Swipe Up on Home Button Instead Using the Overview on Android 9

What does this mean?

Swipe on Home button means that the Overview button will disappear and you will have only Home and Back ones.

Is it convenient or not?

I have been using the new feature for a week or so and I have the following impressions.

Pros. I can say that in general I like this way of using the Home button. This is mainly because I prefer to use swipes rather than aim at small icons every time, because the last distracts your attention from more important things on your screen and in your mind. 

Cons. But there is one controversial moment: if you want to open the list of apps you will first see that recent apps screen anyways. So you have 1) either to do a second swipe up 2) or do a longer swipe up to let the recent apps screen close and the app drawer show up (however the second option works if you are on home screen only but not in apps). Actually, it works not as swipe on home button – it works like swipe from the bottom of the screen. It doesn’t matter whether you swipe up from the middle bottom or even from any corner on the bottom – you will have recent apps screen open.

how swipe on home button works Android 9

Swipe Right to Navigate Between Recent Screens

You can also swipe right. But here are two options. If you swipe right quickly and release the button you will switch to the previous app (equivalent to double tap on recent apps button). But if you move your finger slowly you will be able to scroll recent screens horizontally and choose which one of the recent screens you want to open. By the way, you can move right and left as well. Release when you found the app you were looking for.

swipe right on home button Android 9

How to Enable Swipe Up on Home Button on Android 9:

  • Go to SettingsSettings Android 9
  • Tap System.
  • Here select Gestures.
  • Tap Swipe up on Home button.
  • And finally enable it. Once you’ve done this your home button will change its shape and the Overview icon will disappear:

Swipe up on Home button Android 9 P

Do you like the new design? Write in the comments!

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