Google might borrow one feature from iPhones and include it in Android Q. According to reports, a feature similar to 3D Touch called "Deep Press" will be part of the Android Q experience.

If true, Deep Press wouldn't mark the first time Google has experimented with deep-touch gestures. In 2017, the company brought long-press actions to Android Oreo that mimicked 3D Touch. But unlike on iPhones, Android users had to spend an extra second to trigger a contextual menu.

Other manufacturers such as Huawei or Samsung have implemented their own technology to imitate Apple's pressure-sensitive technology, but these were somewhat limited considering they weren't integrated throughout the operating system. That could change soon with Google possibly making pressure-sensitive gestures standard in Android Q.

Android Q 3D Touch

As first reported by Android Police, documentation for the OS reveals a new functionality called Deep Press that allows users to interact with their device by pressing harder than usual on the display. The description says Deep Press "should be used to accelerate the long press behaviour," which hints that it'll mainly be used as a replacement for long-pressing.

It's not clear yet if Deep Press will require specific displays to work, or whether it'll be able to use existing, non-special displays to execute actions. Some apps already pull of 3D Touch artificially by determining the surface of the fingertip that's pressed on the screen — if the entire finger is covering an icon, for example, the OS determines it as the user trying to apply more pressure.

Rollout

This, of course, isn't an Earth-shattering feature by any stretch of the imagination, but it could be a sign that Google is looking for ways to make navigating Android more dynamic, intuitive, and speedier. Even still, there's no guarantee it will make it in the final, stable build of Android Q. This version of the OS is still deep in the development phase, a stage where features are either improved or cut entirely.

Beta versions of Android Q is available now on some phones, including the original Pixels.