Recovery & Repair
Data Recovery
Recover data for hard drives
iPhone Data Recovery
Deal with iPhone data loss
Android Data Recovery
Recover lost Android data
iOS Unlocker
Unlock iOS without password
Broken Android Data Extraction
Retrieve data from broken Android
iOS System Recovery
Handle iOS system problems
Backup & Restore
Android Data Backup & Restore
Backup and restore Android data
iOS Data Backup & Restore
Backup and manage iOS files
Data Transfer
DoTrans
Transfer data among phones and PC
iOS Transfer
Focus on transferring iOS data
WhatsApp Transfer for iOS
Freely transmit WhatsApp data
Multimedia
Screen Recorder
Record everything on your screen
ScreenMo
Screen mirror phones to PC
Video Converter Ultimate
Convert video into any format
Free HEIC Converter
Convert HEIC to JPG/PNG
Video Cutter
Edit and clip your videos
Recovery & Repair
Data Recovery Recover data for hard drives
iPhone Data Recovery Deal with iPhone data loss
Android Data Recovery Recover lost Android data
iOS Unlocker Unlock iOS without password
Broken Android Data Extraction Retrieve data from broken Android
iOS System Recovery Handle iOS system problems
Backup & Restore
Android Data Backup & Restore Backup and restore Android data
iOS Data Backup & Restore Backup and manage iOS files
Data Transfer
DoTrans Transfer data among phones and PC
iOS Transfer Focus on transferring iOS data
WhatsApp Transfer for iOS Freely transmit WhatsApp data
Multimedia
Screen Recorder Record everything on your screen
ScreenMo Screen mirror phones to PC
Video Converter Ultimate Convert video into any format
Free HEIC Converter Convert HEIC to JPG/PNG
Video Cutter Edit and clip your videosG
Android Tips

How to Enable and Use Gesture Navigation System on Android P

By FonePaw | May 16 , 2018

Android P beta made its debut at Google I/O 2018 and comparing to the Developer Preview, several significant updates are added to the beta version. The new gesture navigation system, a replacement for navigation buttons (home/back/recent buttons), is one of the biggest changes.

 

At the first glance, you'll find Android P's gesture controls a lot like Apple's navigation system for iPhone X, especially the Apple-like pill-shaped button at the center of the screen. However, once you have tried the gestures on Android P, you'll notice that there are actually some unique designs on Android P's gesture navigation system. Here's how to enable gesture navigation on Android P and how to navigate your phone with gestures instead of virtual buttons.

 

Android P Gesture Navigation System

 

Enable Android P's Gesture Navigation System

 

Android P doesn't have the new gesture navigation system enabled by default. You'll need to activate gesture controls on Settings.

 

  • Go to Settings > System > Gestures;
  • Tap on "Swipe up on home button" and toggle it on;
  • The original navigation buttons on the bottom will disappear and in their places, there are a pill-
  • shaped icon and a back button.

 

Use Gesture Controls on Android P

 

With the new gesture naviagtion system on Android 9.0, there is a different way to come back to home screen, go back, open recent apps, open app drawer, enter multitasking view. If you are used to the home/back/recent buttons on the previous Android version, you get a grasp on the new transition with the steps below.

 

Go Back: Android P still keeps the back button on the left of the screen but the button doesn't show all the time, only in the apps that you need to go back.

 

Go Back to Home Screen: Home button is not completely killed off on Android 9.0. The pill-shape icon on the bottom can work as the virtual Home button. You can just tap the pill-shape button to return to Home.

 

Android P Pill Icon

 

Multitasking: There used to be a recent button with which you can open multitasking view with one tap. Now in Android P's new gesture navigation system, you can swipe up from the pill-shape bar to enter the multitasking view, where you can see all recent apps. And by swiping left and right on the pill-shape button, you can view the list of recent apps and once you see the app you are looking for, release the button and you'll enter the app.

 

Android P Multitasking

 

Another new change is that on multitasking view, you can now copy the texts from an recent app without opening it.

 

Open App Drawer: Swipe up once you'll open the multitasking view and swipe up again it will open app drawer.

 

Anddroid P App Drawer

 

Switch Between Recent Apps: On Android 7.0, you can double tap recent button to switch between the two recent apps. Now on Android 9.0, flick quickly on the pill-shape bar to switch to other recent apps.

 

Android P Switch Between Apps

 

Google Assistant: To bring out Google Assistant, just long press on the pill-shape button on the bottom.

 

To conclude, Android P's gesture navigation system is different from iPhone X's navigation. Even though home, back, recent buttons are removed, the old Android navigation system is not completely abandoned. To some extent, the pill-shape button still works as the old Home/Recent button. The new gesture navigation system and the old navigation bar, which one do you prefer?

 

guest
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Samantha Jones
3 year before

Hi FonePaw,
It's an amazing blog on "Android P gesture Navigation." It will be very useful to many people who are currently working on android app development.. You have described it very well by giving in detail description. Thank You. Keep Updating us via new articles.

Mobile App Development


Submit Guest Post to FonePaw

Share Your Masterpiece on FonePaw

1
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x