On Android’s gesture-navigation mode, the pill area is more than a Home shortcut: you can open the app overview, switch quickly between open apps, and go Back with edge swipes. The exact steps and settings can vary by phone, Android version, and manufacturer; Google calls this mode Gesture navigation.
Four gestures to try
These instructions apply to gesture navigation. If your phone uses button navigation, the controls work differently.
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1. Swipe up to go Home
Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen. Android returns to the Home screen.
2. Swipe up and hold to see open apps
Swipe up from the bottom, hold briefly, then release to open the app overview. Tap an app preview to switch to it, or swipe a preview upward to close it.
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3. Swipe along the bottom to switch apps
At the very bottom of the screen, swipe from left to right to move between open apps. This is the quickest gesture for returning to an app you were just using.
4. Swipe inward from an edge to go Back
Swipe inward from either the left or right edge of the screen. In apps that use horizontal scrolling or edge-based controls, the starting point and app behavior can affect the gesture.
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Google’s instructions for these four gestures are in its Android navigation guide.
What if the edge swipe is unreliable?
A phone case can make the screen edge harder to reach, while a more sensitive edge setting can sometimes interfere with an app’s own edge gestures. Google says users can adjust left- and right-edge sensitivity in navigation settings. Menu names and paths vary: Google lists separate instructions for Pixel and other Android devices, and recommends contacting the manufacturer if the setting is missing.
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If edge gestures conflict with an app, try changing the sensitivity rather than assuming the app or phone is broken. If the case blocks the swipe, increasing sensitivity may help; if app controls are being triggered, lowering it may reduce conflicts.
Navigation modes change how the controls work
Android’s gesture mode is not the same as older two-button navigation. In the two-button layout, Google describes swiping up on the Home button to switch apps, swiping up again to see all apps, and tapping Back. If your phone shows buttons instead of the gesture-navigation pill, use the instructions for your active mode.
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Three-button navigation is also a valid alternative. Google recommends it for people with limited dexterity or difficulty making precise gestures; switching modes is not a failure to learn the gestures. Settings paths differ by device, so follow the manufacturer-specific navigation instructions for your phone.
Two related gestures that are not pill controls
Open Quick Settings with two fingers
Swiping down from the top of the screen with two fingers opens the full Quick Settings panel in one step. It is a useful Android system gesture, but it is separate from navigation-pill controls.
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Try the assistant corner gesture only if supported
Google’s 2019 explanation of Android Q described swiping inward diagonally from either bottom corner to trigger the device assistant. That is a historical description, not a guarantee that the gesture works on every current phone or assistant setup. Check your device’s gesture settings to see whether it is available.
Why Android has gesture navigation
In an August 2019 Android Developers post, Android UI Product Managers Allen Huang and Rohan Shah said gesture navigation was designed to give apps more screen space. They also acknowledged that gestures can be harder to learn, may not work well for everyone, and can conflict with app navigation—one reason Google said three-button navigation would remain an option. Their post reported that users in their research took an average of 1–3 days to adapt, but that is a 2019 research finding, not a current or universal adjustment period.
Huang and Shah also reported that Back was used 50% more than Home in the context of their post, and that swiping to open a navigation drawer accounted for about 3–7% of users, depending on the Google app studied. Those figures describe the Google team’s 2019 findings, not Android users generally today. Read their Gesture Navigation: A Backstory for the original context.
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