I’ve recently remapped the buttons on my Android phone to something way better, and I’m excited to share how you can do the same. I believe that by customizing the hardware button combinations that typically hide various Android functions, we can make our daily interactions with our devices much more efficient.
Why Change Your Button Mappings?
Android devices come with a variety of hardware button combinations that trigger different functions depending on your smartphone’s make and model.
A common action like taking a screenshot might be Power + Volume Down on one device, while another might use Home + Power. Even within brands there can be differences. For example, older Samsung models had a dedicated Bixby button, whereas newer models have merged the Power button into what’s now called the Side button.
The two most common reasons why you might consider changing your button mappings are:
- You want to use a shortcut for some functionality that better aligns with how you use your device. This was my case. If you find yourself frequently accessing certain features, customizing the buttons can save you time and make your interaction with your phone much more intuitive.
- You’ve got a new phone and would like its shortcuts to align more with your old device. This way, you don’t have to learn new button combinations all over again. It can be frustrating to adapt to new ways of performing familiar tasks, so remapping can provide a sense of continuity and comfort in how you use your device.
The good news is that remapping buttons on Android isn’t difficult, and your device doesn’t even have to be rooted.
How I Remapped My Android Buttons
After trying several options, I settled on using Key Mapper, one of the most popular remapping apps on the Play Store.
The main reasons why I decided to go with Key Mapper and not other great apps to remap Android hardware buttons include:
- It’s completely open source, which means its code is publicly available and verified by the community.
- It can handle multiple triggers from different sources, so I can combine my volume buttons with other keys to create more complex shortcuts.
- The app offers flexible customization with short press, long press, and double press options for each button.
- Key Mapper supports conditional triggers that only work in specific situations. For example, I have different button functions when I’m at home versus when I’m commuting.
One limitation worth mentioning is that like most remapping apps, Key Mapper can’t intercept button presses when your screen is off. This is an Android limitation, not an app restriction. However, for my daily use, this hasn’t been a significant issue since I mainly use my custom shortcuts when actively using my phone.
Let me show you how I set up my Volume Down button to launch Google Maps and show my commute time to work when long-pressed.
First, I installed Key Mapper from the Play Store and granted it the necessary accessibility and notifications permissions. The app walks you through this process when you first launch it. If you’re using a Xiaomi or Huawei device, you’ll need to disable battery optimization for Key Mapper to work reliably.
Once the app was set up, I tapped the plus icon to create a new mapping. The app then gave me the option to record a trigger, and I pressed the Volume Down button.
In the trigger settings (accessed through the three-dot menu), I changed the click type to Long Press since I wanted to keep the regular volume function for single presses.
To set up the action, I tapped Add action and chose to launch an app. I selected Google Maps from my installed apps, but Key Mapper lets you go even further.
Using the app’s constraint feature, I set this shortcut to only work when I’m at home, connected to my Wi-Fi. This way, the volume button won’t be blocked as far as its normal functionality goes except for a few hours every week.
The whole process took less than five minutes, and now instead of unlocking my phone, finding Maps, and typing in my destination, I just long-press the volume down button before leaving for work. Combined with other Android tweaks, I’ve set up an Android experience that feels custom-made for my daily routine, and you can do the same by following my steps.
Image credit: Pexels. All screenshots by David Morelo.
