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Google is improving gesture controls on Android Q

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Feb 18, 2019, 6:36 PM

Google is improving gesture controls on Android Q

Whether you like it or not, Android 9 Pie does introduce gestures to Android. Some find them to be lacking compared to the gestures offered on the 2018 Apple iPhone models and the iPhone X, but other Android users are satisfied. You might recall that when using the Android 9 gestures, the back button comes and goes. If it is possible for the user to go back a page, the button appears. Otherwise, it is not there.

Many of the complaints about the gesture controls in Android 9 deal with the back button and swipe up from the "pill" to open the app drawer. However, a pre-release version of Android Q obtained by XDA reveals that in the next build of Android, the back button could be removed and replaced by a gesture that requires the user to swipe the "pill" to the left to go back. Another change will allow users with an open app on the screen to swipe the "pill" to the right to view the previously active app. If one were to continue sliding the pill to the right, he will see his remaining open apps. Sliding on the "pill" while in the app launcher will allow users to run through all of their apps.

To recap, the pre-release version of Android Q reveals that the new navigational gestures will be as follows:

Tap pill to go "Home"
Long press on the pill opens Google Assistant
Short swipe up of the pill will take you to recent apps/multitasking
Long swipe up of the pill will open the app drawer
Slide pill to the right will allow you to view your recent apps
Quick swipe of the pill to the right will let you see the last app you've opened
Slide pill to the left to go back

Of course, by the time Google unveils Android Q during Google I/O (May 7th-May 9th, 2019), the gesture controls could be changed again.

Back button circled in red, on the gestures control mode for Android 9 Pie

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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