If you've just switched phones or updated your current phone and suddenly see a small bar at the bottom instead of the usual buttons, you're probably wondering how this works. Enable navigation gestures on AndroidDon't worry, you're not alone: ​​the switch from the traditional three buttons to gestures might be a little confusing at first, but once you get used to it, it's quite comfortable and leaves you with more screen space.
Before touching anything, it's important to understand that, depending on the manufacturer (Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Google, etc.) and the Android version your phone runs, the menu path and some gestures may vary slightly. Even so, there are a number of options and movements that are almost always the same, and I'm going to explain them to you step by step so you can... activate, use and customize gesture navigation without fear of being wrong.
Navigation options in Android: buttons and gestures
On most current Android phones you can choose between several ways to navigate the system, and it's important to know them to decide whether to stick with the classic method or opt for a more advanced one. more modern gesture-based navigation.
The most common system is still the classic one with three virtual buttons at the bottom of the screen (Back, Home and Multitasking), which comes from older versions of Android and is still used by many users out of habit and because it is very clear what each button does.
In addition to those three buttons, many mobile phones offer an intermediate mode of navigation bar with two buttons or different button layouts, where the number of icons on screen is reduced but you still have fixed controls to move around the system without relying entirely on gestures.
The third way is the so-called gesture navigation or full-screen gestureswhich almost completely eliminates visible buttons and replaces them with swipes from the edges or bottom of the phone, freeing up space for content and giving the interface a cleaner look.
This gesture-based navigation isn't exclusive to Apple and its iPhone X, although it became very popular there; most Android phones with version 9 (Android Pie) or higher can now activate a similar system. gestures very similar to those of the iPhone, adapted to each layer of customization.
How to enable navigation gestures on Android?
The exact way to access the navigation menu may vary from model to model, but in almost all cases it's through the Settings app. It's important to know that the names of some options may differ, but the goal is always to go to the section where these settings are selected. if you want buttons or gestures at the bottom of the screen.
On many mobile phones, the first step will be to open the application of System settings or configuration, which usually has a gear icon and can be found both in the app drawer and on the home screen.
On certain devices, especially phones with almost pure Android (like Pixel phones), you'll have to enter the block called System within Settings, where general functions such as language, backup, and a specific gestures section are grouped.
Within that System menu, there is usually a section called GesturesThis is where Android concentrates shortcuts such as lifting the phone to silence, opening the camera with a double twist of the wrist and, very importantly, the gesture navigation mode that interests us now.
On other phones, especially those from brands that customize the system more, the bottom bar settings are located in the options menu. Screen, Navigation bar, Navigation buttons or System navigationSo you'll have to go into that specific section to be able to choose the type of control.
Once inside that menu, you will usually see two main groups: on one hand, button navigation (in the classic three-key or two-button version) and, on the other, the option to full-screen gestures or gesture navigation, which is the one you should select if you want the traditional buttons to disappear.
When you select gesture mode, the system itself will warn you that The row of buttons at the bottom will be hidden and it will be replaced by a small indicator (sometimes a line, sometimes nothing visible), and from that moment on you will have to use swipes to return to Home, go back or show recent apps.
If you're having trouble finding the specific menu because your custom interface has it well hidden, you can use the search function built into the Settings app and type in terms like “gestures”, “navigation” or “buttons” to go directly to the screen where you switch between gesture navigation and navigation using virtual buttons.
How do I use navigation gestures when they are already enabled?
Once you activate full-screen gestures, the way you move around the system changes completely, so it's a good idea to learn the basic movements until you have them as ingrained as the old buttons.
The most frequently used gesture will be that of Go back to the start screenThis is usually done by quickly sliding a finger from the bottom of the screen upwards, just as if you were pushing the app out to return to your mobile's home screen.
To open the view of recent applications or multitasking You will usually have to swipe up from the bottom and hold your finger for a moment in the middle of the screen, so that all open apps are displayed as cards or minimized windows so you can switch between them or close them.
The gesture of back or return to the previous screen This is usually done by sliding from the left edge of the screen towards the center, or from the right edge towards the center, which replaces the classic Back button and allows you to go to the previous step within an app or close an app and return to the previous one.
On some phones, especially with customizations like MIUI, EMUI, or One UI, upward gestures are also used to open the recent apps list if the swipe is made from a specific area of ​​the bottom bar, or certain movements are reserved for Access the app drawer from the home screen.
When using the gesture system, remember that swiping sideways from the bottom allows you to navigate from one recent app to another, similar to how you would use an Alt+Tab shortcut on a computer, saving you a lot of time. speed when switching between running applications.
In many customization layers, if you swipe up from the bottom bar without releasing your finger and keep it pressed, you'll see the list of background applications appear and you can scroll through them laterally, releasing when the app you want to use is centered.
