If you have a Pixel 4, your phone can recognize if you’re nearby using Motion Sense. You can use gestures to do actions quickly with your phone without unlocking the screen.
Important: If Battery Saver or Airplane mode are turned on, Motion Sense is turned off.
Use Motion Sense on Pixel 4 | PixelTurn Motion Sense on or off
- On your Pixel 4, open the Settings app.
- Tap System
Motion Sense.
- Turn on Motion Sense.
When Motion Sense is on and active:
- You’ll sometimes see a light blue glow at the top of the screen. This glow shows you that a quick gesture is available, or that you just used a gesture.
- Motion Sense can tell when you’re nearby, but not who you are.
- Motion Sense isn’t a camera.
- All Motion Sense processing happens on your phone. Sensor signal data isn’t sent to Google.
Do actions quickly with quick gestures
Silence interruptions
You can wave across your phone to snooze an alarm, turn off a timer, or mute a call.
- Set an alarm, set a timer, or get a call.
- When it goes off, wave your hand once across your screen.
Waving across your phone won’t turn off the alarm or decline the call. Instead, your phone snoozes the alarm, silences the call, or makes the sound quieter when you reach for your phone.
Skip songs
You can wave across your phone to skip a song, or go back to a song you just played. This gesture works with most music apps, and still works if the app isn’t open or your screen is off.
- Play a song on a music app.
- To skip to the next song, wave your hand over the phone from left to right.
- To go back to the last song, wave your hand over the phone from right to left.
Play or pause music
To pause or play a song, tap the top part of your phone. This gesture works with most music apps and is off by default.
Play a song on a music app, then:
- To pause the song, tap above the display.
- To continue to play the song, tap above the display.
Change quick gestures settings
Turn on your screen when you’re nearby
You can have your phone show the time and your notifications when it senses you're nearby.
- On your Pixel 4, open the Settings app.
- Tap System
- Under "Ambient display":
- To awaken your screen when you reach for it, turn on Reach to check phone.
- To keep your screen awake when you’re nearby, tap Idle lock screen
On when you’re nearby or Always on.
Start or stop silencing interruptions
- On your Pixel 4, open the Settings app.
- Tap System
- Tap Silence interruptions.
- Turn Silence interruptions on or off.
Change swipe direction or stop skipping songs
- On your Pixel 4, open the Settings app.
- Tap System
- Tap Skip songs.
- To change swipe direction, tap Swipe direction.
- To turn off, tap Skip songs.
Fix problems with quick gestures
If quick gestures aren’t working:
- Remove your phone case or screen protector. Use a case or protector that doesn’t block the top of your screen.
- Turn off Motion Sense, then turn it back on. Learn how to turn Motion Sense on or off.
- Turn off your phone, then turn it back on.
- Check that you’re in a country where Motion Sense is approved. Currently, Motion Sense will work in the US, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, and most European countries. If you travel to a country where it’s not approved, it won’t work.