Three-Button Navigation: The Current State of Affairs
Pixel devices currently use gestures for navigation, but for those who prefer a traditional three-button setup, Samsung’s layout has become a standard of sorts. Samsung devices, for instance, place the “Back” button on the right and the “Recents” button on the left, a configuration that has been in place since the Galaxy S7. This arrangement was made to mirror the layout of older Samsung phones, which often featured capacitive keys and a home button.
- However, this layout is not universally adopted, and many Android devices still use the standard Android layout, where the “Back” button is on the left, “Home” in the center, and “Recents” on the right.
- Some devices, like the Samsung Galaxy S21, also offer a setting to revert to the standard Android layout or switch to gesture-based navigation.
The Problem with Samsung’s Layout
For those who prefer the standard Android layout, Samsung’s flipped configuration can be a source of frustration when transitioning to a non-Samsung device. This is because the layout is designed to accommodate the physical keys found on older Samsung phones, which were not always present on newer devices.
“The flipped layout is a remnant of the past, and it’s a design choice that was made to accommodate the physical keys on older Samsung phones. However, as devices have evolved and physical keys have become less common, this layout has become less practical and more frustrating for users.”
A Potential Solution
Recently, some code has been discovered on the latest Android Canary build that directly implements a feature to swap the order of the “Back” and “Recents” buttons in the three-button navigation bar. While the feature is not yet active, and there is no user-facing toggle for it, this would allow Pixel phones to swap around their keys if they wish to do so.
| Feature | Current Status | Future Potential |
|---|---|---|
| Swap Back and Recents buttons | Inactive | Might be implemented in a future version of Android |
Why It Matters
For those who prefer the standard Android layout, the ability to swap the “Back” and “Recents” buttons would be a significant improvement. It would allow users to transition seamlessly from Samsung devices to non-Samsung devices, without having to retrain themselves.
- For those who prefer a traditional three-button setup, the ability to swap the buttons would be a welcome change.
- It would also improve the user experience for those who are used to using Samsung devices and are transitioning to a non-Samsung device.
A Word of Caution
While the feature is currently inactive, it’s not clear when or if it will be implemented. The Android Canary channel was recently introduced, and it’s possible that these bleeding-edge features might not pop up until Android 17 next year, or even later. As always, we’ll have to wait and see. Definition:
AOSP Android: Android Open Source Project, a community-driven project that develops and maintains the Android operating system. Highlights:
• Samsung’s flipped layout has been a source of frustration for users transitioning to non-Samsung devices. • The ability to swap the “Back” and “Recents” buttons could improve the user experience for those who prefer a traditional three-button setup. • The feature is currently inactive, but might be implemented in a future version of Android.
