{"id":547743,"date":"2023-02-02T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/its-time-to-stop-using-three-button-navigation-on-android\/"},"modified":"2023-02-02T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T14:00:00","slug":"its-time-to-stop-using-three-button-navigation-on-android","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-time-to-stop-using-three-button-navigation-on-android\/","title":{"rendered":"#It\u2019s Time to Stop Using Three-Button Navigation on Android"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2468450a929\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2468450a929\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-time-to-stop-using-three-button-navigation-on-android\/#%E2%80%9CIts_Time_to_Stop_Using_Three-Button_Navigation_on_Android%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;It\u2019s Time to Stop Using Three-Button Navigation on Android&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-time-to-stop-using-three-button-navigation-on-android\/#More_Screen_Real_Estate\" >More Screen Real Estate<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-time-to-stop-using-three-button-navigation-on-android\/#Faster_App_Switching\" >Faster App Switching<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-time-to-stop-using-three-button-navigation-on-android\/#Natural_Interaction\" >Natural Interaction<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CIts_Time_to_Stop_Using_Three-Button_Navigation_on_Android%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;It\u2019s Time to Stop Using Three-Button Navigation on Android&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-869807\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Android-nav-buttons.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Android navigation buttons\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Following in the steps of the iPhone, Google added gesture-based navigation to Android in 2018. It\u2019s been a while since then, yet many people still cling to the old three-button navigation system. Allow me to make the case for gestures.<\/p>\n<p>A big reason why so many people still use three-button navigation is Samsung. Despite Galaxy devices having gesture navigation built-in, Samsung defaults to three-button out of the box. You have to manually switch to gestures yourself\u2014not everyone will know they can do that.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_Screen_Real_Estate\"><\/span>More Screen Real Estate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-869928\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2023-01-31_15-23-18.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Navigation bar vs gesture bar\" width=\"546\" height=\"550\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the most obvious argument: screen real estate. One of the reasons why gesture navigation was created was to allow for more room on the screen for content. Simply put, by removing the navigation bar, you get more screen space for other things.<\/p>\n<p>Admittedly, this isn\u2019t a huge deal, especially since so many Android phones already have large displays. However, it does make a noticeable difference. As you can see in the screenshots above, the navigation bar blocks an extra couple of lines of text in the browser. If you want to maximize what you can see on your screen, gesture navigation is the clear choice.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Faster_App_Switching\"><\/span>Faster App Switching<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Multitasking is another benefit of gesture navigation. It\u2019s quicker to switch between recent <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>s with a gesture than tapping buttons. With three-button navigation, you need to tap the \u201cRecents\u201d button once and then tap the last app, or you can quickly tap the \u201cRecents\u201d button twice. Either way, it\u2019s two taps.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-869951\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2023-01-31_15-40-35.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Three-button multitasking.\" width=\"649\" height=\"268\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>With gesture navigation, you simply swipe horizontally from left to right across the bar to slide the last app into frame. You can repeat the gesture\u2014both from left to right and from right to left\u2014to keep switching through apps like a rolodex. It\u2019s considerably quicker than tapping.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-869952\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2023-01-31_15-41-03.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Gesture multitasking.\" width=\"430\" height=\"244\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>This is why gestures feel more fluid than three-button navigation. As silly as it might sound, tapping a touchscreen is more of a \u201cchore\u201d than swiping. With each tap you\u2019re waiting for the associated action. Swiping feels like a more im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te response.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Natural_Interaction\"><\/span>Natural Interaction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The practical benefits may seem slim, but that doesn\u2019t tell the whole story of gesture navigation. Swiping feels like a more natural interaction with a touchscreen. Taps can be imprecise, while swipes are <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly more forgiving.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the \u201cBack\u201d gesture on Android can be done from anywhere on the right or left edge of the screen. You don\u2019t have to reach your thumb down to the bottom corner and hit the \u201cBack\u201d button. It\u2019s far easier to do it one handed.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, the gesture for going to the home screen is a simple swipe up from anywhere on the bottom of the screen. It feels very tangible to literally fling the current app away as the home screen comes into view.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a big part of why I think gesture navigation is better than three-button navigation. I feel more connected to the operating system with gestures. When you have the ability to swipe away the current app, or pull the last app into view, a button is just a hurdle to jump. It\u2019s in the way.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Of course, Android\u2019s gesture navigation system isn\u2019t perfect. The \u201cBack\u201d gesture can interfere with side menus in some apps, for example. However, I believe the pros outweigh the cons, and perhaps most importantly, this is the way software is moving. Gestures are the future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/869806\/its-time-to-stop-using-three-button-navigation-on-android\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It\u2019s Time to Stop Using Three-Button Navigation on Android&#8221; Justin Duino \/ How-To Geek Following in the steps of the iPhone, Google added gesture-based navigation to Android in 2018. It\u2019s been a while since then, yet many people still cling to the old three-button navigation system. Allow me to make the case for gestures. A&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":547744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Android-nav-buttons.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-547743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=547743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/547744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=547743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=547743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=547743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}