HTC Upgrades Edge Sense Customization For The U11's Squeezable Frame

HTC has announced an upgrade to the Edge Sense capabilities of its U11 flagship Android smartphone. Now, users have the option to add more functionalities to the HTC U11’s squeezable frame feature.

With HTC’s new update to Edge Sense, users will be able to program actions within apps by squeezing the frame of the U11. For example, users can squeeze the HTC U11’s frame to take a photo on Instagram or have a video paused on YouTube.

“Now you can use Edge Sense as an alternative to tap or double tap features within your favorite apps,” HTC said on its blog. “To make things even better, you can assign a short and long squeeze command to more than one app. Squeezes will also work simultaneously inside multiple apps, so you can quickly switch between apps and still use Edge Sense on the fly.”

Right now, the update to the HTC U11’s Edge Sense feature comes with pre-loaded functions for six popular apps. This should make it easier for most users to start customizing the Edge Sense feature.

For more advanced users, they will be able to use Edge Sense’s squeeze feature to trigger tap and double tap functions without touching the screen for any app and even games. To do this, users will have to go to the U11’s setting, then head to the Edge Sense page and tap on the “Add more in-app options.” This will bring up a floating red icon and users will then have to pick from a list of apps they would like to add an Edge Sense function.

Users can choose between a short squeeze or a squeeze and hold gesture. The app they’ve selected will then open up and users will have to tap the floating icon then tap again on the part of the screen where they would like to assign the squeeze shortcut, as explained by Digital Trends.

The only limitation here is that users won’t be able to add more than one Edge Sense shortcut in a single app. However, users are able to add an extra action with the Edge Sense’s squeeze and hold gesture, as pointed out by Engadget.

Previously, Edge Sense on the HTC U11 only allowed users to quickly launch an app or take photos by squeezing the phone’s frame. At the time, some people simply saw it as a gimmick and may not be too helpful. With this update, it seems like HTC is dedicated to adding more customization options to make sure that Edge Sense is as useful as possible.

“The Edge Sense update will be rolling out to all HTC U11s The update is an opt-in program that will continue to grow as we look to perfect this experience,” the company said. “It’s also a chance for you to provide your feedback so we can continue to incorporate and refine the features that you want.”

This upgrade to the HTC U11’s Edge Sense is optional. Users who want to try out the new functions will simply have to update the Edge Sense app from the Google Play Store.