Android added support for app shortcuts back in late 2016 with Android 7.1 Nougat, and depending on your habits, they’re either some of the most important things on your home screen or they’ve gone completely unused. For the former, they offer faster and more precise use of your apps, saving you from wading through pesky navigation drawers or getting caught up in a news feed. Instagram may be a little late to the party, but app shortcuts are starting to show up on the Android app for a few lucky users.
Thanks, Rodrigo!
Instagram originally added support for iOS’s app shortcut equivalent with the launch of 3D Touch on the iPhone 6S in 2015. Now, hot on the heels of dark mode support for Android 10, it seems some people may also be getting app shortcuts. Just like the current iOS shortcuts, these give uninterrupted access to: Direct, View Activity, New Post, and Camera.
App shortcuts don’t seem to be enabled through an update, which suggests Instagram is enabling access remotely, and it seems to be pretty limited at this point. However, a quick look through the APK confirms that the names and icons for the shortcuts are present, along with the necessary declarations in the manifest.
<string name=“direct_shortcut“>Direct</string>
<string name=“activity_shortcut“>View Activity</string>
<string name=“post_shortcut“>New Post</string>
<string name=“camera_shortcut“>Camera</string>
Now that we know there isn’t a strict rule against it, maybe now would be a good time for Facebook to add app shortcuts, too.
