The next version of Google’s OS is just around the corner, Android 15, and the successive betas – the latest available is beta 4.1 – have been revealing the new features: better volume manager, adaptive vibration, contrast colors, the new ‘Private Space’, app archiving, and many others that we have seen during development and will arrive in the final version scheduled for autumn.
However, Google continues to introduce small changes that only some users notice, since they are not active by default. This is the case of the navigation bar (or tasks, due to their similarity to those on PCs) of Android 15: this is how it is displayed on mobile devices.
Android 15 Taskbar… On Phones?
Actually, this taskbar It is not new as suchIn fact, we’ve seen it in previous versions of Google’s operating system: Android 12.1 incorporated it for tablets and devices with larger screen diagonals. Later, in Android 13, it had a small revision that updated its design to the lines of Material You.
As we have said before, the focus is mainly on tablets. This makes it easier switch between apps or open the drawer itself regardless of which screen we are on. In addition, it speeds up the use of the split screen to use two applications simultaneously. That is why its use has always been oriented to the aforementioned devices.
However, as we read on Android Authority, Google is thinking about bringing it to our smartphones. As the popularity and availability of these types of devices grows, Google is looking for a way to optimize the interface from Android.
This dock or taskbar is still present in the latest version of the system, with a design that has been changing since its first appearance. While in Android 12 it remains permanently at the bottom of the screen, the update to Android 13 allowed it to be hidden by pressing on an empty space on the screen.
Thus, it behaves better on book-type folding screens, not taking up valuable space for interaction with the mobile. To open it, a gesture from bottom to top is enough, although Google has thought that it is too cumbersome and in Android 15 recover the old style with a button.
Of course, in conventional smartphones, it is necessary change screen scale to make it appear. In turn, to get this taskbar, we get a smaller and more difficult to interact with interface. That’s why Google is working to optimize it for smaller screens, so we don’t have to alter the scaling of the interface.
According to Android Authority, there are mentions of a new “tiny” taskbar feature, a sign that system developers are testing an alternative to take it to the rest of the phones. And they have enabled it: its behavior is similar, but the good thing is that it is not necessary to change the screen scale to use it.
It is unknown whether it will finally be in the stable version of Android 15 or will arrive in one of its quarterly updates (in the case of the Pixels). Without a doubt, it is an alternative way that could improve multitasking: Not in vain, jumping between applications with gestures involves opening the recent apps screen to know which ones we have open.
Via | Android Authority