Phone Triggers/Bumpers With Foil

These phone bumpers are similar to "L1/R1" buttons on the top of a Switch/XBOX/PlayStation controller. These bumpers may be used for someone who would want a competitive edge without much effort, or to be used in an emulator for a better experience. This is a very simple yet effective way to make bumpers- this may be improved using paper clips for more stability, or to use other materials such as plastic for hinges to make triggers/"L2/R2." However, because mobile games typically only need two thumbs anyway, even in competitive games, these triggers are simple so that you can get the best responsiveness in relation to the moment you press the bumper to the moment your phone is able to create an output.

- Tin/Aluminum Foil

- Scissors

- Tape

- Straightedge

- Phone

- Phone case(optional)

This rectangle of foil should be the length of the tube of foil, and the width of your phone.

The foil should be folded into a strip at one end, and then continuously folded onto itself across the length of the foil until the strip reaches the end. This strip should be as thin as possible in order to have the least obstruction of view on your phone.

When the foil reaches the end of its length, the width should be the size of the short end of your phone. The length of the foil should be as thin as possible, similar to a stylus or a thin finger. When the folding is done, the foil may be uneven or not perfectly rectangular. If this is the case, you can take some scissors to cut a right angle/straight edge on one end of the foil.

The strip of foil should be folded around the edges of your phone, creating a hook shape. The hook of the foil is where the foil will press on your screen. This hook shaped foil should hug the sides of your phone and should fit tightly once on the phone. The area where the foil touches the screen is the small part of the two ends of the hook. This should be small enough to press a button on the screen (button size may differ, or adjusted in the app) but also not big enough to obstruct your view. The top of the "cane" shape is where you will press the bumper, and the long end goes over the back of your phone.

While holding the small end of the foil to the screen with one hand, tape the top of the hook to the edge of your case. This is where the bumper will go, and pressing on the tape will move the foil, touching your screen.

Depending on how much you creased the foil, this step may need a little bit of adjusting. Notice how, when my finger is not pressing on the tape, there is a very small space in between the foil and the screen; when my finger is pressing on the tape, the foil touches the screen. This is how your foil will press buttons and act as a stylus or 3rd/4th finger.

This trigger can be easily adjusted or modified to be improved, because it uses just foil. Using paper clips, 3D-printed shells, conductive tape, or other materials, this bumper could be given a better "pressing" feel to it, as opposed to just lightly pressing the top of your phone. With used gift cards, popsicle sticks, paper clips, safety pins, or other materials, it's possible to give the bumpers a hinge in order to come back up after pressing the bumper. Performance wise, this may make reaction times or responsiveness be worse. The phone case is optional because, while this can be taped to your phone, some people may have more than one case- instead of using tape, someone might want to use glue to make a more permanent bumper on their second case. However, removing the phone may be an issue as the foil would have to be bent, but can easily be bent back. This bumper was made with first/third-person shooters in mind, such as CODM, PUBG, Free Fire, ROS, etc. Because in other mobile games, some people may want a "claw" grip, which involves bending your index fingers in a way that may be uncomfortable, these bumpers may be a better solution. A recommendation is to set aiming down sights (turn on tap and hold to ADS) on the left bumper and fire on the right, similar to console controls. That being said, any game with a customizable HUD can be used with these bumpers. These bumpers also work with a screen protector on, but may be less consistent.