Not yet tested by us
How to remap the Smart Key on ASUS phones
The Smart Key on ASUS Zenfone phones is built into the power button. This guide covers what ASUS says it does, how to set it up in KeySnap, and why its job as a power key limits what any app can change.
What the Smart Key does by default
ASUS says the Smart Key “combines the function of Power key, fingerprint sensor, and some customized features” (ASUS Support, ZenFone 7 FAQ). In ASUS’s feature article, a double press launches the camera and a long press launches Google Assistant, and the settings are under Settings > Advanced > Smart Key (ASUS, “Hidden Smartphone Features”).
The exact functions depend on the Zenfone model and software version.
How to remap the Smart Key with KeySnap
- Install KeySnap and finish the setup on HomeOpen KeySnap and follow the three setup steps on Home. They start with turning on the Accessibility service, which is how Android lets an app notice a hardware key.
- Check the Smart Key settingsOpen Settings > Advanced > Smart Key and look at which functions are assigned to the presses. If you can switch one off or assign something you never use, do that so it does not clash with your shortcut.
- Turn on Advanced ModeAccessibility alone does not see power-key presses, so this key needs Advanced Mode. Open Settings > Setup tools in KeySnap and follow Turn on Advanced Mode. It pairs with your phone’s own Wireless Debugging, needs Wi-Fi and Developer options, and does not need root.
- Create the shortcutTap New shortcut, then in When choose Key press. Pick a press pattern: Single press, Double press or Long press. This key also turns the screen on and off, and KeySnap does not stop that, so a single press will still switch the screen.
- Detect the Smart KeyTap to record, then press the Smart Key. KeySnap shows Listening… and then Key recorded. Tap Save key. If nothing is recorded, KeySnap does not see the key on your phone yet. Check that Advanced Mode is running, then try again.
- Choose what it doesUnder Do, tap Add action, search the catalogue and pick one, for example Flashlight. Tap the check mark at the top right to finish, then press the key to try it. You can add another shortcut with a different press pattern on the same key.
Limits to know about
Support varies by phone and Android version, and only keys that KeySnap detects can be remapped.
- The Smart Key is also the power key. KeySnap listens to it but does not stop the phone’s own action, so a press still does what the phone does. KeySnap says the same about the Power key: the phone’s own Power action still happens.
- We do not know yet whether ASUS’s settings let you switch the Smart Key functions off.
- KeySnap can only use a key it detects. If the Smart Key does not register when you record it, KeySnap cannot use it.
- We have not tested KeySnap on an ASUS phone, so we cannot say which press patterns work on it.
- Advanced Mode needs Wi-Fi and Developer options for setup. After you restart the phone, open KeySnap again to bring it back.
- Support, press types and actions vary by phone and system version.
Other phones and keys
See the overview of special keys for how detection works, or read the guide for another key:
Try the Smart Key with KeySnap.
KeySnap is free to install from Google Play. The listing notes that it contains ads and offers in-app purchases.
KeySnap is an independent app by Arda Şen. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ASUS. Product names are used only to say which phones and keys this guide is about.