With the latest stable release of Android Oreo came a host of new features and optimizations, all made to improve the overall Android user experience. However, if you had already installed the Developer Beta on your device, you would have noticed that many previously introduced features have now been removed from the final build. One such feature was the ability to change lock screen shortcuts. If you’re a fan of this feature and want to restore it to your Android Oreo 8.0 device, read on as we show you. How to set custom lock screen shortcuts on Android Oreo without root access:
Set Custom Lock Screen Shortcuts on Android Oreo
note: The following method requires the Minimal ADB and Fastboot drivers to be installed on your PC. If not, you can download and install them. here. Also, I tried the method on my Nexus 5X and Google Pixel running Android 8.0 Oreo and it worked perfectly.
- To get started, go to: Settings -> System -> Developer Options and enable the toggle next to it “USB debugging”.
- Before you continue customizing your lock screen shortcuts, you need to find the package name of the app you want to use. Download and install Package Names Viewer 2.0 (Free) from here to your device.
- Now, Open Package Names Viewer. The app will display the list of various apps installed on your device along with their package and activity names. Note the app’s package name and activity name For this demonstration that you want to set as a shortcut on your lock screen, I will use the Google Maps app which has:
Package Name - com.google.android.apps.maps Activity Name - com.google.android.maps.MapsActivity
- Now, connect your device to your PC and start the ADB shell. Once inside, type the following commands:
To change shortcut on the left:
adb shell settings put secure sysui_keyguard_left "PACKAGE NAME/ACTIVITY NAME"To change right side shortcut:
settings put secure sysui_keyguard_right "PACKAGE NAME/ACTIVITY NAME"for example, I will replace the shortcut on the right with the Maps app. Therefore, my command will look like this –
adb shell settings put secure sysui_keyguard_right "com.google.android.apps.maps/com.google.android.maps.MapsActivity"
As you can see now, changed right side shortcut on my lock screen to Google Maps.
- Finally, if you want to get your lock screen shortcuts back Once you’re back to stock settings on Android Oreo, simply execute the commands below:
to reset shortcut on the left:
adb shell settings delete secure sysui_keyguard_left
to reset right side shortcut:
adb shell settings delete secure sysui_keyguard_right
And that’s it. Your lock screen should now be restored to the stock shortcuts where the left shortcut is for voice assistant and the right shortcut is for camera.
SEE ALSO: 12 Cool Android 8.0 Oreo Tricks You Should Know
Easily Change Your Lock Screen Shortcuts on Android Oreo
Changing your lock screen shortcuts can be a very useful feature as it gives you faster access to the apps you use the most. While this feature was available in the second Developer Beta for Android Oreo, it was apparently removed from the final build. Fortunately, the method above works well for devices running Android Oreo and doesn’t even require root access. Well, I set my shortcuts to Maps and WhatsApp, what about you? What will you set your lock screen shortcuts to? Let us know in the comments section below.
This tutorial was originally published at: XDA Developers. We tried it and it works fine.
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