Zoom and screen rotation gestures on Android
Although they are not part of the system's navigation as such, you will continually use others on a daily basis. Android touch gestures which you should master if you want to navigate websites, maps, photos, or any type of visual content with ease.
When you are viewing a web page, a map, or an image, you can Double-tap an item to enlarge it.which is very useful for quickly zooming in on a specific piece without having to open the typical finger clip.
Another way to zoom in or out is to place two or more fingers on the screen and perform the gesture of open or close your fingers, what everyone knows as the pinch gesture, which is used to zoom in on details or see the whole in many apps.
In practice, if you separate your fingers when pinching the screen you will get increase the size of what you are viewingWhile pinching with your fingers together will reduce the zoom level to achieve a more general view of the content.
It's also common to want to control the automatic screen rotationThis feature makes the interface switch from vertical to horizontal when you rotate your phone, which is very convenient for watching videos or photos but can sometimes be annoying if it happens when it shouldn't.
To turn automatic rotation on or off, simply open the quick settings by swiping down from the top of the screen with two fingers and tapping the icon. “Automatically rotate” or “Automatic rotation”which will allow or block the change of orientation when rotating the phone.
How to enable gesture navigation on phones with near-stock Android?
On devices with an experience very close to Original android (like many Google phones or some models that barely modify the system) the process to enable gestures is fairly unified and easy to follow.
You will usually need to open the app Settings and scroll down to the System section, which is usually one of the last sections, where somewhat more advanced options related to the general operation of the device are included.
Inside System you will see a menu called Gestures, where all available shortcuts are compiled, and there you will find an option dedicated to navigation mode, which may appear with names such as "System Navigation", "Navigation Mode" or similar.
On that screen you can switch from button navigation to gesture navigationwhich in many cases replaces the recent apps button with gestures based on the home button or directly with a sliding bar at the bottom.
In modern versions, especially from Android 10 and 11 onwards, Google refined this system so that swipes from the sides are equivalent to go backwhile a tap or short swipe from the bottom lets you switch apps or return to the home screen.
Some older systems, such as the early Android P betas, included gesture navigation disabled by default and hidden in an option with an English name like “Swipe up on Home button”, which had to be manually activated so that the home button would become the center of all gestures.
In that mode, the recent apps button disappeared from the bar and its function was accessed by swiping up on the home button, leaving a short gesture to show recently used apps and a longer gesture to open the app drawer.
Specific gestures in Android P and first implementations
When Google began experimenting with gesture navigation in Android P, it focused on a system closely tied to the home button located in the center of the bottom bar, on which almost all the supported movements were built.
If you wanted to open the app drawer from the home screen You needed to swipe up from the home button with a long gesture, almost reaching the top of the screen, so you wouldn't get stuck in multitasking.
To see them recent apps It was enough to make a shorter swipe upwards from that same home button, which replaced the old square "Recents" button and displayed recently used apps in a carousel format.
Another novelty of that era was the possibility of Switch between apps by sliding horizontally on the home buttonwhich acted as a slider: you moved it to the right or left to see the apps running in the background and stayed on the one you needed.
This same gesture supported a kind of quick shortcut to the previous application, so that if you swiped the home button quickly to the right, the system would send you directly to the last used app, and if you repeated the gesture, you would switch between the two.
The way of Close an app from the recent apps view It barely changed: you still had to slide the corresponding window, although in Android P the direction became upwards instead of sideways, while if you swiped down on a card the application would return to the foreground.
Where can I find gesture settings if your phone hides them?
On some phones, the navigation gestures option isn't exactly where you'd expect, either because the manufacturer has relocated it within their customization layer or because they've decided to group it with other home screen-related settings.
One of the most practical ways to locate it is to open the app of Settings and using the search box which appears at the top, typing terms like “gestures”, “screen gestures” or “system navigation” until you see the corresponding option in the results.
In certain models, when typing the word “gestures” You'll see an entry called something like "Full Screen Gestures" or "Navigation Gestures," which will take you to a menu where you simply have to choose between gesture navigation or virtual button controls.
On other devices, the manufacturer prefers to group it in the menu of Home screen or ScreenWithin which you will find a subsection called System Navigation, Navigation Bar or a similar name that will allow you to alternate between buttons and gestures as the main form of control.
If your mobile phone includes a specific section for Additional settings or advanced featuresThe option may also be found there, combined with full-screen playback settings, hiding the bottom bar, or extra accessibility settings.
How to temporarily hide buttons without using full gestures?
You may not want to make the complete leap to gesture navigation, but you might be interested in temporarily hide the touch buttons (Home, Back and Multitasking) to gain a few millimeters of screen when watching a movie, a photo gallery or a game.
- On phones with EMUI (Huawei, for example) you can usually swipe your finger to left to right on the button bar To hide it, simply drag from the bottom edge to bring back the button panel when you need it.
