How to Open Your Favourite Apps With the Power Button on Android
The power button is the one control you can find without looking, yet on most phones a long press summons an assistant you never asked for. With one setting change it can open a menu of the apps and actions you actually use.
Shagun Verma · · 3 min readWhat a long press does today
On Android 12 and newer, holding the power button opens the digital assistant (Gemini or Google Assistant on Pixels, Bixby on Samsung phones). The power menu moved to a combination press or the notification shade. The assistant hook is the interesting part: Android lets you choose which app answers that long press, and it does not have to be a voice assistant at all.
Turn the long press into an app menu
Long Press Menu registers itself as a digital assistant app. Once it is your default assistant, holding the power button opens a translucent menu over whatever you are doing, with the apps and app shortcuts you picked. Tap one and it launches; tap outside and you are back where you were.
- Install the app and open it. Tap Set as assistant, which opens Android's Default apps screen.
- Choose Long Press Menu as the Digital assistant app.
- Back in the app, add the apps and shortcuts you want. The free version holds six items; Pro lifts the limit.
- Make sure the long press is set to the assistant: on a Pixel, Settings > System > Gestures > Press & hold power button; on Samsung, Side button settings. Choose the assistant option.
- Hold the power button from any screen. Your menu appears instantly.
Prefer the home button hold or the corner swipe gesture? Those trigger the assistant too, so they open the same menu.
Make the menu earn its place
- Camera, torch and payment apps are the classic picks: things you need in a hurry.
- App shortcuts jump straight to an action, like a new note, a specific chat or a navigation home. See how to use app shortcuts.
- Keep your assistant. A toggle shows a row at the bottom of the menu that opens Google Assistant or Gemini, so you lose nothing.
- Themes. The menu follows your Material You colours in light and dark mode.
Good to know
Some phones always show the power menu on a long press regardless of this setting; on those, the assistant gesture (swipe from a bottom corner) opens the menu instead. The app does not need the "display over other apps" permission because Android draws assistant apps in their own window, and the app list and your menu never leave the phone.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose Google Assistant or Gemini?
No. Turn on the assistant row in Long Press Menu and your usual assistant is one tap away inside the menu. You can also switch the default assistant back at any time.
Does it work on the lock screen?
Yes. The menu opens over the lock screen; tapping an item asks you to unlock first, then launches it.
Does it run in the background and drain battery?
No. Android only starts the menu when you trigger the assistant gesture; there is no background service.