Using Gesture Navigation on Android

1. Introduction to Gesture Navigation

Gesture navigation can be overwhelming at first, but learning how to use gestures can save you a lot of time navigating your world of apps and menus. It was certainly the case for me. When gesture navigation was first introduced into the Android core services, it may seem a bit difficult for first-time users, but after a certain time, it can be more efficacious. Gesture navigation is more about utilizing the structure and inherent physics of the devices. Users can now indirectly interact with their media.

Gesture navigation was first introduced to the public as a convenient navigation method since Android 9. Gesture navigation was available prior to the release of Android 9 through third-party applications. Some of you may already be familiar with gesture navigation. Android fully supports alphanumeric characters and allows a new dimension of recognition and interaction with users. Gesture navigation supports fine-grain tracking of change over time, which leads to more direct interaction. Using swipe gestures on your Android phone can be an efficient way to quickly access apps and various functions. No need to find and tap icons on your home screen; simply touch, hold, and drag your finger.

2. Enabling Gesture Navigation on Android Devices

Whether you have an Android device that runs Android 9 Pie, Android 10, Android 11, or Android 12, the process on how to enable gesture navigation is pretty much similar. However, the user interface and the label names that you may encounter on your Android device may have a minor difference. If you own a new Android device, you can most likely use gestures instead of the standard on-screen navigation buttons available by default. This guide will work with any Android devices from brands that include Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Realme, OnePlus, ASUS, Sony, Google Pixel, and many more. Just check it out.

Android, as a mobile operating system, has received its updates and new features from Google over the last few years. Those who own newer Android devices have probably heard of numerous navigation methods that Android has introduced with Android Pie, the ninth major release and the sixteenth version of the Android mobile operating system. If you are not satisfied with the traditional navigation bar layout, you may try the gesture navigation available since Android Pie. Gesture navigation is an alternative way to navigate around your device, relying on swipes, gestures, and button presses to activate and perform actions. In this guide, we will show the steps on how to enable and customize gesture navigation on Android devices that run Android 9 Pie, Android 10, Android 11, and even Android 12.

3. Navigating with Gestures: Basic Functions and Gestures

Users of Android (factory) devices could be quickly annoyed, as there is no introduction to the topic when unlocking the phone for the first time. Gestures are to be discovered (e.g., when swiping up to enter the overview) or are pointed out in apps, independent of the gesture style of the Android version installed. It is only after the discovery of the gesture navigation mentioned in the beginning that users are familiar with the topic. On the one hand, understandable help for the most important function is not displayed after the search field is activated, which is lacking in the design. To avoid active feedback free hints are avoided; but it is interesting that all functionalities of the search field do not require gestures, reminder cards do, and they do not often lead to helpful apps. This does not matter, because the quick gesture-based entry into the menu of popular apps such as Messengers and browsers at the point of search is remarkable, which is to the advantage of the feature itself, independent of the browser selected. In the very few cases of using the indicated target page, the apps that have opted for a strong integration will be installed. After the search field is reduced to the state of the first fingerprint information about the registration of a pointer is shown only in the top row and indicates that a pointer is flying over. If the top row is smaller (time or signal range) a bigger and more centered pointer is shown instead. A wave expands in addition to the flag. Treatments are dependent on the tile color. Account and contact information of Google Photos is used for the attachment of personal reinforcers. If no picture is found, remote control lights up and the pointer places itself at the bottom of the new menu. If a notification of contact information is presented, the cars of the contact are displayed. Email has typical contacts of the email field. It is seen only if no contact information is found. Our prototype is the first tool of this kind. It has been successfully used in small real-life scenarios. However, the relevance of use in everyday life is not fully clear yet. Examples of successful applications concern bidirectional transitions from a service tool such as the Google Assistant or news websites of the user to annotated pictures or important contacts based on these news. Since our device provides more services than the Next Data, but is hardly noticeable, a related integration of such remote controls can also be conceivable. The necessary changes to Android are very few and not invasive. Google can keep some parts of the overlay as exclusive features, but providing the feature could also be financially worthwhile due the higher attractiveness level of the last year's design of gestures demonstrated within this paper. With a higher amount of active users, new partners should also have a higher readiness to enter into partnerships with established developers.

With the currently available devices, the basic functions of gesture navigation (go back, go home, and view all open apps) have become standardized, and changes are only to be seen in the width of the swiping area and in the speed of the commands, for instance, by “pouring” a particular gesture into the display area. However, notifications as well as the Google Assistant can be accessed from both sides by swiping. In this section, the navigation functions and the available gestures are introduced again. Devices supporting the functionalities are presented afterwards.

4. Advanced Gesture Navigation Features

During a call, when the in-call UI is displayed and the navigation bar is hidden, users can invoke the navigation bar by swiping in from the left or right edge of the screen. Just like in edge swipe gesture navigation, swiping longer will reveal the gestures that correspond to the different buttons the classic navigation bar hosts. Since the indicators are similar to what the home screen app shows, users can get a clue on what each gesture will do. Finally, some shortcuts (like the rotation or multitasking ones), which usually come in handy in that situation, are not shown at all – unless the potential for user input can prompt a non-obtrusive bottom bar expansion. And that basically describes the DNA of the imperative model for gesture navigation – the system itself does not cater to the feature logic and needs to be fed handheld step by step.

This brings us to some gesture-related and navigation-related customization options, advanced gesture navigation features that are available only in certain situations (like on specific types of visual stimuli), and overlays and controls that can inform users that a device is capable of gesture navigation and help them interact with the system. These are the things an app developer or an OEM needs to look out for when enabling gesture navigation using custom code or API, a custom logic that does not necessarily follow the best practices.

5. Tips and Tricks for Optimizing Gesture Navigation

If you don't like using gestures to switch between apps, there's a shortcut for that. Quick Gesture is a rapid button, and if you scroll roughly horizontally with a quick swipe at the bottom of your screen, you can jump directly to your next app. If you swipe further to the right, you'll scroll through the last few opened apps. If you prefer edge gestures for triggering different commands, you can use edge gestures to trigger the Assistant or adjust ambient display, and it is possible to add a sensitivity zone if you are prompted. You can also turn off fast switching between apps if you accidentally activate it too often.