We've learned that Google plans to introduce a new gesture to open the notification shade using the fingerprint on its new Nexus phones, slated for release later this year. We have an animation of settings tip that shows how the feature works, sourced from one of said new Nexus phones, below. At this time, it is unclear to us when or if this feature will come to existing Nexus 5X and 6P devices, as they are the only other Nexuses with fingerprint scanners aside from the upcoming devices.

This feature isn't groundbreaking: you'll know it from devices like those made by Huawei or its value brand Honor. But it's interesting that Google will be picking it up as a Nexus feature. In the animation, we can see that it works thusly: just swipe down on the scanner, and your notification tray will descend. Not exactly complicated.

Now, for the two things you all really want to know about this image. First: yes, that appears to be the rumored "Electric Blue" finish we anticipate as an option on the 2016 Nexus phones Marlin and Sailfish. Second, that home button: it's bugged. We have it on good authority from multiple sources that the new "flower" home button is alive and well, but that it does occasionally misbehave and get stuck in this "open" animated state as it's currently implemented. It should retract the two green and blue dots when it's not actively being utilized, per our renders. We strongly believe that the dots and the fact that they animate mean the home button will be used to call up Google Assistant, as Google used this animation when announcing Assistant at I/O.

We are extremely confident in the quality of the information here, and as such, have foregone the typical "confidence level" rating here. Still, any feature can be axed for any number of reasons before a device or software launches, as per our regular rumor disclaimer. Again, at this point, we are unsure if or when this feature will launch on the 5X or 6P. For now we just know it's on the new Nexus phones.