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Samsung caves to Galaxy S24 users' gripes over pesky One UI 6.1 change

By Anam Hamid

Published: Jan 29, 2024, 3:07 PM

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Samsung caves to Galaxy S24 users' gripes over pesky One UI 6.1 change

Samsung's focus on AI is helping its new Galaxy S24 phones smash sales records and while the devices are receiving praise for their powerful hardware, beautiful screens, and long software support, some early adopters weren't happy with Samsung's decision to take away one feature.

While the three-button navigation mode is the default way to navigate on the Galaxy S24, some users prefer gesture navigation, and many of them were annoyed by the inability to hide the gesture navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

Previously, Samsung gave users the option to hide the gesture hint bar but One UI 6.1 took it away from the Galaxy S24. Samsung apparently removed the option because a long press of the gesture bar is what launched the Circle to Search option. It lets you look up any part of a picture your circle on the internet. Disabling Circle to Search didn't bring the option to hide the navigation bar back.

Users who prefer a cleaner home screen were displeased with the change. The navigation bar doesn't serve any real purpose and is more of a training bar or a hint bar, as Samsung's official name for it implies. In the long run, a pill that's always visible can also cause burn-in.

A vocal minority was angry about the change, particularly those who weren't interested in Circle to Search and were furious that the new AI feature was the reason behind the change.

Samsung has listened to their pleas. As first spotted by Mishaal Rahman, the company's Good Lock app, which lets you customize the user interface, can bring back the option to hide the gesture bar.

All you have to do is download the Navstar module and disable the 'gesture hint' toggle.

Samsung has heard your pleas: You can now hide the gesture bar in One UI 6.1 on the Galaxy S24!

Samsung is rolling out an update to NavStar, the Good Lock module that lets you customize navigation, that brings back the setting to hide the gesture hint. Here's a before and after… pic.twitter.com/F736F3bceA
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) January 28, 2024

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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