How to Add a Floating Shortcut That Launches Apps From Any Screen on Android
Switching from a video to the calculator and back takes home, scroll, tap, and then Recents to return. A floating shortcut that sits over every app turns that into one tap each way.
Shagun Verma · · 2 min readThe usual options
Samsung's Edge panel and some launchers offer side drawers, and Android's Recents handles two apps at a time. They work, but each needs a swipe from a specific spot and a search through a list. A single floating element you can see and tap is faster for the two or three apps you jump to constantly.
Three actions on one locket
Gravity Locket floats a small photo locket over all apps and lets you assign an app to each gesture: single tap, double tap and pull down. The locket swings with real gravity so it feels alive, and it hides automatically in landscape and on secure screens.
- Install Gravity Locket and allow display over other apps.
- Choose any image for the locket and a shape.
- Set single tap to your most-used app, double tap to a second, pull down to a third.
- Position it along the top edge where it does not cover your apps' controls.
Good pairings
- Tap: WhatsApp. Double tap: camera. Pull: calculator.
- Tap: a navigation app. Double tap: a music app. Pull: the torch.
- Tap: your notes app. Double tap: your browser. Pull: the dialler.
If you prefer a power-button menu
A floating locket is always visible; some people prefer a menu that only appears on demand. For that, see opening apps with the power button. The two work together: the locket for the top three, the menu for everything else.
Frequently asked questions
Can the floating shortcut open app shortcuts, like a specific chat?
It launches apps. For deep shortcuts into actions, a power-button menu with app shortcuts is the better tool.
Does it work over games and full-screen video?
It hides in landscape so it never covers games and videos, and reappears in portrait.
Is the display-over-other-apps permission safe?
It is a standard Android permission that lets the locket draw on top of apps. The app processes everything on the device and does not read what is on your screen.