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On a Pixel phone, open Wallpaper & style from the Home screen, switch to Lock screen, open Shortcuts, assign the left and right actions, and tap Apply. Other Android phones use different menus: Motorola documents a Customize lock screen screen, while Samsung Knox-managed devices let an administrator configure the two bottom corners. The exact choices depend on the manufacturer, model, Android release, and whether the phone is personally managed or controlled by an organization.
This guide shows the verified Pixel procedure first, then gives the documented Motorola and Samsung paths, explains what can be assigned, separates shortcuts from lock-screen widgets, and covers notification privacy and common failure cases.
What a lock-screen shortcut is
A lock-screen shortcut is an action or app entry point assigned to one of the lower corners of the lock screen. It is intended for something you want available before reaching the Home screen, such as the camera, flashlight, Wallet, or a QR-code scanner. The shortcut assignment changes the corner control; it does not unlock the phone or remove authentication requirements from protected activity.
Android does not have one universal lock-screen editor. Phone makers can place the controls in different settings areas, rename the screens, offer different actions, or disable customization on managed devices. A procedure that is correct for a Pixel can therefore be wrong for a Motorola, Samsung Galaxy, or another Android model.
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Pixel: add or change the two lock-screen shortcuts
Google’s Pixel instructions use the following path. You can perform it from the Home screen without opening the main Settings app.
- Touch and hold an empty area of the Home screen.
- Tap Wallpaper & style.
- Swipe right until Lock screen is selected.
- Swipe up to reveal the lock-screen settings.
- Tap Shortcuts.
- Tap Left shortcut or Right shortcut, depending on the corner you want to edit.
- Choose an action from the available list.
- Tap Apply.
Repeat the last three steps for the other corner if you want two different actions. The selected controls should then appear at the lower left and lower right of the lock screen. The names and position of other lock-screen controls can vary with the Pixel model and software version.
Pixel choices documented by Google
Google lists these choices for Pixel lock-screen shortcuts:
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- Home
- QR code scanner
- Wallet
- Camera
- Flashlight
- Mute
- Video camera
This list is documented for Pixel phones. It is not a promise that every Android phone offers the same eight actions, and an individual Pixel can show a smaller list if a feature is unavailable in its configuration.
Changing an existing assignment
Use the same path whenever you want to replace a shortcut: Home screen empty space, Wallpaper & style, Lock screen, swipe up, Shortcuts, then the corner you want to change. Select the new action and apply it. If you want to remove an action and the editor offers a disabled or empty choice, select that option; if it does not, the phone may require one of the listed actions in each corner.
Motorola: use Customize lock screen
Motorola’s guide for the moto g stylus 5G (2024) running Android 14 uses a different editor from Pixel’s. The guide documents two ways to open it:
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- Touch and hold an empty area of the lock screen, then open Customize lock screen.
- Alternatively, open Settings > Home & lock screen > Lock screen > Customize lock screen.
Inside the editor, tap the shortcut widget in either lower corner to add or remove a shortcut. Motorola says the changes apply automatically, so there is no separate Apply button in this documented flow. The guide does not establish that Motorola offers Pixel’s exact eight-action list; use the choices shown on your own phone.
Samsung and managed Android phones
Samsung Knox Configure enterprise documentation shows that an administrator can set the bottom-left and bottom-right lock-screen shortcuts. In that managed configuration, the defaults are the phone and camera applications. This is evidence for administrator-controlled corner shortcuts, not a complete consumer Galaxy walkthrough.
If your Galaxy is personally owned and not enrolled in an organization’s management service, use the model’s own support instructions or search Settings for lock screen and shortcuts. A work profile, device-policy controller, or carrier software can hide or override controls that would otherwise be available to the owner.
Quick comparison of the documented paths
| Manufacturer or model | Software context | Settings path | Choices documented | Scope of the instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel | Pixel instructions; the cited page does not set a minimum Android version for shortcuts | Home screen empty space > Wallpaper & style > swipe to Lock screen > swipe up > Shortcuts | Do not disturb, Home, QR code scanner, Wallet, Camera, Flashlight, Mute, Video camera | Consumer Pixel customization |
| Motorola moto g stylus 5G (2024) | Android 14 | Lock screen empty space > Customize lock screen, or Settings > Home & lock screen > Lock screen > Customize lock screen | Not stated in the cited guide; the choices shown on the phone control what can be selected | Consumer model guide |
| Samsung Knox Configure | Enterprise-managed configuration | Set the bottom-left and bottom-right shortcuts through the administrator’s Knox configuration | Phone and camera are the documented defaults | Administrator documentation, not a general consumer Galaxy setup |
The table should be read as a map to the right instructions, not as a ranking. The sources cover different manufacturers, models, software versions, and management contexts, so they do not provide a fair basis for declaring one brand’s consumer experience better than another’s.
How to decide which shortcuts to use
Choose actions that solve a real lock-screen need and that you are comfortable exposing before authentication. Pixel’s documented choices support several common patterns:
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- Camera or Video camera: useful when you need to capture something immediately. Decide whether a still-camera entry point or a video-specific entry point better matches your use.
- Flashlight: convenient in dark conditions, but check that you can identify the control by sight or touch so it is not activated accidentally.
- QR code scanner: helpful for signs, tickets, and pairing codes when you do not want to navigate through another app first.
- Wallet: places a payment or pass entry point on the lock screen. Review authentication and card-display behavior in Wallet separately; assigning the shortcut does not by itself make every transaction authentication-free.