- On Samsung phones with One UI, a typical way to do this is to Press and hold the empty area next to the buttons for a few seconds until the "Hide navigation bar" option appears, and later it can be restored by swiping with two fingers from the bottom edge.
- In Xiaomi's MIUI interface, the usual procedure is to go to Settings, then enter Home screen and then in Navigation bar, where you'll see a feature like "Automatically hide buttons" that makes them only appear when you swipe up from the bottom.
This way you can retain the convenience of traditional buttons, but at the same time quickly switch between a cleaner, more immersive display and another with the controls always visible, depending on what you are going to do at any given time.
On many models you can also change the position of the Back and Multitasking buttons within the bar, disabling options such as “symmetrical buttons” so that The back button should be on the left or the right depending on which hand is more comfortable for you.
How do I put the buttons back on the screen if I'm not happy with the gestures?
If you try the gestures and find they don't work for you, you can always reverse the change and return to the virtual button system at the bottom, following virtually the same steps you took to activate gesture navigation.
The key is to return to the menu where you selected gesture navigation: whether it's "System Navigation", "Navigation Bar", "Play Full Screen" or whatever name your device uses to group these options for moving around the interface.
On many phones you'll have to open Settings, go into something like Additional adjustments and look for the section dedicated to full screen playback or viewing, where the control alternatives are listed at the bottom, including the classic buttons.
On other devices, such as those that group everything on the Home screen, you'll need to go to Settings, look for the category Starting screenGo to the System Navigation section and instead of Gestures, select the virtual buttons option as the primary navigation method.
If you don't remember exactly where it was, you can always use the search function in the Settings app by typing "buttons" so that the system takes you back to the screen where you choose between gestures or the button bar, and there you select the traditional option again.
Many layers also allow you to customize the order of the buttons when you return to them, so you can swap the position of the back button with the multitasking button to adapt it to your dominant hand, although the central home icon usually remains fixed in the center.
Advantages and disadvantages of gesture navigation
Before deciding whether to stick with gestures or not, it's worth weighing the pros and cons, as this system offers Clear benefits but also some drawbacks which should be taken into account.
One important advantage of gestures is that free up screen spaceBecause you no longer need to reserve a bottom strip for virtual buttons that are visible all the time, which is especially appreciated on long screens or when you often watch multimedia content.
Another positive aspect is that, once internalized, the gestures usually offer faster browsing speedWith a single swipe, you can switch apps, go back, or open multitasking, avoiding having to repeatedly press buttons located far from the center of the screen.
The fact that there aren't as many visible fixed icons also reduces distractions a bit, because you can Focus more on the content and less on visually locating each button.This makes the experience more natural and more like physically handling the content.
However, for many people the main drawback of this system is that requires a longer learning periodThis is because you have to get used to new movements and remember from which edge each gesture is made, something that can be confusing between different brands and models.
Furthermore, gestures can be more prone to errorsEspecially with large fingers or if you make the movements quickly, since the system can interpret your swipe as another gesture and take you to a screen you didn't want, which can sometimes be a bit frustrating.
It should also be considered that some system gestures may to conflict with the inherent slippage of certain applications, such as social networks or games, which can create situations where, when trying to perform an action within the app, you end up triggering a navigation gesture.
Pros and cons of keeping virtual buttons
Virtual buttons still have many supporters, and it's no coincidence: they remain a very valid option for those who value the clarity and precision that aesthetics and screen space.
An undeniable advantage of buttons is that they are much easier to understandEspecially for users coming from older phones with physical buttons; you see an icon, you press it and you know exactly what's going to happen, without needing to learn gesture combinations.
Another strength is that these buttons are less prone to usage errorsbecause they have a specific and stable touch area over time, and the system doesn't have to interpret the speed or direction of your finger to decide what action to launch.
On some phones it's even allowed customize the order, size, or even the number of buttons that appear in the bar, adding extra access or changing its design according to what is more visually comfortable or more accessible with one hand.
The biggest problem is that, logically, They occupy a portion of the screenThis is something that those who prefer a cleaner design or take advantage of every centimeter for content, especially on mid-range phones with reduced bezels, don't like very much.
You may also notice a certain reduced agility when navigating with respect to gesturesSince you have to move your finger to the bottom edge for many actions, and if you're also using the phone with one hand, you might have trouble reaching the buttons at the ends.
Finally, some users may find it somewhat awkward to continually stretch their thumb downwards to press those buttons, whereas with a good gesture system they can perform many actions without moving their hand so much across the screen.
In short, Android offers enough options for you to choose between classic button navigation or a more modern gesture system, allowing you to activate, adjust, or hide each alternative depending on what you find most practical, and always with the peace of mind that you can go back if, after trying the gestures, you find that they don't fit the way you usually use your phone. Share the information and more people will know how to use navigation gestures on Android.