Switch songs with screen locked, turned off

We propose three ways to control music with the physical buttons of an Android phone (volume buttons, power, physical home button and even with capacitive buttons, if applicable). By controlling the music, it means that you can change the song (previous, next), put play O pause (play and pause) and, of course, control the volume.

With volume buttons

QuickClick (APK) a free application that allows you to control music with the volume buttons. Basically, you have to configure keystroke sequences that perform a certain action in the music player (eg, next song by pressing the volume down button twice).

This application not only serves to control music but also other applications such as the camera (see the article How to give other functions to the volume buttons). It can work with screen off or on, as long as the app is activated.

It may work well with certain native players, like those on Samsung Galaxy phones, or with third-party players like Google Play Music. It does not work with Spotify.

With volume and power buttons

Tactile Player Music Control v3.0.1

Tactile Player Music Control It is a free application but, unlike QuickClick, it works with several popular players, such as PowerAMP, Google Play Music, PlayerPro, Mixzing or Pandora. Some users indicate that it also works with Spotify.

There is not much to configure here. The music is controlled like this:

• Next song: Turn up the volume twice.
• Previous song: Twice lower volume.
• Play and Pause: Three times the power button.

It works with a locked screen and, according to testimonials from some users, also with a screen off.

Note: According to the creator, in Samsung phones where the factory player is used, «it is necessary to choose the option Simulate Headphones in the settings of Choice of player«.

With any button on the phone (Xposed)

Physical Button Music Control (Módulo de Xposed)

Physical Button Music Control is an Xposed module that allows you to control music (change songs, pause, play and volume) with any of the physical or capacitive buttons on the phone. The module is in Spanish. After installing and activating it will appear PBMC Mapping in the applications menu. There everything consists of going to the Settings and choose the music player to be used (Signal receiver). Finally, in the option Add mapping a new button is added and the action it will perform is configured.

Works with virtually any media player installed on your device, screen off, lock screen, or always.

Descargar/Instalar Physical Button Music Control
With Xposed already installed on the Android (more information in www.androidjefe.com/xposed-framework), the application opens Xposed Installer, option Download, search for “Physical Button Music Control” and download and install the module. Finally, in the same application Xposed Installer, option Modules, the module is activated Physical Button Music Control and the phone restarts.

Bonus: Pocket Skip Track
This is a free app (Pocket Skip Track en Google Play) that allows you to change songs when the screen is off, by pressing the volume up and down buttons twice (next and previous song, respectively). Its disadvantage is that the developer only guarantees that it works with the PowerAMP music player, on an Android phone pure.

Some Android systems -ROMs- like Cyanogenmod natively integrate the function of changing songs by holding down the volume buttons. In theory, some music players like PowerAMP also come with this feature.

How to “remap” or deactivate the buttons of the cell phone, headphones and / or gamepad

How to raise lower VOLUME of the cell phone WITHOUT buttons

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