Android 10 Gestures vs 9 Gestures vs Original Button Layout

jaybee

jaybee

jaybee

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What do you use or prefer?

Do you think Gestures will be fully adopted? Introduced in Android 9 Pie, we have the kind of half way implementation of gestures, with the home button as a pill and a back button still appearing when supposedly required. Then in Android 10 we now have full gesture implementation where to go back is also controlled via swiping in from left/right screen and no home or back button at all.

Where Apple have decided for their users what to provide, Android gives users the choice to use still the Original Button layout if preferred. But will this hamper progress? Not fully adopting one method could mean app developers are left in a difficult middle ground to try to please all. Trying to please all often leads to a poor UI experience overall. This article discusses the main issue with back button gesture in Android 10 as conflicting with other swipes when inside apps.

As a user currently on Android 8.1 (and deliberately delaying my upgrade to a newer phone to see how things play out) I'm still left wondering whether I should commit to an Android 10 phone now and try to get used to full Gestures, or just stick with home and back button. At least it doesn't affect phone choice as much now with Android as physical home button phones seemed to have died out. But with Apple iphones it does make a difference, since if you can only afford to now buy up to and including an iphone 8, you are buying a phone with still a physical home button.


Poll addition would be good...not sure how to add.
 
I would pick gestures any day, why lose screen space for buttons??
I do think Google should **** or get off the pot. As you point out they still offer both methods but Google have a history of half-heartedly making changes and doing two half jobs instead of one good job. Bite the bullet, ditch the buttons and use R&D to develop gestures further instead.
 
I much prefer gestures. I've been using gestures on my Note 8 for over six months now with nothing on the screen at all, no pill, no indicators. It's now so ingrained as muscle memory that I struggle with my old Tablets and Note 4s.
 
I'd never heard of gestures until I read this thread.
My current phone is on 7 and my tablet 8,neither of which have gestures..... I have a new phone on order with Android 10 so looks like I've some learning to do..... I'm thankful I can switch back to what I'm used to if I don't take to it......so I for 1 am glad there are both options.
Having gestures on the phone but not my tablet could cause some confusion
 
Anyone using a device without native gesture support I recommend an app called Fluid navigation. It adds nav gestures with configurable settings.
 
I prefer OnePlus gestures where it's a swipe up from the bottom left or right of the screen to go back. I prefer this simply because when using the side gestures, quite often I'll go to scroll left or right and end up going back instead.
 
I use the Oneplus gestures on mine, been using them for a while now and get confused when the mrs asks me to do something on her P20 and I need to go back to using buttons :o
 
biron_w said:
I prefer OnePlus gestures where it's a swipe up from the bottom left or right of the screen to go back. I prefer this simply because when using the side gestures, quite often I'll go to scroll left or right and end up going back instead.
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That's the old implementation of the OnePlus gestures though isn't it? I recall that's how it worked on my 6T. However the 7 and and 7T phones use the standard Android 10 gestures now. Or is there some way to use the old method on the newer systems?
 
GMac11 said:
That's the old implementation of the OnePlus gestures though isn't it? I recall that's how it worked on my 6T. However the 7 and and 7T phones use the standard Android 10 gestures now. Or is there some way to use the old method on the newer systems?
Click to expand...
You've got the option between buttons/old/new.
 
I still use 3 buttons (old style).

Despite having used an iPhone and owning an iPad, I prefer the 3 buttons on Android. The gestures are pretty good, but there are a few issues which collectively drive me back to 3 button layout.

- The curve on the bottom of the screen on my 2XL is cut off by a thin black bar when it should be transparent (it is in some apps, mostly google ones, but oddly, not chrome). This would not be a problem on a square screen, or if there was no thin black bar (I dont see the need for one). It’s not exactly a functional issue, but it’s unsightly.

- Nigh on impossible to access the left sidebar of some bars with a swipe. I’ve tried the workarounds, none work consistently

- Occasional accidental triggering of back gestures when scrolling down if finger was too close to the screen.

- I had issues in other apps (which I don’t remember exactly, but I think WhatsApp was a notable example) that simply weren’t present with the 3 button layout.

I do like some of the gestures like app switching, but overall, I don’t feel like they’re as well implemented as on iOS. Though I will admit I’ve never tried in on a high refresh rate screen.
 
FishLicker said:
I still use 3 buttons (old style).

Despite having used an iPhone and owning an iPad, I prefer the 3 buttons on Android. The gestures are pretty good, but there are a few issues which collectively drive me back to 3 button layout.

- The curve on the bottom of the screen on my 2XL is cut off by a thin black bar when it should be transparent (it is in some apps, mostly google ones, but oddly, not chrome). This would not be a problem on a square screen, or if there was no thin black bar (I dont see the need for one). It’s not exactly a functional issue, but it’s unsightly.

- Nigh on impossible to access the left sidebar of some bars with a swipe. I’ve tried the workarounds, none work consistently

- Occasional accidental triggering of back gestures when scrolling down if finger was too close to the screen.

- I had issues in other apps (which I don’t remember exactly, but I think WhatsApp was a notable example) that simply weren’t present with the 3 button layout.

I do like some of the gestures like app switching, but overall, I don’t feel like they’re as well implemented as on iOS. Though I will admit I’ve never tried in on a high refresh rate screen.
Click to expand...
Fortunately OnePlus have an option to hide this bar you speak of and it's great. Absolutely full uninterrupted display.
 
GMac11 said:
Fortunately OnePlus have an option to hide this bar you speak of and it's great. Absolutely full uninterrupted display.
Click to expand...

The OnePlus 8 Pro is probably the only phone I would consider upgrading from my 2XL, if it wasn’t for the fact I’m done paying a grand for a phone! Might be a good buy later in the year.
 
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