Someone figured out how to remap Active Edge on the Pixel 2
You probably already know you can squeeze the sides of your Pixel 2 to activate Google Assistant.
It turns out that this feature, Active Edge, can be configured to activate any function you'd like.
The process, which was pieced together by an ambitious XDA forum developer, is incredibly complicated. It doesn't technically change the function of Active Edge; it just makes your phone do something else when it senses that Google Assistant is about to pop up.
Here's how to do it: You'll need your computer, a USB connector, and a good chunk of time.
1. Download the application Button Mapper from Google Play, and open it.
2. At the bottom of your screen, you'll see an option to enable Button Mapper's accessibility service. Do so.
3. You'll be redirected back to the Button Mapper app. Tap Buttons > Active Edge > Customize. You'll be prompted to connect your phone to a computer and run a script.
4. Go to Settings > System > About Phone. Tap Build Number seven times. You'll be informed that you are now a developer. Congratulations!
5. Pop back into System > Developer Options, which is now a thing you can access. Enable USB Debugging.
6. Here's where it gets tricky. You now need to install Android Debug Bridge on your computer. Download the appropriate ADB file for Mac, Windows, or Linux.
7. Open the Terminal and enter "cd /path/to/extracted/folder" without the quotation marks, plugging in the location of the folder you just downloaded.
8. Plug your phone into your computer. Swipe down from the top of your screen to change your UBS connection to "File Transfer."
9. Head back to the Terminal. Execute "adb devices", and allow USB debugging when prompted. Then, run the following command: "adb shell sh /data/data/flar2.homebutton/keyevent.sh".
10. On your phone, when prompted, restart Button Mapper.
11. When Button Mapper re-opens, select Customize, and choose the feature you want.
If you've made it this far, congratulations! You've now replaced that annoying Assistant with something more useful.
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
