My favorite hidden Google Pixel shortcut puts one of Android’s best features just a tap away

There are a lot of Android features that go unused because they’re difficult to access, but there are often handy shortcuts that you simply don’t know about. One of those on Google Pixel devices is a shortcut for notification history that’s quickly become my favorite trick.

This issue of 9to5Google Weekender is a part of 9to5Google’s rebooted newsletter that highlights the biggest Google stories with added commentary and other tidbits. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox early!

Notification history was introduced to Android a few years ago and is an incredibly useful tool. Swiped away a notification by accident? Saw something that was deleted by the time you opened it? Notification history makes it easy to get back to these things.

Sadly, some Android manufacturers, namely Samsung and OnePlus, unnecessarily bury this feature from users, but Google keeps it pretty readily available with a shortcut for “history” visible at the bottom of your notifications when the feature is turned on and when you have unread notifications.

But what about when they’re all read?

A clever, hidden touch within Google’s software on Pixel phones is that if you tap “No notifications” you’ll quickly be able to access history. There’s nothing in the software that tells you this, making it hidden to the vast majority of people, but when my colleague Kyle told me about it, it was a game-changer. So many times in the past I’ve had to dig into the settings menu after accidentally clearing notifications, so this little shortcut is just such a welcome addition that genuinely saves me time and effort.

What’s your favorite shortcut in Android?

This Week’s Top Stories

The Google TV Streamer and Pixel Buds Pro 2 are here

This week saw two more product launches from Google. On Tuesday, the Google TV Streamer officially launched, and we’ve been impressed so far with the set-top box’s improved performance and experience, as well as its new features.

As Damien Wilde explains in our review:

While there are many improvements and important changes, the Google TV Streamer isn’t quite the powerhouse streaming box that many people had hoped for. However, it is a substantial upgrade over the Chromecast with Google TV in the most important ways. To me, it feels like the big hub that Google TV ought to be. Making the TV the main interaction point for all the other smart home services.

Meanwhile, Pixel Buds Pro 2 also finally started shipping with their improved hardware, audio quality, and more.

Andrew Romero explains:

At $229, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are more like productive powerhouses that make things a little easier on the go or in the office, though I don’t know if Google added much in the way of quality to justify the price. You can certainly relax and jam out to music, but it won’t be the singular best option if that’s all you want. The value, rather, is in the software and in Gemini.

Wear OS 5 launches for Pixel Watch… sorta

Late in the week Google also launched Wear OS 5 for the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. However, the update was quickly pulled due to an assortment of fairly widespread issues.

More Top Stories

From the rest of 9to5

9to5Mac: Apple’s long-awaited ‘HomeAccessory’ could have square display, A18 chip for AI

9to5Toys: Meta unleashes new budget-friendly Quest 3S VR Headset starting at $299, pre-order now

Electrek: New camouflage Tesla prototype spotted, is it the new cheaper EV?

Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, and Instagram