap.

Then turn on Use Quick Tap and choose the action that you want associated with it.

If you pick an app, you’ll need to choose one by tapping Open App.

Once that’s done, you’ll be able to tap twice on the back of your Android phone to activate the feature.

Another trick lets you quickly turn on vibrate or mute (to stop your phone from ringing) is a button combination.

Just press the power and volume up buttons at the same time.

Gestures also work in the camera app too.

To jump to the camera app, just press your phone’s power button twice. It’ll work from any screen.

And if you want to switch between the front and rear cameras, twist your phone twice while the camera is open.