- Do not disturb: gives you a quick way to change interruption behavior. Confirm which schedules, exceptions, and alarms your phone applies when this mode is enabled.
- Mute: is suited to situations where you need the phone quiet immediately. Check the phone’s sound mode afterward if calls or alerts become unexpectedly silent.
- Home: can provide a rapid route to the configured Home control on phones that expose it. The exact destination and authentication behavior are device-specific.
Motorola and other manufacturers may use different names or offer different controls. Treat the visible list on the phone as authoritative rather than trying to reproduce Pixel’s choices manually.
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Shortcut versus lock-screen widget
A corner shortcut and a lock-screen widget are separate features. The shortcut procedures above assign an action to a corner. A widget is a larger lock-screen element that can display information or expose controls, and its availability depends on the Android release and the phone maker’s software.
Google’s Android Developers FAQ says Pixel Tablets already had lock-screen widgets and describes AOSP availability for tablets and mobile devices beginning with the release after Android 16 QPR1. OEM rollout and the interaction needed to reveal a widget can vary. A phone that has a lock-screen widget editor may still have a separate corner-shortcut editor, and a phone with corner shortcuts may not support widgets.
For an app activity launched from a lock-screen widget, the developer FAQ says the activity must require authentication or declare android:showWhenLocked="true". That is an app-development rule, not a setting you need to add when assigning one of the built-in Pixel shortcuts.
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Adding a shortcut changes what you can reach quickly, but the lock screen can also reveal notification information. Review those settings immediately after customizing it.
Pixel notification controls
Pixel settings let you control whether notifications appear on the lock screen and whether sensitive content is shown. If other people can see the phone while it is locked, consider hiding sensitive content even if you keep notifications visible.
Motorola notification controls
Motorola’s Android 14 guide describes options to show, limit, or hide lock-screen notifications. The exact labels can differ from the moto g stylus 5G (2024) guide on another model or software build.
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A practical privacy test
- Lock the phone after changing the shortcut and notification settings.
- Send a test notification from another device or account.
- Check what text, sender information, and action buttons are visible without unlocking.
- If the exposure is greater than intended, return to the lock-screen notification settings and choose a more private display option.
Remember that a visible shortcut and a visible notification are different surfaces. You can keep a useful shortcut while limiting notification content.
Troubleshooting when the menu is missing
The Pixel path does not appear
First confirm that you started from an empty area of the Home screen rather than pressing an icon or a widget. Then open Settings and search for lock screen or shortcuts. Search results often expose the manufacturer’s equivalent editor even when the Home-screen customization panel is arranged differently.
If search finds no matching control, identify the exact model and Android version in Settings > About phone, then use that model’s support documentation. Do not assume that a Pixel menu is present on a different manufacturer’s phone.
The editor opens but the expected action is absent
Available actions are model- and software-dependent. A Pixel list cannot be transferred to Motorola or Samsung, and even two phones from the same manufacturer can expose different choices. Install ordinary system updates if your organization permits them, then check the manufacturer’s documentation for the same model and release. If the phone is managed, an administrator may have restricted the list.
The change does not stay applied
On Pixel, make sure you tapped Apply after selecting the action. On the documented Motorola flow, changes should apply automatically. If a shortcut reverts, reopen the editor, assign one corner at a time, and restart the phone. A work-management policy, restored backup, or system update can also reapply an administrator’s or default configuration.
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That can be normal. A lock-screen shortcut is an entry point, not an exemption from the phone’s security model. Unlock when the destination requires it, and do not weaken the screen lock merely to make a shortcut open more quickly.
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A work or school phone blocks customization
Contact the device administrator rather than attempting to bypass the policy. Knox-managed devices, Android enterprise controls, and carrier policies can set or remove corner shortcuts centrally.
Version notes that prevent common misunderstandings
Google’s feature announcement dated October 12, 2023 was written by Sebastian Bauer, Senior Director, Android Design. It described the purpose of the feature this way: “With our new custom quick shortcut feature, you can personalize what you want to access directly from your lock screen.”
The Pixel and Motorola instructions should not be treated as a universal Android 14 recipe. Android 14 is the software context explicitly documented for the Motorola moto g stylus 5G (2024) guide, while Google’s announcement established the custom-shortcut feature without setting a minimum Android version for every Pixel model.
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References to Android 16 and higher in Google’s materials concern the clock-style subsection and the later AOSP lock-screen-widget availability described after Android 16 QPR1. They do not establish that Android 16 is required for Pixel corner shortcuts.
A reliable setup checklist
- Write down the phone’s manufacturer, exact model, and Android version before following a guide.
- Use the Pixel path only on a Pixel; use the model-specific editor on other phones.
- Assign one corner, save or apply the change using the control shown on the phone, and verify it while the device is locked.
- Test the action without assuming it bypasses authentication.
- Review whether notification text and sensitive content are visible to someone who can see the locked screen.
- If the control is absent, search Settings for lock screen or shortcuts and check the exact model’s support guide.
- On a managed phone, ask the administrator whether a policy controls the two corners.
The dependable rule is simple: start with the instructions written for your exact phone and software. Pixel owners can use the documented Wallpaper & style > Lock screen > Shortcuts route, Motorola owners should look for Customize lock screen, and managed devices may require administrator changes. Once the shortcut works, treat notification visibility and authentication behavior as part of the customization rather than as afterthoughts.
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